Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Facing a projected population decline of up to 600,000 in the next seven years, a trio of Illinois Republican senators presented ideas which they say will help businesses and also encourage Illinoisans to stay in Illinois.

State Sen. Seth Lewis (pictured, center) (R-Bartlett) said businesses which stay in Illinois are owed a thank-you, and that is where his proposed “legacy tax credit” comes in. “It’s built on a simple idea: loyalty should matter,” he said. “If businesses stayed in Illinois, invested in Illinois, and employed Illinois workers, we should recognize them, and that commitment should reward them.” It’s a credit of $100 per year a business has been headquartered here.

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (pictured, right) (R-McHenry) wants to double the rebate small businesses receive for collecting the state sales tax. “This portion of the tax they collect is supposed to help them cover the administrative costs of collecting and remitting those taxes to the state,” said Wilcox, carrying a bill that “raises that discount to 3.5 percent for businesses with less than $50,000 in monthly sales.” A second Wilcox bill exempts service workers’ tips from taxation.

“The only ones we don’t allow to deduct the premiums are struggling employees who work for small employers that don’t offer health insurance,” said State Sen. Dave Syverson (pictured, left) (R-Cherry Valley) of his bill to allow those who obtain health insurance via the Affordable Care Act to deduct their premium payments.

The senators held their news conference on the last Senate session day before a two-week spring break.