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Part of the deal blows up

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* 6:28 pm - The cigarette tax hike fell short in the House a little while ago, getting just 51 votes.

The cash from the tax hike was supposed to be used to provide education a funding boost. That extra money was a key factor in convincing Black Caucus members to go along with an income tax increase. Now, schools will be $377 million short of the $700 million or so Black Caucus members were promised. No word yet on whether the income tax hike is now in even more danger of failure.

Trib’s coverage…

The Illinois House today shot down a $1.01-a-pack cigarette-tax increase to provide more money for schools.

The measure got 51 votes, but needed 60 to pass.

The cigarette-tax increase is part of a budget package that includes a major income-tax increase that has yet to be called in the House. The smoke tax hike could come back for another vote, but time is running out as a new General Assembly gets sworn in Wednesday and the reset button on legislation is hit and several lame-duck lawmakers leave.

The cigarette-tax hike vote came as a top aide to Gov. Pat Quinn said the governor is in “full support” of an income-tax increase plan under consideration at the Capitol.

* Meanwhile, is Gov. Pat Quinn coming around on eliminating the death penalty? He supported the death penalty during the campaign, but now that the House and Senate have sent him an abolition bill, many of us have been wondering what he might do. CBS2 talked to some people close to the governor…

In a campaign debate last fall with Republican nominee Bill Brady, Quinn declared himself a supporter of capital punishment. After today’s State senate vote to repeal, sources close to Quinn signaled that he might sign the measure.

Said one, “The governor’s kept the moratorium on executions, because he’s very concerned about flaws in the system.”

That could be two big campaign promises broken on one day. Death penalty and possibly the income tax hike. Quinn, you’ll recall, said he supported only a one point hike and indicated he would veto anything above that.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:26 pm

Comments

The current tax on cigarettes is $.98 per pack. Now I’m no math major, but this would bring it up to $1.99 per pack.

Is there a specific reason that they ended up with that number instead of an even $2? Or why raise it $1.01 instead of just an even $1?

Comment by Obamarama Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:31 pm
he needs to sign the death penalty bill. its the right thing to do.

Comment by anon Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:33 pm
How the Gov. “keeps” his promises:

The increase over 1 percentage point is temporary, so he will clarify that during the campaign, he did not support a permanent hike greater than 1 pp. OR He will say this is two 1 pp hikes, neither of which exceeds his 1 pp limit.

When he signs the death penalty ban, he will clarify that he supports the death penalty, but what we have does not work. He will ask the legislature to provide him with a new one that does work. (Since the Senators were promising to do this, its not that far out of the box.)

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:38 pm
Who knew there was so much support for NOT taxing cigarettes? The trajectory on smoking in society has been that of taxing or restricting it to virtual Prohibition.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:40 pm
I didn’t see any polls about the income tax increase, but I imagine that a great many voters are against it. I have doubts about whether it will be passed against the will of many voters.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:44 pm
Is it too presumptuous to think Madigan and Cullerton are testing Quinn? To see how quick they can get him to fold on something. I don’t know why they would, but this is the first thing I thought of.

Comment by Cheswick Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:56 pm
Pat Quinn just got sworn in to his last, best term in public office. He’ll sign the death penalty bill. That’ll get mentioned in his obituary and that’s what they’ll write in the history books. It’s legacy time for Pat Quinn, and ending the death penalty, regardless of why and whether he lied, is the right thing to do.

I hope the cigarette tax doesn’t undo the larger deal. The GA can always try for the cigarette tax in the new session if it really is needed. It’s going to be a long night, but good God, they can’t walk away empty-handed now, can they?

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 6:58 pm
Rich,

That could be two big campaign promises broken on one day. Death penalty and possibly the income tax hike. Quinn, you’ll recall, said he supported only a one point hike and indicated he would veto anything above that.
You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 7:04 pm
Dave McKinney reports they are 3 votes shy for passage at this point.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 7:11 pm
For a guy with a reputation as an honest person, Quinn sure does have a lot of positions that are different from what he said on the campaign trail.

Comment by Old Milwaukee Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 7:13 pm
“That could be two big campaign promises broken on one day.” Well, if you are going to break your promises, do it early. That will give people 4 years to forget - good old Illinois politics.

Comment by Holdingontomywallet Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 7:20 pm
The Paul Simon Poll Institute did an instructive poll last fall. The income tax is the least unpopular at around 56% opposed. However, cuts to services and spending for people with mental or physical disabilities, K-12 public education, public safety, programs for poor people, and state universities were all opposed by MORE than those opposed to tax cuts! Only natural resources and pensions came in with less than 56% opposition. (And cutting pensions, the only item that polled with less than 50% opposition, any more than they have already would kick the state into social security, which is definitely no affordable.)

So, you can see the spot they are in. Raise taxes, people get mad, cut spending, even more people get mad.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 7:26 pm
For the poll results go to:

http://paulsimoninstitute.org

Look under Polls>Simon Institute Poll Results>2010>Fourth Release

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 7:28 pm
For many good, rational, fair and moral reasons, including why Gov Quinn endorsed moratorium, he should sign the death penalty repeal.

Comment by former prosecutor Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 8:18 pm
When all is said and done, Pat is going to be judged by history.

And I suspect that the kindest judgment he can hope for is: As governor, Pat Quinn signed the bill that abolished the state’s flawed and failed death penalty system.

A man could certainly have a worse legacy.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 8:51 pm
But did Quinn ever actually “promise” to uphold the DP or veto repeal? It’s one thing to say you “support” or “support if safeguards in place” but that seems a little distinct from promising to veto. Certainly candidates often promise to veto proposals they don’t support… I think it’s fair (ok maybe parsing, but…) to say he supported DP “if safeguards” but legislature decided to abolish, he won’t overrule, and the consistent thread with the moratorium and with the repeal today is that majority of legislators (and arguably by extension the public) don’t believe adequate safeguards are/ever really can be in place in Illinois so let’s stop imposing DP that is expensive and may never actually be imposed.

Comment by BB Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 9:45 pm
Amendatory veto of the death penalty bill Gov. Quinn. Talk to Anita Alvarez who re Steve Huntley was in Springfield giving testimony against the bill.

Comment by amalia Tuesday, Jan 11, 11 @ 11:24 pm
Quinn will sign the bill. If not, there’s nothing to AV. Since in terms of his position there’s absolutely nothing inconsistent about supporting the death penalty, but understanding it’s flawed history in Illinois. Alvarez took a few shots in committee at that. Haine took a swipe at ISBA, too. But the state’s attorney’s have had plenty of say. And the death penalty in Illinois is done.

Comment by archibald.jones Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 12:03 am