Gov. Bruce Rauner Praises Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Tax Cut Plan As He Fights To Lower Illinois Taxes

Republican Governors are committed to lower taxes on hardworking families, and that dynamic is demonstrating itself in both the Iowa and Illinois gubernatorial races.

In Iowa, GOP Governor Kim Reynolds has announced the largest tax cut in state history. In Illinois, GOP Governor Bruce Rauner has fought against Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan’s tax and spend agenda for over three years and is committed to stopping Democrat gubernatorial nominee J.B. Pritzker – who is pledging to hike taxes even further if elected.

During an interview yesterday with AM Quad Cities, Governor Rauner praised Governor Reynolds’ tax cut plan as “exactly the right thing to do” and discussed how every state bordering Illinois is cutting taxes, while J.B. Pritzker is making a devastating tax increase for Illinois the centerpiece of his campaign. Listen here.

Reynolds and Rauner know that hardworking families in Iowa and Illinois deserve more money in their pockets, and both Governors are working hard, with some friendly border competition, to get the job done.

Listen to Governor Rauner’s interview with AM Quad Cities here.

Transcript:

HOST: Governor, we talk a lot here on the show AM Quad Cities about the movement from Illinois to Iowa and how that’s getting better and better or worse and worse depending on what side of the river you’re on. And now your friend Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Republicans in Des Moines are passing some income tax cuts, that’s got you concerned?

RAUNER: Oh man we sure do. All of us in states need to compete — and we should compete with each other — we do compete. We compete for businesses, we compete for working families, we compete to grow. Competition is a great thing. Illinois has been losing the competition for years even though we’ve got wonderful people, great location, very very wonderful transportation and education. But we have brutally high taxes and brutal regulation and so our businesses and jobs have been leaving, and working families have been leaving our state. And what’s amazing is the states around us have cut their taxes. Wisconsin’s cut taxes, Indiana’s cut taxes. They’re running budget surpluses. And now Iowa is cutting taxes, which is exactly the right thing to do to grow jobs, grow family income. And to make it more reasonable for economic growth in the state. 

And what’s Illinois doing? Right now, Illinois Speaker Mike Madigan and his democrats in Springfield are proposing a massive tax hike and candidate Pritzker, Madigan’s choice for governor, Pritzker is running around the state saying, “let’s raise the income taxes on the people of Illinois.” Horrible, devastating idea, terrible idea. Our tax burden is already higher in Illinois overall than it is in Iowa. We’re already higher taxes than Iowa overall, and to think that Iowa is cutting their taxes to be more competitive while we’re going the other way. We’ve got to fight against this tax hike.