A bill that has passed the Illinois House and Senate would provide CPS with a $215 million pension bailout and other funding carve-outs.

More than 50 Illinois counties, municipalities and business districts started imposing sales tax increases ranging from 0.25-1.5 percent as of July 1.

Taxes on alcoholic beverages in Illinois are among the highest in the Midwest.

Polling shows that Illinoisans are overwhelmingly opposed to an income tax hike, and Illinois’ poor economic growth combined with wealth out-migration mean billions in tax hikes will only inflict further damage on a struggling state.

The budget plan proposed by Republican General Assembly members would raise taxes by over $5 billion without enacting any significant spending reforms.

Despite $30 billion in extra tax revenue, the politicians who passed Illinois’ 2011 income tax hike failed to solve Illinois’ pension crisis or pay off the state’s bill backlog.