Illinois Republicans blame taxes, lawsuits after Morton Salt exits
Chicago
[May 15, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – Republican lawmakers are warning that the
departure of iconic salt producer Morton Salt from Chicago is the latest
sign Illinois is becoming increasingly unfriendly to businesses, citing
high taxes, litigation costs and regulatory hurdles as key reasons
companies are leaving the state.
The company, founded in Chicago in 1848 and long associated with the
city through its iconic “Morton Salt Girl” branding, has shifted its
headquarters operations to Overland Park, Kansas, after decades in
downtown Chicago.
State Sen. Chris Balkema said Morton Salt’s departure reflects a larger
trend he believes is being fueled by Illinois’ business climate.
“It’s absolutely a trend,” Balkema said. “The overall scenario that
keeps playing out in Illinois is the higher taxes, the inability for us
as a General Assembly right now to dial down the workers’ compensation
laws, and the lack of tort reform. Companies run the numbers and look at
the cost of doing business in Illinois, and it becomes easy for them to
make a decision to relocate to another state.”
Balkema, a former Caterpillar employee, pointed to other companies that
have relocated operations out of Illinois in recent years, arguing the
state’s policies are driving employers elsewhere despite Illinois’
economic advantages.
“We are a wonderfully geographically located state,” Balkema said.
“We’ve got some of the best infrastructure in terms of waterways and
transportation, and we’re still one of the top GDP states in the nation.
If we were to move some of these levers in terms of reducing corporate
income taxes and working on tort reform, companies would stay and
companies would relocate here.”
State Rep. Dan Ugaste echoed those concerns, saying businesses across
Illinois continue to raise alarms about operating costs and legal
burden.
“My guess would be high property taxes, litigation costs,
over-regulation and just the basic high cost of doing business in this
state as compared to many other states in the country,” Ugaste said of
Morton Salt’s decision. “I know from when I was in the private sector
this has been an ongoing issue for some time, and it continues to
increase.”
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Ugaste warned the economic effects of a major company leaving extend
beyond the corporation itself, impacting local tax revenues,
employment and surrounding businesses that depend on workers
spending money in the community.
“When a company moves, there’s a certain tax base that’s gone,”
Ugaste said. “All those people will be out of jobs or relocating
their jobs. It’s income that’s lost that would otherwise be spent at
local businesses, restaurants, stores and services in the area.”
Balkema also criticized what he described as Illinois’ increasingly
plaintiff-friendly legal environment, arguing trial lawyers wield
too much influence in Springfield.
“I think the trial lawyers have a lot of influence on laws that are
created, and that leads to continued lawsuits,” Balkema said. “It’s
become more and more egregious, and it’ll just be a matter of time
before companies move to more fertile pastures.”
Ugaste said incentives alone will not solve the state’s business
retention problems unless lawmakers address broader structural
issues.
“We can’t offer incentives for people to stay or come here and then
keep raising taxes and making the business climate more and more
unfriendly every year,” Ugaste said. “If we really want to keep
businesses here and attract more businesses, we need structural
reforms — property tax relief, regulatory reform and litigation
reform.”
Morton Salt has maintained ties to Chicago for decades, previously
relocating its headquarters to the River Point tower in the West
Loop in 2016 after leaving its longtime Wacker Drive offices. The
company has also closed or redeveloped several historic Chicago-area
facilities over the years.
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