Capitol Updates: April 15 week in review

The progressive tax, medical marijuana and multidistrict virtual charter schools

Jane McEnaney
Policy Outreach Manager

Progressive tax resolution gains steam

On Monday, state Rep. David McSweeney announced that he and state Reps. David Harris, Joe Sosnowski and Ron Sandack have proposed House Resolution 241, which opposes a progressive income tax in Illinois. The Illinois Policy Institute applauds this effort and commends these legislators for leading the charge against the progressive tax.

So far, 27 Republican representatives have signed on to the resolution, pledging against amending the state’s current flat rate structure, which is currently codified in the Illinois Constitution.

Despite the alleged benefits being sold by advocates of a progressive income tax, the truth is that adopting such a structure would hike taxes on 85 percent of Illinois taxpayers, hurt our already crippled economy, destroy at least 65,000 jobs and decrease Illinois’ economic output by a staggering $19 billion to $26 billion.

The Institute’s Government Affairs team has been meeting with representatives and garnering additional sponsors for McSweeney’s resolution.

Medical marijuana passes House

A development that drew national attention to Springfield this week was the passage of a bill to launch a four-year pilot program legalizing marijuana for medical use. The legislation passed the Illinois House on a vote of 61-57. Next, the legislation must be considered by the state Senate, where a similar bill was approved in 2009.

Virtual learning moratorium advances to Senate

On Wednesday, the House passed House Bill 494 on a vote of 80-36-1. This is the bill that the Institute vehemently opposed at last week’s House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee hearing, as it would impede innovation in education by placing a moratorium on virtual learning in charter schools across the state based on claims that the state has no funding, evaluation and approval processes for multidistrict virtual charters schools. The version of the bill that passed the House on Wednesday had been amended in response to the opposition among members and other Illinois education advocates, including the Institute; this change shortened the length of the moratorium from three years to one, excludes Chicago and commissions a study on virtual schools. However, we remain opposed to this legislation because it stifles a parent’s right to choose how their child is educated – and the funding, evaluation and approval processes for a multidistrict virtual charter school already exist.

Now the bill moves to the Senate, where it will likely be assigned to the Senate Education Committee, and has been sponsored by state Sens. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and Linda Holmes. The Institute’s Government Affairs team and policy experts will continue to oppose this unnecessary legislation, attempt to prevent its passage in the Senate and champion policies that advance quality educational options tailored to the unique and individual needs of Illinois’ children.

Next week: Senate in, House out

The House will not be in session next week, but Senate President John Cullerton has already warned his members of late nights. On Monday, I will update you on what to expect from the Senate’s session next week.