Representative Wheeler Named To Tax Policy Subcommittee

Seeking to define the bottom-line problems with Illinois’ business climate, State Representative Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) will be participating in a newly-formed Business Climate Subcommittee in Springfield.

The subcommittee was created at the end of February as a result of the joint Revenue and State Government Committee hearings on Tax policy and Tax Incentives. The group met for the first time this week to begin their work, and focused on rules and regulations for businesses.

“Our overall goal is to identify problems and ultimately reduce or eliminate the uncertainty that exists with our State’s business climate,” Wheeler said.  “I am looking forward to serving on this very important committee.”

The subcommittee was formed to study differences of opinion among Illinois stakeholders regarding the State’s business climate. “Today we have sharply divergent accounts of what our business climate is,” said Wheeler. “Some voices, including our current Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, assert that Illinois is a healthy place to start up a business and create jobs. Many others from the business community disagree with this characterization and point to problems with Illinois’ economic status and job-creating atmosphere.”

Subcommittee members will seek testimony from a wide variety of stakeholders and sift through the testimony and other data to found points of consensus, so that changes to Illinois policy can be recommended. “It will be nice to once and for all separate fact from fiction and determine what issues truly exist and what points can be classified as partisan differences of emphasis and opinion.”

The subcommittee’s next meeting is scheduled for the week of March 17th.