On Tuesday, June 23, the Illinois legislature will be back in session. Unfortunately, the taxpayers’ necks are on the line. Governor Quinn (Gov. Blagojevich’s replacement) has been parading around the state campaigning for more tax hikes. All through the regular legislative session, which ended in May, and now moving into the special session, he’s been pushing a 50% increase in the income tax. The first plan he endorsed was bad, proposing to soak the private sector (i.e. families and businesses) with an income tax hike plan that would confiscate an estimated $3.2 billion in new revenue. It only got worse from there. Rather than backing off and making the bill less painful, he made it worse, taking an estimated $4 billion from the pockets of the taxpayers. Thankfully, the legislature voted the plan down the first time and the 2009 session came to a close.
Now, as they come back into session, any budget will need a three-fifths majority due to a constitutional rule. This will make it harder to round up the votes, but we need help putting the pressure to the legislature. The Governor is pushing for a vote on another tax increase as early as Wednesday. Taxpayers of Illinois, write or email your legislators (use this link to do so), letting them know that you oppose any tax increases to satisfy Springfield’s spending appetite. The Governor and the legislature need to be looking to spending reforms and cuts to wasteful spending, not tax increases, in order to pass a balanced budget.
See ATR’s press release opposing any tax increase that would be proposed during this upcoming extended session.
Photo credit: Lyle58