Illinois Manufacturers Hit with Higher Taxes After Stratton Supports Blocking Federal Relief
SPRINGFIELD — As Illinois families and businesses closed the books on another Tax Day, many manufacturers across the state were left with a stark reminder: while Washington moved to lower costs and encourage investment, Springfield is moving in the opposite direction.
The federal Working Families Tax Cut Act, passed as part of H.R. 1, included targeted relief designed to strengthen American manufacturing. This allowed manufacturers to fully expense equipment, invest in new facilities, and expand operations here at home.
But in Illinois, Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton denied manufacturers those same benefits. During the final hours of the Fall 2025 veto session, the Democrat-controlled State Government enacted legislation to ‘decouple’ Illinois from key provisions of the federal tax code, meaning manufacturers paid higher state tax burdens even as their competitors in other states received relief.
‘At a time when Illinois manufacturers face enormous headwinds, Washington threw us a lifeline,” said TMA Executive Vice President Dennis LaComb. “Before we could even benefit, Democrat politicians took that relief away.’
“On Tax Day, Illinois manufacturers got a clear message from Stratton and Pritzker: you’re on your own. And this is the ‘Blueprint’ Stratton wants to take to Washington,” said Don Tracy. “While the rest of the country is making it easier for businesses to invest, hire, and grow, except for crony favorites, Illinois is making it harder.
“I’ve worked with small businesses and manufacturers my entire career. I know what it means to make payroll and take risks to grow. When government raises the cost of doing business and adds complexity via more regulation and unfunded mandates, it doesn’t just hurt businesses. It hurts workers, families, and entire communities.
“Working families and small businesses are already dealing with one of the highest tax burdens in the country. Now Springfield is doubling down and making it even more expensive to do business here and harder to create good-paying jobs.”
“We should be making it easier to build, invest, and grow in Illinois. That starts with aligning our tax policies with federal relief, supporting our manufacturers, and encouraging working families. As your next U.S. Senator, I’ll fight for policies that bring jobs back, strengthen American manufacturing, and make sure Illinois can compete again.”
###
About Don Tracy:
Don is Senior Counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens, the oldest law firm in Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln famously practiced law for four years. Public service is important to Don, with a lifetime spent in community service, most often in volunteer positions. He has served as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board, Secretary of the Illinois Bar Foundation, President of the Sangamon County Bar Association, Chairman of the Illinois Corporate Acts Advisory Committee, and President of the Abraham Lincoln Association, President of the Oak Ridge Cemetery Board, among other community leadership positions. Born in Urbana, raised in Mt. Sterling in Western Illinois, and having raised his own family in Springfield in Central Illinois, Don has deep ties to "downstate Illinois." As the oldest of 12 children, family has always been important to Don.