“Tax the rich!”

Advocates target billionaires, digital ads.

By Dave Dahl

Capitol City Now

February 8, 2026 9:09 am

ContributedCapitol City NewLawmakers and other advocates hold a news conference urging the legislature and governor to increase funding for social services.

Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – “Tax the rich!” was the cry of a roomful of lawmakers and advocates Wednesday. They have identified about $3 billion the state could rake in via a surcharge on billionaires, a tax on digital advertising, and a global corporate tax.

“The economy – it’s not going to keep working if we give our money right to the rich. That’s not our labor force. That’s not our resources. So, the way to have a strong economy is putting these dollars back into our community that make a strong economy to attract more businesses to come to Illinois,” said State Sen. Rachel Ventura (pictured, second from right) (D-Joliet). “That’s what it means to have smart incentives.”

State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) turned to Scripture: “It says in the Book of Proverbs, without a vision the people perish. We cannot go back in time. We have to learn from the mistakes of our past, including the period of (former Gov.) Bruce Rauner. We have to have a vision about what we can give people: the world that they deserve, the safety and comfort that they deserve. In a state with such a large economy, we should be able to give people that comfort and dignity. We cannot cut our way out of it.”

Gov. JB Pritzker delivers his budget speech Feb. 18.

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