Will County Gazette

The recent celebration of Small Business Week (May 5-11) did little to change the mindset of state Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield).

“I’m always advocating for small business owners and recognizing the contributions they make in this state,” Batinick told the Will County Gazette. “They’re as critical to the well-being of Illinois as any group you can consider.”

But none of it comes easy, the veteran lawmaker noted, adding that he often hears stories about how soaring property tax rates and too much regulation are conspiring to make things harder on small business owners than they need to be.

State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield)

“The thing is, they don’t want anything special, just a good regulatory environment that allows them a fair shot,” Batinick said. “I’ve proposed some legislation on property taxes that I hope will help, but really they don’t want more legislation; they want us to stop passing bad legislation. All they want is fair policy and an end to all the giveaways for others.”

Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) warns that things will get worse for small businesses before they get better if new Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets his way on the progressive tax plan he’s been pushing. While Pritzker insists the plan will only mean higher taxes for the state’s most affluent residents, IPI sees small business owners ultimately taking a hit.

“To me, it’s not a plan that’s been totally thought out,” Batinick said of the graduated income tax proposal. “For example, some small business owners can have fluctuating incomes and this progressive tax system could hurt them. Say, for instance, you make $250,000 one year; really, it may not be $250,000. Part of that income could carry over from the previous year or just when you got paid off from vendors. It’s not necessarily a case of you making $250,000, but you could be taxed that way.”