* December 5th…
“Most of us who were there for the Rauner years know how bad it was, how difficult it was,” Madigan said. “The strong leadership I provided against the Rauner program is the same leadership that I pledge to provide to the caucus on state finances and on redistricting.”
A showing of that strong leadership may come if Gov. J.B. Pritzker asks the legislature to raise the state’s flat income-tax rate, which Madigan said is “very possible,” according to a recording of the closed candidate forum reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I’m prepared to vote for that, presuming it’s the governor’s request,” Madigan said.
He acknowledged that could be a “very difficult issue for the caucus” as it tries to maintain services — and insisted a strong leader is needed to persuade others to vote for an increase.
When reporters asked the governor about this, Pritzker said he is focusing on cuts, but never completely ruled out a tax hike, either.
* Because of all this, Democrats are now playing defense against shots like this…
And this…
With Illinois facing a nearly $4 billion budget shortfall this year, an increase on state income taxes could be just around the corner.
On Monday, Jan. 4, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Burr Ridge, pushed back against Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, who had previously announced support for an income tax increase.
* So, Democrats are now forced to push back…
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown shot down any notion of an income tax increase happening during the lame-duck session that starts Friday and could stretch through this weekend. The session will end at 11:59 a.m. Jan. 13, when the new class of lawmakers is sworn in.
“Not a tax increase, as such – that’s just not in the cards, I don’t think,” Brown told WBEZ.
Brown said without any advocacy by the governor, the speaker is not prepared to move forward unilaterally on a tax increase.
“I’m not aware of any proposal being made, so I’d say probably not,” he said.
- Ok - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:08 am:
How silly. They will simply just address the large budget shortfall with massive cuts to long-term care facilities, healthcare for kids and people with disabilities, schools, local governments, mental health, and COVID relief.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:11 am:
How Democratic of them, playing defense to a super minority party. They should be prepared for this, with messaging stressing that they do not support brutal cuts, which most voters also likely don’t support. Opponents gonna always opponent, don’t worry too much about them when so much is at stake.
Gov. Pritzker and other Democrats need to draw a line in the sand and say they will not brutally cut the poorest, most vulnerable, schools, businesses, state workforce, etc. They tried to get a better revenue solution but were opposed by the entire ILGOP. They need to counterattack with that.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:18 am:
Amazing how many people let Madigan live rent-free in their heads …
- Arock - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:25 am:
Such great leadership in his decades as House Speaker that we had the worst credit rating before the pandemic and will need another tax increase after just raising the income tax by 67% just over a decade ago. Illinois wasn’t ready for a pandemic financially or with a stockpile of PPE and medical equipment under his leadership. Some of the highest property taxes in the nation because the State failed to sufficiently fund education for decades under his leadership while he made millions for his law firm fighting high property taxes on large businesses and millionaires. Yep Madigan is the solution if you want to continue the same problems going forward.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:27 am:
We’ve needed to raise taxes for at least two or three decades now and every time taxes were increased they just [act in a cautious or noncommittal way]ed around actually addressing the structural gap between revenues and projected spending created by Jim Edgar’s “pension ramp” and James R. Thompson’s unfunded pension increase awarded to the cronies he’d exclusively hired through a massive decade long illegal hiring scheme.
I’d appreciate it if our society could at least take a brief pause on waiting for Millennials to fix everything and address some problems now.
The people of Illinois voted for a 6% flat tax rate in November. Give it to them.
- Anon1 - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:27 am:
So I’m a suburban Dem House member, and I am going to vote for a tax increase shepherded by Mike Madigan going into a 2022 Biden midterm election? How’s that gonna work out for me?
- Louis G Atsaves - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:28 am:
Madigan’s own words circle back. Now denials, more or less, or claims that they see nothing. After linking Trump to every single local state house Republican they could find during the last campaign, Madigan now emulates Trump and refuses to concede? Only in Illinois.
- Misrepresented 96th - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:28 am:
were opposed by the entire ILGOP
And a fair amount of democrites.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:38 am:
A tax hike is going to come.
A tax hike isn’t coming in lame duck.
Pain, how it will be distributed, will be far more interesting.
- Feldy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:40 am:
Neither Democrats nor Republicans will support and vote for huge cuts. A lot of downstate schools and state facilities rely on state revenue. Should have raised taxes two years ago. Gambled on the Constitutional Amendment and lost. Time to pay up.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:52 am:
- Arock - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:25 am:
Please point out all the states ready for a pandemic fiscally and with a PPE stockpile. *cue the jeopardy theme*
- Almost the weekend - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 11:52 am:
Downstate Republicans wants to see what it’s like without Chicago $, your dreams are coming true in 2021.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:00 pm:
Right now, Madigan appears to want JB to own any tax hike. We’ll see who blinks first.
- Mal - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
Thanks to all the voters that did not read and rejected the fair tax. I know most minority voters voted to approve it while most white voted to reject it.
- Mal - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:17 pm:
Now everyone has to deal with a possible tax hike because you wanted to protect the rich or you didn’t know how to read.
- Nagidam - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:18 pm:
I have a feeling Gov. Pritzker is secretly wishing Speaker Madigan falls back to Rep. Madigan and then retires. He is over matched in this arena.
- Nagidam - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:20 pm:
===Now everyone has to deal with a possible tax hike because you wanted to protect the rich or you didn’t know how to read.===
Now we are blaming voters for an ineffective campaign. This is a new one.
- Mr. Hand - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:25 pm:
==Pain, how it will be distributed, will be far more interesting.==
What’s your prediction for taxes? Pain - Clubber Lang (Rocky III)
- ZC - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
The Pension Clause, for the umpteenth time, was a bad idea. It puts too many restrictions on the current-day people to govern and budget for the present. And the political incentives have been awful. I’m not particularly concerned “but the Constitution.” The IL Constitution is supposed to prioritize state funding for public education, too. But nobody seems to take that pledge very seriously.
But, pragmatism is an obligation of politics. Pension Clause is here, our past fiscal missteps (by too many to name) are here. What’s the route forward now, except an increase in the flat income tax?
Everyone proposing there is some other realistic path, just seems to me like an angry fish flopping on the beach.
- Facts are stubborn things - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:35 pm:
Cut waste fraud and abuse…. snark. Short pensions and provide services that taxpayers don’t pay for..snark. Make tough but sensible spending restraint and raise taxes….. oh so controversial — we can only hope.
- California Guy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:36 pm:
Looks like MJ wants to be able to point fingers after a tax vote. It’s going to be absolutely brutal politically. While I understand the need to make difficult decisions, the public has not been convinced that sending more money to Springfield is a good idea.
- The Lurker - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:48 pm:
Some cuts will have to be made. The good news is public sector workers aren’t motivated by profit. They serve the public interest. Therefore, if you cut some workers pay by let’s say 6% they will still show up to work. They are public spirited , not motivated by quarterly earnings. Illinois is lucky to have such dedicated workers.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:54 pm:
=== Therefore, if you cut some workers pay by let’s say 6% they will still show up to work.===
Your snark is… (sigh)
Close a downstate prison, close DNR sites, make downstate really-really hurt. If some jobs go, if towns and regions suffer… those “Pritzker $&@#” signs, amirite?
- DuPage Moderate - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:02 pm:
And the local UHaul stores are about to get busier.
- The Lurker - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:02 pm:
Labor costs are a major part of the public sector budgets. Illinois doesn’t need some many public institutions of higher learning. Some can be closed. The good news is , we are all in this together. It makes change easier.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:07 pm:
=== Illinois doesn’t need some many public institutions of higher learning. Some can be closed. The good news is , we are all in this together. It makes change easier.===
Your utter ignorance to what higher education brings to downstate regions is exactly why closing one or two universities would be something even Raunerites would decry with a “Democrat Governor”
Governors open universities, not close them
Close a prison, a few DNR spots… that works too
- no_antonio - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:13 pm:
Now everyone has to deal with a possible tax hike because you wanted to protect the rich or you didn’t know how to read. Or did not trust the governor and the legislature to do what they say they are going to do. Their track record is very poor.
- The Lurker - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:27 pm:
Any good economist will tell you the marginal investment in higher education is nothing special anymore. There is much administrative waste in Illinois higher education. But, in fairness I’ll admit the state of Michigan takes the cake . But, Illinois can no longer afford to subsidize so many institutions. No matter was JB, Madigan , Rauner or anyone else says. Plus, most people don’t go to college which is often forgotten.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:32 pm:
=== But, Illinois can no longer afford to subsidize so many institutions. No matter was JB, Madigan , Rauner or anyone else says. Plus, most people don’t go to college which is often forgotten.===
You have no idea, it seems, what economic engines higher educations are.
You’d have to tell Carbondale, Macomb, Charleston… your regional economies… gone.
The reason Rauner didn’t purposely close universities is because in the end, those regions, towns, they *know*… no university, they collapse.
The math says;
DNR, prisons… that can cover a great deal.
- Scarecrow - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:35 pm:
== Please point out all the states ready for a pandemic fiscally and with a PPE stockpile. *cue the jeopardy theme*==
All those legitimate points that Arock raised and this is the only piece you can attack? Enjoy Jeopardy.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:39 pm:
=== Some of the highest property taxes in the nation because the State failed to sufficiently fund education for decades under his leadership===
Governors Thompson, Edgar, Ryan… were they rebuffed to a point to funding education “sufficiently”… if so, please cite that legislation, and further, property taxes and school funding, explain the Rauner/Manar funding plan, how that works too.
- Techie - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 2:34 pm:
I don’t understand why Pritzker hasn’t proposed an increase in the flat tax, while simultaneously increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit and making it available to people who make more than the current cap allows for.
The effect would be that many lower and middle income people would pay about what they do now, while the middle middle class and up would be the ones to pay more.
Still not ideal, but far better than just a flat tax alone. I believe he may have even proposed doing this while running in the primary.
- thoughts matter - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 5:49 pm:
Why is this a surprise? The sun rises in the East - that’s not a surprise either. We knew all along that a tax hike was necessary. The graduated tax referendum failed, so here we are at option B. The Illinois residents think the only people that should be eligible for services is their family and that magic beans pays for it all. Oh, they also think reducing fraud and waste will eliminate 95% of the state spending. Maybe they should go out for Sunday drives on many of our interstates. I-72 East Mile marker 152 might be educational for them.
- Publius - Wednesday, Jan 6, 21 @ 12:25 am:
Wait! The legislature can raise taxes without coming back to the voters? Was public policy institute lying to the people of Illinois in the fall commercials? SARCASM
of course they were