McLean County Times

At the Illinois Capitol, discussions continued late into the evening as lawmakers debated new tax proposals. Illinois State Senator Chris Balkema expressed opposition to recent plans from Democratic legislators, which would introduce nearly $2 billion in new taxes to support Chicago’s transit system.

The proposed tax increases would affect several everyday expenses for families across the state. These include higher costs on gas, groceries, deliveries, childcare, streaming services such as Netflix, home sales, haircuts, car repairs, speed cameras, and tolls.

Senator Balkema criticized these measures and stated: "Once again, Springfield’s answer to every problem is the same — raise taxes on working families." He added: "Families are already cutting back to make ends meet — they shouldn’t have to sacrifice more because Springfield can’t control its spending."

He concluded with a commitment to his constituents: "I’ll continue fighting to protect working families from another tax increase."

Balkema was elected in 2025 as a Republican representative of Illinois’ 53rd Senate District. He succeeded Thomas M. Bennett in this role.