Senator Jim Oberweis released the following statement after the Senate Executive Committee voted along party lines April 10 to advance a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would cost taxpayers an additional $3.4 billion each year while fundamentally changing Illinois’ income tax structure.

“Gov. J.B. Pritzker came to Springfield determined to fulfill his controversial campaign pledge to fundamentally change the state’s income tax from a flat rate to a graduated rate, based on income,” Senator Oberweis said. “Yet the legislation advanced today offers no guaranteed protections for middle-income families.  There are no provisions in place to prevent rates being raised again in the future.  Can we really trust the leaders whose tax-and-spend policies over the years have left our finances in tatters?  The residents of Illinois deserve better.”

Changing from a flat income tax to a graduated income tax requires amending the Illinois Constitution.  If approved by lawmakers, the Constitutional Amendment would need to be put to Illinois voters in the next general election, which would be November 2020. 

“The Governor has said, ‘Why not let the people decide?’  I say, ‘Why not let the people decide on term limits and fair maps?’  To give you an idea of how bad things are in the Illinois Senate, a Fair Maps Constitutional Amendment introduced by Senator Morrison has 36 sponsors, enough to put that Constitutional Amendment on the ballot,” Senator Oberweis said. “Yet, it is blocked in Assignments Committee, and cannot even get a Senate Committee hearing.”