Bill Text: IL HR1025 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Supports the implementation of a progressive income tax in Illinois.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 48-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-05-29 - Resolution Adopted 061-052-000 [HR1025 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HR1025-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Because Illinois has a flat income tax, low and | ||||||
3 | middle-class families disproportionately share the burden of | ||||||
4 | funding the State's responsibilities; the combined effect of | ||||||
5 | all state and local taxes causes hardworking people with lower | ||||||
6 | incomes and struggling small business owners to pay a higher | ||||||
7 | portion of their income in taxes than wealthy households and | ||||||
8 | large corporations; a graduated income tax is a more fair and | ||||||
9 | progressive way for the State to generate revenue; and
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10 | WHEREAS, According to the Institute on Taxation and | ||||||
11 | Economic Policy, Illinois has one of the most regressive tax | ||||||
12 | structures in the country, as households in the bottom 20% of | ||||||
13 | annual income pay 13.28% of their income in taxes, while those | ||||||
14 | in the top 1% pay only 6.81%; and
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15 | WHEREAS, A progressive income tax will stimulate small | ||||||
16 | business growth; a smaller tax burden will be placed upon small | ||||||
17 | businesses, thereby giving them the additional resources | ||||||
18 | needed to reinvest in their businesses and ultimately increase | ||||||
19 | their net income, providing further stimulus for small business | ||||||
20 | formation and growth; and
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21 | WHEREAS, A progressive income tax will create additional | ||||||
22 | macroeconomic benefits for the State, as Illinoisans with |
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1 | smaller tax burdens find themselves with additional purchasing | ||||||
2 | power; this translates into higher revenues for Illinois | ||||||
3 | businesses and more robust economic performance for the State | ||||||
4 | as a whole; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Of the 41 states in the country with an income | ||||||
6 | tax, 33 have progressive rate structures, including most of the | ||||||
7 | states that border Illinois - Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and | ||||||
8 | Wisconsin; furthermore, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri | ||||||
9 | all have locally-imposed income taxes; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Opposition to a progressive income tax fails to | ||||||
11 | recognize the ability to reduce the tax burden for the vast | ||||||
12 | majority of taxpayers; this opposition stems from a desire to | ||||||
13 | protect the status quo for the wealthiest members of society; | ||||||
14 | and
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15 | WHEREAS, House Resolution 975 of the 100th General Assembly | ||||||
16 | provides examples of punitive tax rate structures designed to | ||||||
17 | derail discussions about a fair and progressive income tax; | ||||||
18 | such tactics are commonly used by Republican politicians to | ||||||
19 | protect the ultra-wealthy from paying their fair share; and
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20 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is the 6th most populous | ||||||
21 | state in the country; it is home to world-class cities, | ||||||
22 | enriched communities, renowned tourist destinations, and is a |
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1 | leader in many areas including transportation, technology, | ||||||
2 | finance, manufacturing, agriculture, and, most importantly, | ||||||
3 | access to an unrivaled labor force; and
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4 | WHEREAS, There are many positive aspects of this State that | ||||||
5 | should be applauded and highlighted; unfortunately, we find | ||||||
6 | ourselves at a true crossroads; years without a full state | ||||||
7 | budget, forced upon Illinoisans by Governor Rauner, have | ||||||
8 | resulted in uncertainty and hardships for the citizens and | ||||||
9 | businesses of Illinois; and
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10 | WHEREAS, In spite of the recent, successful bipartisan | ||||||
11 | efforts to enact a full state budget for Fiscal Year 2018, | ||||||
12 | ending the worst budget crisis in the history of Illinois, the | ||||||
13 | State still faces significant financial challenges that cause | ||||||
14 | continued uncertainty regarding the State's ability to provide | ||||||
15 | for the services upon which Illinoisans rely; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Things must change for the better through fiscally | ||||||
17 | responsible and sustainable initiatives that foster economic | ||||||
18 | growth and cease to be an over-encumbrance on Illinois | ||||||
19 | taxpayers; this is why proposals such as those calling for a | ||||||
20 | progressive income tax to be adopted in this State must be | ||||||
21 | granted due consideration as a means of reducing the tax burden | ||||||
22 | on low and middle-income families while providing resources for | ||||||
23 | education, infrastructure, supports for our most vulnerable |
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1 | citizens, and other core responsibilities; therefore, be it
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2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
3 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
4 | stand united in support of a fair and progressive income tax | ||||||
5 | that must reduce taxes on low and middle-income families while | ||||||
6 | raising taxes on the wealthiest Illinoisans; and be it further
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7 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
8 | delivered to each member of the Illinois General Assembly and | ||||||
9 | the Office of the Governor as a testament to our unwavering | ||||||
10 | commitment to improving the day-to-day lives of families across | ||||||
11 | this great State.
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