David Mcsweeney

Session wrap up: move against progressive income tax continues to gain momentum

By Benjamin VanMetre
06/05/2013
Illinois lawmakers want to pass another multibillion dollar tax increase in Illinois in the form of a progressive income tax. That discussion materialized earlier this year when state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, proposed an amendment (HJRCA 2) to swap out Illinois’ constitutionally protected flat rate income tax for a progressive tax. The plan is to make permanent...

Capitol Updates: May 6 week in review

By Jane McEnaney
05/11/2013
Both chambers were in session this week in Springfield. Moratorium on virtual schools passes out of committee On Tuesday afternoon, House Bill 494 passed out of the Senate Subcommittee on Charter Schools and was subsequently approved by the full Senate Education Committee. The Illinois Policy Institute’s Executive Vice President Kristina Rasmussen and Director of Education Reform Josh Dwyer attended both...

Capitol Updates: April 29 week in review

By Jane McEnaney
05/03/2013
This was an eventful week in Springfield with both chambers in session. Virtual charter school moratorium bill moves to Senate subcommittee The Senate Education Committee did not hear House Bill 494 during its hearing on Tuesday, so the Illinois Policy Institute’s Vice President of Policy, Ted Dabrowski, was unable to testify in opposition to the bill as planned. Instead,...

No reason to celebrate Tax Day

03/31/2013
The 67 percent tax hike on individuals and the 46 percent tax hike on corporations were supposed to pay down the state’s unpaid bills, but instead 80 cents out of every tax hike dollar went to fund state worker pensions in 2012.

TAGS: progressive income tax

PRESS RELEASE: Illinois Policy Institute applauds House Resolution opposing graduated income tax

03/31/2013
PRESS RELEASE from the ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Rickert diana@IllinoisPolicy.org or (312) 607-4977 Illinois Policy Institute applauds House Resolution opposing graduated income tax Implementing a “graduated” or “progressive” tax structure in Illinois would mean tax hikes for middle class Illinoisans SPRINGFIELD (April 15, 2013) – Across the state, tax hike advocates are laying...

TAGS: progressive income tax

Collective bargaining transparency bill HB 2689 shot down in House Committee

By Paul Kersey
03/14/2013
Yesterday a bill that would allow the public to see union contracts and comment on them before they are signed stalled in committee, becoming yet another victim of pressure from union officials who want to keep the public in the dark about the deals they make. The bill actually had both supporters and opponents from...

Illinois good government bills watch list

By Brian Costin
03/04/2013
The 2013 legislative session is in full swing and there are a number of good government reform bills that have been introduced by legislators of both parties. While much of the focus in the media and at the Illinois Policy Institute is rightly on big-dollar issues such as pension and Medicaid reform, there are many other issues...