Excise taxes have failed to rehabilitate Illinois’ failing fiscal health. But lawmakers have yet to kick the habit.

The Illinois General Assembly and governor devised 20 different ways to take more money from taxpayers to finance spending on government operations and infrastructure.

A new governor and Democratic supermajorities have retained the same chaotic budgeting process that has brought the state’s credit rating to near-junk status.

Between the push for a graduated income tax, his budget address and newly released capital plan, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed an onslaught of backdoor tax hikes on all Illinoisans.

The upward march of Illinois’ core cost drivers – pensions and government worker health insurance – cannot be paid for by tax hikes on small groups. Without reform, tax hike proposals on all Illinoisans will continue flowing from the Statehouse.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office is using a major capital bill as a vehicle to grease lawmakers for a progressive income tax amendment. But the tax hikes to pay for it would make Illinoisans’ gas tax burden the second highest in the nation.

Eventbrite will comply with the expanded Chicago amusement tax, and begin collecting and remitting the 9% citywide tax May 2.

Imposing more Mickey Mouse taxes in Illinois is just goofy, but that’s what a proposal in Springfield would do to users of the new Disney Plus and other streaming services.

Those pushing the bag tax in Illinois may not care much about the body of research on this topic. They’re looking out for a different kind of green. In a scramble for new revenue and an unwillingness to take on any reform on the spending side, the Statehouse has turned to creative ways to nickel-and-dime residents.