Two-thirds of voters polled favored a “fair tax” in March. On Election Day that flipped to 55% opposing it. Voters understood how the amendment could usher in retirement and other taxes, but tax proponents found it easier to claim deceit.

Decades of institutionalized financial mismanagement left Illinois with the nation’s worst fiscal health. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been at the center of nearly every bad decision along the way.