In any 22, part 1, p 2817. Because they refuse to control spending or pass major reforms, the Legislature will just continue to raise taxes on everyone in Illinois, and middle-class families will be their next target. While others try to mislead you, under the current tax system in Illinois, policymakers already have the authority to set any tax rate and to change tax rates at their will. The Federal Government and Most States Use the Graduated Tax System Proposed in this Amendment, Not the Unfair System Currently Used in Illinois. There were at least two 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that spent funds to advertise for or against the constitutional amendment while legislators were considering the measure.
   .sbtotaltable { Of these 43 states, 11 had a flat income tax rate. This amendment will help small business owners by creating a stable economic environment for their businesses to thrive. [8], In 2011, the Illinois government temporarily raised the personal income tax rate from 3% to 5% in order to raise revenues.        color:white !important; In any such tax imposed upon corporations the highest rate shall not exceed the highest rate imposed on individuals by more than a ratio of 8 to 5. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 12, and the FRE is 49. } Court of Appeals | Together, the committees had raised $60.33 million. Initiative. Vote Yes For Fairness led the campaign in support of the constitutional amendment. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed SB 687, which would have enacted a graduated income tax if voters approve the ballot measure. } [43][44] A third organization, Yes to a Financially Response Illinois, has been funded and organized by the AARP. J.B. Pritzker's graduated-rate income tax: Here's what you need to know", "Illinois graduated tax rates, property tax relief package head to governor", "What Voters Need to Know About the 'Fair Tax' Amendment", "AARP Illinois accuses graduated income tax opponents of spreading 'misinformation' about retirement income", "Illinois Allow for Graduated Income Tax Amendment (2020)", "Will Pritzker's $56.5 Mil Boost Chances For Graduated Income Tax? The justices shall, subject to their rules of procedure, permit interested persons to be heard on the questions presented and shall render their written opinion no later than April 1 of the year in which the initiative is … non-graduated rate. [12], .ballot-measure-endorsements p { Article XI: Section 3. The amendment does not itself change tax rates. This proposition would extend the time period from 15 days to 30 days to call a special election, or … STATE REVENUE POWER The General Assembly has the exclusive power to raise revenue by law except as limited or otherwise provided in this Constitution. [34][35] The Illinois legislature proposed a new set of income tax rates in Senate Bill 687, which was enacted shortly after the constitutional amendment was approved to be placed on the ballot. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. The flat income tax rates ranged from 2.00% in Tennessee to 5.25% in North Carolina. | [100], Opponents of the proposal, including several business associations, argue that it would hurt businesses in the state. In Illinois, a 60 percent vote is needed in each chamber of the Illinois General Assembly to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration. Section 3.02 Term of Office. [26][36] The new tax rates do not include any taxation of retirement income. -moz-columns: 1; Working people and essential workers like nurses, first responders, and grocery store clerks should not pay the same tax rate as the wealthy. Text of Section 3: Limitations on Income Taxation. Illinois Allow for Graduated Income Tax Amendment (2020), The ballot measure would have repealed the state's constitutional requirement that the state's personal income tax is a flat rate across income. Online registration closes 16 days prior to an election. Illinois allows same-day voter registration. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, many residents and businesses were leaving the state because of the high tax burden. Bruce Rauner's (R) veto of a bill to increase the rate from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent in 2017. [5], The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. Amendments to this Constitution may likewise be directly proposed by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least twelve per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least three per centum of the registered voters therein. #twill", "Graduated tax amendment will head to Illinois voters; House exceeds vote threshold by two", "GOP chairman: 'fair tax' punishes taxpayers", "Commentary: Ken Griffin: Why I oppose the graduated income tax", "Editorial: Chicago Tribune endorsements: Take the editorial board's ballot into the voting booth with you. House of Representatives | It also includes $100 million for property tax relief. Constitutional amendments in Illinois must be approved by voters in a referendum. Some states require conditional reports of contributions of a certain size in between full scheduled reports.    } width: 100%; It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower income tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels. [10][11], Vote Yes for Fair Tax provides a list of endorsements, which is available here. School districts in Illinois | For personal income earned in 2018, the income tax was a flat rate of 4.95 percent. Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. columns: 1; [2], Vote Yes For Fairness led the campaign in support of the constitutional amendment. A tax on or measured by income shall be at a non-graduated rate. The rate was set to drop to 3.75% in 2015. Democrats controlled 40 seats in the state Senate, and Republicans controlled 19 seats. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed Senate Bill 687 (SB 687), which was designed to enact a graduated income tax, on June 5, 2019. The power to propose the revision or amendment of any portion or portions of this constitution by initiative is reserved to the people, provided that, any such revision or amendment, except for those limiting the power of government to raise revenue, shall embrace but one subject and matter directly connected therewith. In the Illinois State Senate, 36 votes were needed to approve SJR 1. | Ten of the measures addressed taxes on properties, three were related to income tax rates, two addressed tobacco taxes, one addressed business-related taxes, one addressed sales tax rates, one addressed fees and surcharges, and one was related to tax-increment financing (TIF). LIMITATIONS ON INCOME TAXATION (a) The General Assembly shall provide by law for the rate or rates of any tax on or of any tax on or measured by income imposed by the State. Words inserted or added are in blue.        font-weight:bold; In June 2019, Gov. Article IX, MEETINGS . DISTRICT TWO Year Term For the proposed amendment of Section 3 NINETY-FOURTH REPRESENTATIVE whether the proposed amendment should FOR REPRESENTATIVE lg er Income levels and lower income tax REPRESENTATIVE rates. Section 1 of Article XI prohibits the submission of an amendment more often than once in five years. If you are aware of a media editorial board position that is not listed below, please email the editorial link to editor@ballotpedia.org. [AMENDMENT 43, 1965 ex.s. Ballot access for parties | In addition, this proposed change will pave the way for a tax on retirement income. Redistricting, List of Illinois ballot measures | Congressional delegation | The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the "flat tax," that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate. Most (32 of 50) states had a graduated income tax, with different rates applied to different levels of income. The Legislature should not be allowed to keep raising taxes until they get their spending under control. [50], Proponents argue that a tax structure which includes lower rates for lower-income residents and higher marginal rates for higher-income residents would be fairer. Nothing in the amendment requires the Legislature to do anything to control spending. It is part of the Bill of Rights.The amendment reads: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. Current Bylaw Proposed Amendment . - Center for Illinois Politics", "Yes to a Financially Responsible Illinois", "Greg Baise: Committee formed to take on progressive tax amendment", "Deep-pockets dogfight? [82][83][84] They point out that when income taxes are considered alongside other state and local taxes such as sales taxes, lower-income residents pay a higher share of their income as taxes than higher-income residents. .arguments-bm-widget li { The Mayor nominates and the City Council appoints a fire chief under section 8.4(b). This amendment is simply upgrading Illinois' old tax system to a graduated system which is how the federal government and the majority of other states do it. J.B. Pritzker (D) contributed 94 percent of the PACs' total combined funds. Pritzker dig into wallets in battle over income tax", "Coalition To Stop The Proposed Tax Hike Amendment", "Illinois Senate gives thumbs up to voters having say on changing income tax structure", "Illinois Senate Approves Graduated Income Tax", "Stage is Set for Major Fight Over Illinois Constitution, Tax Policy", https://twitter.com/DickDurbin/status/1280904496449650688, "Gov. Greg Baise, former president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, formed the Vote No on Blank Check Amendment Committee to oppose the Illinois Fair Tax. Illinois is one of 11 states with a flat-rate income tax, meaning there is a constant rate across income before deductions and exemptions. Healthcare | .split-cols-bm { Ballot access for candidates | The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. [19][20], During the 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election, Democratic candidate J. The proposed amendment would give the Legislature unlimited new authority to increase income tax rates on any group of taxpayers at will, including low-income and middle-income families and small business owners. Democrats controlled 74 seats in the state House, and Republicans controlled 44 seats. Supreme Court | The ballot measure was defeated. It gives the State the abiliïy to impose higher tax rates on those with Write-in Here's how several GOP legislators reacted", "Your Illinois News Radar » David Harris talks about what he's learned so far", "EDITORIAL: How do we thank 'essential workers?' Prior Provisions. Scheduled deadlines are usually based on periodic requirements—such as monthly or quarterly reports—or certain lengths of time before and after elections. That Article VII, Section 7.4 of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows: § 7.4. Griffin. [13], 

"[103][104][101][102][105] For example, the organization Vote No Blank Check have pointed to the corruption scandal surrounding Commonwealth Edison and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in their campaign against the ballot referendum. Rauner opposed Pritzker's proposal and instead campaigned on decreasing the rate of the state's flat income tax. border: 1px solid black; IX, Sec. } The ballot measure would repeal the state's constitutional requirement that the state personal income taxbe a flat rate across income. The proposed constitutional amendment that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot in Illinois will either help the state get back on a good financial track or give legislators free rein to raise taxes, depending on who’s doing the opining. What's on my ballot? — 4 — For the proposed amendment– of Section 8.1 of Article I Proposition 2. Instead, the ballot measure would allow the state to enact legislation for a graduated income tax. The pass a constitutional amendment 36 votes were needed in the Senate and 71 votes in the House. This is money that middle and lower income people need for housing, groceries, medicine, and essentials. Hi there is an Illinois proposed amendment that is set to be vote on in November. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that may be called for that purpose. [24][28] This bill passed in the Senate by a 36–22 vote on May 1 and in the House by a 67–48 vote on May 30. A 17-year-old may vote in a primary if he or she will be 18 years old at the subsequent general election. As small businesses and local employers struggle to rebuild, this is the worst possible time to impose huge new tax increases. Allowing 2014 law to continue would reduce the median taxpayer's bill by $689 per year, an additional savings of $386 versus the Harmon rates. [21], SB 687 would change the state's income tax from a flat rate to six graduated rates beginning on January 1, 2021. o YES o NO . 1) The Amendment gives the Legislature power to increase taxes on any group of taxpayers with no limits and no accountability and without any requirement to use the additional revenue to fund essential needs such as healthcare, education, or public safety. The "no" votes outnumbered the "yes" votes by 53.27 to 46.73%. Elections calendar | .sbtotaltable td { } !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");if(t)(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}(); J.B. Pritzker (D) won the gubernatorial election on November 6, 2018, defeating incumbent Gov. .endorsements-header { Julie Sampson, the political director of Citizen Action Illinois, was the treasurer of Vote Yes for Fair Tax. Ballotpedia features 319,209 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. The Illinois Fair Tax was a proposed amendment to the Illinois state constitution that would have changed the state income tax system from a flat tax to a graduated income tax. Financial regulation | Quentin Fulks, a former campaign staffer for Gov. 2021 legislative session | [36], The proposed constitutional amendment includes a requirement that corporate tax rates must not exceed the highest income tax rate by a ratio of 8 to 5. They argued that the loss of revenue would be bad for Illinois' businesses, due in part to the fact that the state still owed many private businesses money. You are asked to decide whether the proposed amendment should become a part of the Illinois Constitution. [45], Two organizations have been formed to campaign against the Fair Tax amendment. Local measures | Nov 2010: Illinois Governor Recall Amendment, Nov 2012: Illinois Public Pension Amendment, Nov 2014: Illinois Right to Vote Amendment, legislatively referred constitutional amendment, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, "Graduated income tax question heads to ballot as House OKs constitutional amendment", "Pritzker-Funded Group Concedes Defeat on Illinois Graduated Income Tax Amendment, Throwing Future of State Finances in Doubt", "Fair Tax or Tax Hike? 1. Proposed Amendment: To amend Article VII, Section 2. A graduated tax rate would have the executive pay more. The Ninth Amendment (Amendment IX) to the United States Constitution addresses rights, retained by the people, that are not specifically enumerated in the Constitution. Section 3.06 Council Vacancies; No Party Affiliation. [82][83][85][86][87][88] Many proponents, including the organizations formed to advocate for the passage of the proposal, have emphasized that 97% of Illinois families would not see an increase in income taxes, since the new rates passed by the legislature accompanying the ballot referendum only raise taxes for those making over $250,000. Pritzker today told lawmakers about his 'fair tax' plan. This proposed amendment would affect qualifications to run for Mayor or a City Council seat: The description of the requirements will be reformatted to make it easier to read. Ideas Illinois is an opponent of the graduated income tax proposal and commissioned the poll as part of its inquiry into the effectiveness of its campaigning against the proposal. On May 27, 2019, the state House passed SJR 1, with support from 73 senators. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the worst possible time for a massive tax increase. [3], Vote Yes for Fair Tax also organized as a political action committee to support the constitutional amendment. Click here for the Illinois State Board of Elections voting information page to ensure you have the most current information. The people at the top are paying 6 percent. SECTION 3. He said, "the bottom 20 percent are paying roughly 13 to 13.5 percent of their income in state taxes. [9] John Bouman, president of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, was the chairperson of Vote Yes for Fair Tax. Together, the committees received $60.9 million through October 27, 2020. In Illinois, income is taxed at a flat rate of 4.95%. Illinois' current tax system unfairly benefits millionaires and billionaires, and approval of this amendment will set things right for the middle class and working people. The state with the highest top-bracket rate—and the largest difference between the bottom and top rates—is California, where the bottom rate is 1.00% and the top rate is 13.30%. In addition to U.S. Congress, state legislature and county positions, a proposed amendment for Idaho’s constitution, called HJR 4, is on the ballot. .sbtotaltotal { Except as provided in Section 3.2 of this article, it shall be competent to provide in any charter framed for a county under any provision of this Constitution, or by the amendment of any such charter, for the election of the members of the county board of education of such county and for their qualifications and terms of office. Largest counties | He said a graduated income tax would be a nightmare for Illinois. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. [107], The proposed amendment was on the ballot during the November 3, 2020 election in Illinois as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. Proponents argued that the proposal would make the Illinois tax code fairer, provide tax relief to most Illinoisans, better fund public goods and social services, and boost small businesses. font-weight:bold; Unless otherwise required by law or these Bylaws, a quorum is necessary to conduct business and make recommendations. Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies. The constitutional amendment was introduced into the state legislature as Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR 1) during the 2019 legislative session. NDHSAA Board Proposed Constitution & By-Laws Amendment Grade 9-12 Semesters Proposed: 6/11/2019 Part II, ARTICLE XIV, SECTIONS II, IX and X SECTION II: A student shall not compete for more than four seasons in any one branch of interscholastic contests, provided that competition while in the seventh, and/or eighth grade LIMITATIONS ON INCOME TAXATION — 1 — At the General Election to be held on the 3rd day of November, 2020, you will be called upon to adopt or reject the following proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution. Ballot measure laws | The flat rates ranged from 2.00 percent in Tennessee to 5.25 percent in North Carolina. A majority of states and the federal government already use the kind of graduated income tax system proposed in this amendment to ensure that wealthy people pay their fair share of taxes. The agreements and associated legal instruments included in Annex 4 (herei… The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. [7], The measure would have amended Section 3 of Article IX of the Illinois Constitution. [18] Other speculative proposals had called for top marginal rates as high as 11 percent, but they were not introduced in the state legislature. [13], The following was the top five donors to the support committees. for the purpose of arriving at the amount of income upon which Ballotpedia updates the reports as soon as possible after the campaign finance filing deadline. In Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Virginia, voters also decided eight ballot measures related to exemptions, adjustments, and payments: Florida Amendment 5, Florida Amendment 6, Referendum A, Louisiana Amendment 2, Louisiana Amendment 5, Louisiana Amendment 6, New Jersey Question 2, and Virginia Question 2. It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels. State constitution, Courts in Illinois | This amendment does not tax retirement income. } Opponents and skeptics contended that was misleading since the current law in 2014 prescribed a decline in the personal income tax rate to 3.75 percent in 2015, after the expiration of a 2011 temporary surtax. 3) In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the worst possible time for a massive tax increase. This Amendment Would Make Illinois' Tax System Fair. Click Show to read details about the tax-related measures on statewide ballots in 2020. Section 3. background-color: black !important; ARTICLE III--THE COUNCIL Section 3.01 Election. 2) Taxes and spending are out of control. The amendment does not itself change tax rates. Vote for a graduated Illinois income tax on Nov. 3", "Editorial: We recommend Illinoisans vote 'yes' on the Fair Tax amendment", "Voice of The Southern: Graduated tax would benefit Southern Illinois", "Opinion | Say Yes to Progressive Taxation", https://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?ID=iYosBL7iInwhv80lg%2fiH1Q%3d%3d&T=637309224752192543, "Illinois AFL-CIO, AFSCME endorse Pritzker's Fair Tax plan", "Statement from Ideas Illinois Chairman Greg Baise on Passage of Unfair Jobs Tax", "The Progressive Tax plan would lead to an eventual tax massacre of our middle class! Immigration | (a) Fire department. } What would the ballot measure have changed about the state income tax? Taxes. Pritzker campaigned on enacting a graduated income tax, including a constitutional amendment. (b) Laws imposing taxes on or measured by income may adopt by reference provisions of the laws and regulations of the United States, as they then exist or thereafter may be changed, for the purpose of arriving at the amount of income upon which the tax is imposed. The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the “flat tax,” that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate. There would be no limit on the number of tax brackets that could be created and no limit on how high tax rates could be increased on individual taxpayers. A flat income tax, which taxes all income levels at the same rate, is required by the current Illinois state constitution. CEO of Petco Petroleum Corporation. The power of taxation shall not be surrendered, suspended, or contracted away. Currently, it is unfair that billionaires pay the same tax rate as regular people. [112], The referendum did not pass, as it failed to meet either threshold. The following list of accepted ID was current as of November 2019. SECTION … (A) Appointment. [14] Harmon's proposed constitutional amendment, SJRCA 40, passed the Senate Executive Subcommittee on constitutional amendments.