Madigan: “Thank you very much”
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
On the House floor on Wednesday, Madigan was asked by State Rep. Ron Sandack, R-Downers Grove, whether he believes term limits should come before the millionaire tax — that’s a reform Gov. Bruce Rauner has pushing in his Turnaround Agenda and one his administration says he’d support.
Madigan said term limits are administered by voters –who can choose to retain an elected official or not at the ballot box.
“Members of your political party and Gov. Rauner subjected me to a vote of the people in the last primary election, and I won overwhelmingly. Thank you very much,” Madigan told Sandack.
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U of I prepares for layoffs
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Talks continue on the higher education appropriations bill. This ought to kick it up a notch…
The University of Illinois’ Urbana campus is making plans for possible layoffs, as a result of the budget stalemate. In a memo obtained by Illinois Public Media, Associate Provost for Human Resources Elyne Cole indicates that some jobs, including some in Civil Service, could be cut, effective at the start of the fall semester. […]
AFSCME Local 3700 President Ann Zettervall says she’s seen the memo, which was sent Monday to some campus personnel, including some who are covered by union contracts. […]
The memo from Associate Provost Cole outlines a schedule for action during a “position elimination period.”
Zettervall says Civil Service hiring and testing has been suspended during that period. That’s to minimize the disruption caused when Civil Service workers whose jobs are cut are allowed by seniority rules to take jobs from other Civil Service workers, who are then “bumped” into other positions.
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Impasse hostage barely alive
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Stephanie Esters at The Southern…
The door opens and two teenage-looking girls look over at the guests, their eyes wide, before they return to the work in front of them, while an older woman, perhaps their mother, seems to relax at a chair in a corner, watching as a toddler plays with toys.
Another mom, with a smiling toddler in tow, finishes a call on the community phone downstairs and walks back up the stairs to the family living space she shares with other female parents and their children.
In the kitchen on the main level, another woman is making sandwiches, asking for help in loosening the lid on a jar of grape jelly.
This is life in The Women’s Center, a safe house for women and children who are victimized by domestic violence and those who are needing an advocate and help after they have been victimized by sexual assault. The center, which operates the Domestic Assault Program and the Rape Crisis Center, serves 1,400 people a year, about 250 of them in the sexual assault awareness program.
All those individuals that the program helps, though, are in danger of not having any place in the region to get help, if much-needed state aid does not come through by the end of June, its executive director Cathy McClanahan said. On Friday, there were 21 women and children living at the facility, which has a capacity for 36 people.
The center’s operating budget is $1.4 million, 80 percent of which comes from state funding.
These human beings are some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Kicking them to the curb is just downright immoral.
Find. Another. Way.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
A Senate committee advanced several measures that would overhaul the Illinois Constitution to eliminate the lieutenant governor’s office, replace the flat income tax rate with a graduated system based on income and overhaul how legislative districts are drawn.
Similar measures also are moving in the House, meaning it could all be for political show…. If each chamber chooses to pass only their versions of a bill, it would allow lawmakers to say they voted for the changes even if the bills have no chance of becoming law.
All of those issues poll well among the public, but changing the tax structure would be difficult in an election year when it would amount to a tax increase for the wealthy. At the same time, Democrats are loath to pass any legislation that could limit their power, such as eliminating a potential political office or making the legislative mapping process less political.
* The Question: If you could unilaterally change one thing in the Illinois Constitution, what would that one thing be? Make sure to explain your answer. And here’s a link to the Constitution in case you need to reference specific wording.
Also, in anticipation of a flood of responses on one topic, if your answer is “the pension clause,” go ahead and say it, but then give us something else.
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* The House is debating Speaker Madigan’s surtax on income over a million dollars, with all the money set aside for schools. However…
Good question.
* But also some good points…
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
House Speaker Michael Madigan released a statement following Wednesday’s vote in the Illinois House of Representatives on a constitutional amendment to increase state funding for elementary schools and high schools through a surcharge on millionaires:
“For the second time in less than a year, Republican legislators have rejected the wishes of their constituents and opposed a measure requiring the top 1 percent to pay more to help boost education funding in Illinois.
“This proposal is not a partisan issue. An advisory question on this matter was put to voters in the 2014 general election and it received over 60 percent support statewide. The people of Illinois spoke – they believe a surcharge on millionaires is a good way to get our schools the help they need. We should listen to the wishes of our constituents, not big business or the 1 percent who would put profits ahead of our children’s education. Unfortunately today, Republicans again failed to listen to their constituents.
“This constitutional amendment would give Illinois residents the ability to decide whether the state constitution should be amended to increase the income tax on multi-millionaires to provide additional dollars for schools across the state. All revenue from this proposal – an estimated $1 billion annually – would be distributed to school districts on a per-pupil basis.”
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Yeah, this’ll help
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oy…
The rhetoric from folks like Lewis and some on the other side is so intense that I should probably repeat my worry that this craziness could gin up a nutball enough to take matters into his own hands and then something really bad could happen.
Not good at all.
…Adding… From Catherine Kelly at the governor’s office…
This kind of rhetoric has no place in American public discourse and sets a terrible example for our kids.
Agreed.
* Meanwhile…
The Chicago Teachers Union will put on a major public relations blitz today, with a rally in Springfield and a speech by President Karen Lewis in Chicago.
It all comes amid the lack of a new contract. The school district’s chief says the system is on the brink of insolvency. Lewis says the union could soon go on strike, after it rejected an arbitrator’s findings.
Both sides point to Springfield as the path to a solution. To that end, union members and allies are scheduled to descend on the Capitol today to lobby lawmakers and rally in the building’s rotunda after boarding buses at 6 a.m. and heading south.
* Protesters have blocked the street near the governor’s mansion. Here’s a photo taken by a friend shortly after one o’clock…
…Adding… Sun-Times…
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis dubbed Gov. Bruce Rauner a “new ISIS recruit” because “the things he’s doing look like acts of terror on poor and working class people” in her remakrs before the City Club Wednesday afternoon. […]
“If a man tells you he loves America yet hates labor, he is a liar. . . Bruce Rauner is a liar,” she said.
* ABC 7…
“If Governor Rauner says he loves Illinois, yet he hates labor, he is a liar! There is no Illinois without labor, and to fleece the one is to rob the other,” Lewis said. “I’ve been reading in the news lately about all of these ISIS recruits popping up all over the place. Has Homeland Security checked this man out yet? Because the things he’s doing looks like acts of terror on poor and working class people.”
…Adding More… From a pal…
Vandalism of the Capitol is an excellent way to persuade people to your point of view.
The pic he took in the 2nd floor men’s room…
I suppose it’s nice that at least one protester knew what he was in town for (lots typically don’t). But what a jerk thing to do. Now, one of our custodians is gonna have to try and clean up that mess.
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Green shoots breaking through
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Brief recap of yesterday’s mess…
There are once again competing proposals to get money to public universities that have been deprived of state funding during the nearly yearlong budget standoff at the Capitol.
The House Executive Committee signed off on a plan Tuesday from state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, that would send a full year’s worth of funding to the universities hardest hit by the lack of a budget: Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and Northeastern Illinois universities. Mayfield said she plans to amend the bill to add $10 million for Southern Illinois University, 5 percent of its annual state funding. […]
State Rep. Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago, is proposing a plan that cover one-third of annual funding to all nine public university systems and one semester’s worth of grants to low-income students through the Monetary Award Program, which isn’t included in Mayfield’s plan.
Fortner’s plan would cost $558.3 million, with the revenue coming from the state’s education assistance fund. The fund, which gets dedicated revenue from the state income tax, gambling and other sources, is expected to have $600 million available by June 30, the end of the fiscal year.
* But…
The “stopgap” proposal from state Rep. Mike Fortner, a West Chicago Republican, follows a handful of other plans that have been debated in Springfield but all failed as Democratic leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner continue their nearly yearlong war over the state budget.
But a spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan called the idea a “distant third-place” among proposals to pay for higher education in Illinois, putting its future in question.
Ugh.
* I’m told, however, that Downstate House Democrats and many Senate Dems refused to support Rep. Mayfield’s bill. The new proposal will reportedly look more like Rep. Fortner’s idea.
Unless, of course, it falls apart yet again.
Stay tuned.
…Adding… A House Democrat involved with the process says they’re “Working through the numbers and working across the aisle.”
Keep your fingers crossed that somebody doesn’t try to blow this thing up.
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Careful what you wish for…
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Well, I have been asking for more contemporary acts at the State Fair…
Pop/R&B singer Meghan Trainor is the latest addition to the Illinois State Fair concert lineup.
Trainor, 20, became a household name in 2014 with the hit song “All About That Bass.” The song reached No. 1 in 58 countries; it spent eight consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. […]
Tickets range from $28 to $50. Hailee Steinfeld (”Love Myself”) will open the show.
That’s great for her legions of area fans, but I was kinda thinking more along the lines of Umphrey’s McGee or Blackberry Smoke, or something. But, yes, I did ask for contemporary.
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* Reporter John Gregory abruptly left the Illinois Radio Network shortly after the network was purchased by the Illinois Policy Institute. John has stayed mostly mum about his departure until now…
In such tendentious new company, could the Illinois Radio Network’s modest operation possibly remain uncompromised? Soon after IPI took it over, the radio network’s reporters in Chicago and Springfield both were doing something else. Dave Dahl in Springfield quit to work full-time for a local radio station, WTAX, where he’d already been moonlighting. John Gregory in Chicago says: “Disagreeing with the network’s coverage of certain topics was the reason given when I was fired.” Gregory is now freelancing.
Ugh.
* But, hey, they have been replaced…
The new man in Chicago, Julio Rausseo, has kept such lively company in the past that the radio network might be the most mainstream forum he’s ever turned up in. Here he is in 2012 on the Corbett Report discussing the “police state takedown” of the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago. (If you’re not familiar with the Corbett Report, judge it by one of its high water marks: a breathless, five-minute argument for 9/11 as a massive conspiracy and coverup.) And here’s Rausseo talking about a favorite bête noir, the Transportation Security Agency—four years ago with Alex Jones, the radio and TV host and self-described “icon of the burgeoning liberty movement,” and last December on The Rundown Live, an alt-news website whose founder lists as his concerns “9/11 Truth and government corruption,” “promoting anarchist philosophy,” and “cop watching.” […]
IRN’s new man in Springfield, Greg Bishop, joined the Illinois Policy Institute in 2014 to run the Illinois News Network’s radio operation. He’d been a reporter and radio host on WMAY-AM 970 in Springfield, where according to a 2014 profile in Springfield’s State-Journal Register, he didn’t try to play it down the middle. “Back in 2012,” wrote reporter Bernard Schoenburg, “Bishop made no secret of his support for Ron Paul for president. He got himself named as a delegate to the state Republican convention that year, even as he was reporting on Springfield city government and other news and doing a talk show. One of the issues he pushed at that convention, he told me later, was a right-to-work resolution saying public sector employees shouldn’t be forced to pay union dues.”
“Taxation is slavery,” Bishop said in 2013. “If you don’t pay, they’re coming after you with guns.” He was “sick of my taxes being used to fund
incompetence.”
Go read the rest.
So far, most of the network’s “straight” news has been OK. Not particularly great, sometimes with obvious holes and slants, but OK. IRN, however, is now a shell of its former self.
*** UPDATE 1 *** React from John Tillman at the Illinois Policy Institute…
I find it ironic on a story regarding journalistic integrity and advocacy that neither Miner or you properly notes that this is only his “claim” and there is no evidence to support it beyond his word as a terminated employee. There is obviously another side to the story but employers are almost always prevented by labor law from commenting.
For my part anyway, I wrote that Gregory “says” he was fired for the above reason. Not sure why I’m lumped in there.
*** UPDATE 2 *** More from Tillman…
John Gregory was terminated by me with a witness present. I state categorically that the reason Gregory gives for his terminations is not true. While I wish I could provide more details other than refuting his false claim, we cannot comment further on such personnel matters.
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NY turnout paled in comparison to Illinois’
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Review…
With all the media attention, of the over 2,600,000 New Yorkers that went to the polls, 518,601 voted for Donald Trump and 1,037,344 voted for Clinton. […]
Illinois - which has a smaller population than New York - had 1,434,006 Republicans vote on March 15th. Of those, 556,000 voted for Donald Trump.
In the Democratic primary, 2,015,647 participated, with 1,017,006 voting for Hillary Clinton.
Altogether, 3,449,653 voters participated in the Illinois primary. Nearly 1 million more than in New York
Several people think turnout was so strong in Illinois because of the impasse. Voters are mad as heck and they turned out in huge numbers to express it. Also, too (in the city), Rahm. And (among Republicans and some ultra-liberal Dems) Obama. Then there’s the Trump factor in both parties (sparking turnout in support and opposition).
Maybe. But something surely happened here.
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* OK, things are really getting weird now. The St. Clair County Republican Central Committee has voted to censure 114th House District Republican candidate Bob Romanik, who has personally deposited over $2 million into his own campaign account. Press release…
The St. Clair County Republican Central Committee (SCCRCC) has voted to censure Bob Romanik, Candidate for State Representative in the 114th Legislative District, after his attacks on the Republican Party, its elected officials, and candidates escalated in the last month.
“Bob Romanik has demonstrated that he is only interested in a self-serving agenda and is not interested in improving our county,” said Doug Jameson, Chairman of the SCCRCC. “He is using the electoral process to execute his own personal vendetta for past legal troubles.”
By issuing this censure, the Republican Party of St. Clair County is officially breaking all ties to Romanik, a lifelong Democrat who is attempting to run as a Republican in the 114th Legislative District following his run-ins with local Democratic leadership.
“His half-truthful, vulgar and destructive campaign of terror works to destroy anyone who does not agree with him,” Jameson continued. “The Republican Party is a party of inclusion, ideas and growth–not destruction, which is why the Central Committee voted almost unanimously to rebuke and censure him.”
After listing a series of offences, the Censure concluded: “Therefore the St. Clair County Central Committee expresses its official displeasure and vehement disapproval of the aforesaid language, actions and behavior of Bob Romanik, and adopts this measure as a formal and stern rebuke. This rebuke carries with it the following actions:
• The SCCRCC will not support nor endorse Bob Romanik’s election in any way.
• Bob Romanik and his representative will be denied attendance to any official meeting or event conducted by the SCRCC.
• Bob Romanik’s name will not appear on any official SCCRCC list of Republican candidates.
• SCCRCC will make no financial contributions to Bob Romanik’s campaign nor receive contributions from Bob Romanik.”
“Mr. Romanik’s language and behaviors have become so unacceptable and outrageous that this decision was absolutely necessary to send a clear message that no individual will be allowed to use the electoral process, which people have died for to protect, for personal vengeance,” said Chairman Doug Jameson. “It is hypocrisy to fight a ‘Culture of Corruption’ by using the same methods as the ‘Culture of Corruption’.”
“This election is a critical one for the people of St. Clair County. Voters want real change and the Republican Party is the voice of that change. Bob Romanik does not represent the St. Clair County Republican Party. By taking this action, we are taking a stand for decency and honesty. “
* The list of particulars…
• Republican Candidate for State Representative, Bob Romanik has proclaimed on his radio show “I am not a Republican” and “I am a Democrat”.
• At a meeting called to discuss “The Future of the Republican Party” on April 6th, Romanik said, “[F—] the Republican Party.”
• Romanik has intimidated political persons, which whom he does not agree, with threats of character assassination.
• Romanik verbally assaulted a Republican candidate for Judge on April 6th.
• Romanik on his radio show on April 7, malign the character of the Chairman of the Republican Central Committee with materially false statements.
• Romanik has stated at a SCCRCC event that he intends to give Democratic Precinct Committeemen $5,000 each to work their Precincts in East St. Louis.
• Romanik has caused the printing, public distribution and mailing of tasteless imagery of public officials in contradiction to any standards of decency of our Party.
• Romanik continuously uses profane language on and off the air in a political context that does not reflect proper decorum of our Party.
• Romanik has hosted a fundraiser for a Democratic candidate for County Board in opposition to a Republican candidate for the same office.
If Mr. Romanik would like to respond, I’d be more than happy to publish it here. But no profanity, please.
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Happy 4/20!
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m definitely not a fan of decriminalization because I’d much rather have full legalization to stop the illegal (and too often violent) growing and distribution network and bring in more money for the state. But, whatevs. Baby steps, I suppose. Tribune…
The Illinois Senate took another stab at decriminalizing marijuana statewide, approving a measure Tuesday aimed at satisfying Gov. Bruce Rauner’s concerns that led him to veto a similar bill last year.
The idea is that people caught with small amounts of marijuana would be fined instead of receiving jail time. The first-term Republican governor contended the old version would have let people carry too much marijuana and set fines too low.
The new edition drops the number of grams allowed from 15 to 10 and raises the range of fines from $55 to $125 to between $100 and $200.
Opponents argued that amount was still too lax, saying it was the equivalent of as many as 20 cigarette-sized joints. Supporters joked about that.
“Quite frankly, they can be different sizes,” said sponsoring Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago. “One of my colleagues says the way she would roll them, it’d be about three.”
I honestly have no idea how many joints are in a gram. I even used the Google and still didn’t find anything certain. But Sen. Steans is right that they can be different sizes.
Either way, so what?
* More…
If the measure passes the Illinois House, it would follow action by more than 100 Illinois communities – plus 20 other states and the District of Columbia – which have already removed criminal penalties for simple marijuana possession, the statement said.
“Serious penalties should be reserved for people who commit serious crimes, not used to punish marijuana consumers. Nobody should face a lifelong criminal record simply for possessing a substance that is less harmful than alcohol,” said Marijuana Policy Project legislative analyst Chris Lindsey.
* Oh, brother…
Critics say the measure treats marijuana less seriously than alcohol and could lead to problems with addiction.
The full roll call is here.
* I’ll close with a GQ interview of the late, great Merle Haggard discussing Willie Nelson and weed…
GQ: What do you think motivates Willie? What do you makes him tick deep down?
Merle Haggard: Marijuana. [laughs]
GQ: There must be a bit more than that.
MH: He told me, and I don’t disagree with him, that had we not smoked pot during our life then we would probably be dead from drinking whiskey or smoking Camels… And there’s a lot of reasons they don’t want you to smoke it. The people who make the valium, they don’t want you smoking something you can grow in your [expletive deleted] garden, and the whiskey people don’t want you doing something you can do without using their brand.
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*** UPDATE *** ABC 7…
In a statement, a CTU spokeswoman called the request a “publicity stunt.”
“We have hundreds of members in Springfield right now fighting for revenue,” the statement said. “CTU does not have binding interest arbitration because we choose to negotiate and write our own contracts—plus police and fire, as he referenced, cannot strike. We can’t say we’re interested in this until we know the rules of arbitration and under what terms.”
OK, then get them the rules and terms.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* From Chicago Public Schools…
April 20, 2016
Karen Lewis
Chicago Teachers Union
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400 Chicago, Illinois 60654
Re: Proposal for Final and Binding Arbitration In Lieu of Strike
Dear Karen,
We are disappointed that the CTU decided to reject the Fact Finder’s recommendation. We are also aware of your public comments that the “clock is ticking” toward a strike. In our view a strike whether in May or in August or in September would be devastating to our students and parents. Further, we are at a loss as to how a strike would solve or even advance a solution to the considerable challenges that CPS faces. The best course is for CPS and CTU to join together in Springfield for long term sustainable funding for our schools. A strike is counterproductive and would only fuel the anti-CPS forces in Springfield.
To avoid disruption to our schools and to advance our partnership in Springfield, we are asking that CTU agree to final and binding interest arbitration in lieu of a strike. As you know, final and binding interest arbitration is permitted pursuant to section 12 (a-10) (d) of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Interest Arbitration has been used in Chicago for our Police and Fire contracts for decades. I believe that teachers are just as important as our policemen and firemen. The extraordinary circumstances that CPS currently faces demands that we use every means available to avoid disruption to our schools and our families.
We very much hope that you will give this offer your serious consideration. We would be most appreciative if we could have your response by April 27, 2016.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Forrest Claypool
Chief Executive Officer
If they resolve this equitably with binding arbitration, it would go a long way to show that AFSCME’s very similar legislative proposal was right all along.
…Adding… So the other side, I suppose, is CTU’s desire to protect its right to strike, something that AFSCME was willing to give up. If the union rejects this arbitration offer, it’ll be signaling that the right to strike gives it more leverage and is more valuable than entering arbitration. But rejection will also show that opponents of the AFSCME bill may not be right when they claim that arbitration generally favors unions.
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Stuff you may not know about Illinois
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* DataUSA has developed profiles of each state. The site has already sucked up a bunch of my time today. Have a look…
Largest demographic living in poverty
14.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Illinois (12.6M people) live below the poverty line. This is lower than the national average of 15.5%.
Largest race or ethnicity living in poverty
The most common race or ethnicity living below the poverty line in Illinois is White, followed by Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino. […]
93% of the population of Illinois are US citizens. This is approximately the same as the national average of 93%. […]
The most common non-English language is
1. Spanish
2. Polish
3. Chinese
Illinois has a relatively high number of speakers of
1. Polish
2. Serbo-Croatian
3. Gujarati
The most common language spoken in Illinois, other than English is Spanish. 22.6% of Illinois citizens are speakers of a non-English language. That is higher than the national average of 21.1%. […]
Most common [higher education] major is
1. Registered Nursing
2. General Psychology
3. General Business Administration & Management
High relative number of people major in
1. Agricultural Communication & Journalism
2. Horticultural Science
3. Other Applied Horticultural Business Services […]
65.5% of the housing units in Illinois are occupied by their owner. This is higher than the national average of 63.1%. […]
Commute Time
Average Travel Time
Employees in Illinois have a longer average commute time than the national average of 24.9 minutes. 2.88% of the workforce in Illinois have “super commutes” in excess of 90 minutes. That is higher than the national average of 2.62%.
* Emphasis added for obvious reasons…
Compared to other states, Illinois has an unusually high number of Podiatrists; Actuaries; and Cargo & freight agents. […]
The highest paid jobs in Illinois, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons; Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers; and Chief executives & legislators.
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Local governments accidentally overpaid millions
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Unbelievable…
At a time when Chicago Public Schools has been desperately seeking financial help from Springfield to avoid insolvency, it instead has received something else: a bill for $23.5 million.
The Illinois Department of Revenue also says the almost-as-strapped city of Chicago owes it $19.4 million in alleged overpayments, Cook County $6.5 million, and dozens of area school districts and communities lesser amounts, as much as a half-million dollars each. […]
Other city units that got too much include City Colleges of Chicago, a reported $1.7 million.
Suburban units that allegedly received too much include the Niles Township high school district, $577,000; the city of Aurora, $533,000; and the Bloom Township high school district, $397,000. Among other governments in the millionaires club were the city of Rockford, $2.8 million, and the Granite City school district near St. Louis, $1 million.
* More…
The error, announced Tuesday by the Illinois Department of Revenue, is part of a misallocation of $168 million that had been distributed by the state to local governments since 2014.
The error affects about 6,500 taxing districts throughout Illinois, the agency said, and overpayment amounts are less than $10,000 for most of them. Just 10 taxing districts were overpaid by more than $1 million, including the city of Chicago, which was overpaid $19.4 million, and Cook County, which was overpaid $6.5 million.
The Chicago Park District received $5.6 million more than it should have, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District was overpaid $5 million. […]
The revenue department said the misallocation was the result of a paperwork error and was discovered as the agency was implementing a new ledger system.
* Department of Revenue press release…
A recent tax system modernization initiative at the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) has uncovered a misallocation to the Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) Fund that began under the Quinn administration. The error has resulted in overpayment of an estimated $168 million to the taxing districts that receive PPRT disbursements. The over allocation was identified during IDOR’s implementation of a new general ledger system, designed to enhance accuracy and efficiency at the Department.
Approximately 6,500 districts are impacted by the misallocation that began in 2014. For 5,291 Illinois taxing districts, the individual taxing district’s total overpayment amounts to less than $10,000. For 10 taxing districts, however, the overpayment totaled $1 million or more. In 2014, the total amount of PPRT distributed to taxing districts was $1.37 billion, and in 2015 the amount was $1.43 billion.
“We are certainly sensitive to the impact recouping these funds will have on some of our taxing districts,” said Connie Beard, IDOR Director. “We will be working with the impacted taxing districts to establish a plan to recapture the funds over an extended period of time. The Auditor General’s regularly scheduled Financial and Compliance Audit of the Department began today, and we have fully disclosed the calculation error to the auditors for appropriate review.”
The miscalculation occurred under the prior administration following the passage of Public Act 098-0478. The statutory change resulted in the discontinuation of Form IL-1000 and revisions to Forms IL-1065 and IL-1120-ST, which caused calculation errors associated with the payments for these forms.
Personal property replacement taxes (PPRT) are revenues collected by the State of Illinois and paid to local governments to replace money that was lost by local governments when their powers to impose personal property taxes on corporations, partnerships, and other business entities was abolished in the 1970 Constitution.
The full list can be viewed by clicking here.
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