Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls his $3.7 billion income tax hike a “fair tax.” But opponents have criticized the constitutional amendment as a blank check for House Speaker Mike Madigan and other state lawmakers, courtesy of Illinois taxpayers.

A progressive income tax would force nearly all joint filers in Illinois to pay higher income taxes than they would as single filers. Meanwhile, some wealthy couples would save thousands in state income taxes.

An amendment that would allow lawmakers to scrap Illinois’ constitutionally protected flat income tax and replace it with graduated tax rates will appear as a referendum question on voters’ 2020 ballots.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised tax relief for 97 percent of Illinoisans as a selling point for his proposed “fair tax.” But a new ad campaign abandons that claim.

The last state to take Pritzker’s path should serve as a bright red flag to Illinoisans weighing whether to back him.