Gov. Bruce Rauner issued an amendatory veto nixing fee hikes from a 911 service reauthorization bill lawmakers sent to his desk, noting Illinoisans already pay some of the nation’s highest taxes on their cellphones. But those fee hikes will become law, as lawmakers have voted to override the governor’s veto.

Gov. Bruce Rauner issued an amendatory veto nixing fee hikes from a 911 service reauthorization bill lawmakers sent to his desk. Illinoisans already pay some of the nation’s highest taxes on their cellphones.

Lawmakers need to enact comprehensive property tax reform to provide relief for overburdened state taxpayers.

Illinoisans already pay the nation’s fourth-highest wireless taxes. But a new bill awaiting Gov. Bruce Rauner’s signature would make this burden even heavier.

The latest report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shows Illinois experienced falling tax collections, indicating trouble in the state economy. Spending reforms – not tax hikes – are what Illinois needs to right its fiscal ship and boost economic growth.

Under a 2015 agreement between the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and The Advisory Board Co., the state gave a tax credit worth millions of dollars in exchange for 55 jobs.

Local governments create TIF districts to encourage development in “blighted” areas; but TIFs often don’t deliver on promised economic benefits, while they do divert tax dollars from other uses and create opaque slush funds for the mayor to reward insider developers.