[5], The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. Some states require conditional reports of contributions of a certain size in between full scheduled reports. In the Illinois State Senate, 36 votes were needed to approve SJR 1. Ballot access for parties | Court of Appeals | Financial regulation | First-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their driver’s license number, state ID number, last four digits of their social security number, or other form of ID are required to present identification showing their name and address before voting. 2,802 Ballots Cast (81% of 3,453 Voters) (Vote … Craig Duchossois - On May 1, 2019, the state Senate passed SJR 1, with support from 40 state senators. Energy | It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income It would simply give the Legislature a blank check to spend billions of dollars however they want, with no accountability. margin-bottom: 0 !important; Constitution of the State of Illinois Adopted at special election on December 15, 1970. Gov. The constitutional amendment was introduced into the state legislature as Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR 1) during the 2019 legislative session. Tennessee's income tax was scheduled to be reduced to 1.00% in 2020 and to be repealed entirely in 2021. In Illinois, a 60 percent vote is needed in each chamber of the Illinois General Assembly to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration. Pritzker, Ken Griffin fight over state's proposed graduated tax amendment, RELATED: Graduated income tax amendment most expensive ballot initiative in Illinois history, RELATED: Battle over proposed IL graduated income tax continues as both side blame other for deception. [9] John Bouman, president of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, was the chairperson of Vote Yes for Fair Tax. ILLINOIS — More than 3 million Illinois residents have already voted, but Tuesday is the big day: Election Day 2020. }, .arguments-bm-widget { font-size:1.0em; [13], The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in opposition to the initiative. Illinois allows same-day voter registration. Ballotpedia features 319,258 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. In Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Virginia, voters also decided eight ballot measures related to exemptions, adjustments, and payments: Florida Amendment 5, Florida Amendment 6, Referendum A, Louisiana Amendment 2, Louisiana Amendment 5, Louisiana Amendment 6, New Jersey Question 2, and Virginia Question 2. } In the state Senate, Democrats won 40 seats, an increase from 37 seats. Wednesday, November 4, 2020 CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinoisans voted on changing the state constitution to move from a flat tax to a graduated income tax, … "The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the “flat tax,” that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate. Circuit Courts, Budget and finances | [7]. If you are aware of a media editorial board position that is not listed below, please email the editorial link to editor@ballotpedia.org. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. A majority of states and the federal government already use the kind of graduated income tax system proposed in this amendment to ensure that wealthy people pay their fair share of taxes. The people at the top are paying 6 percent. [13], The following were the top five donors to the opposition committees.[13]. Voting "yes" on the amendment means that the State will enact a new tax structure where only those making above $250,000 a year will see their taxes go up. With passage in both the state Senate and House, SJR 1 was referred to the ballot for voter consideration. Public pensions | The Illinois House of Representatives passed the final version of SB 687 on May 30, 2019, in a vote of 67-48. The Illinois State Senate passed the final version of SB 687 on May 31, 2019, in a vote of 37-20. 3) In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the worst possible time for a massive tax increase. A "no" vote opposed this constitutional amendment, thus continuing to require that the state personal income tax be a flat rate and prohibit a graduated income tax. The pass a constitutional amendment 36 votes were needed in the Senate and 71 votes in the House. [10][11], Vote Yes for Fair Tax provides a list of endorsements, which is available here. There are two ways for the change to make it into the state’s constitution: The question either needs to win support from 60% of those who voted on the question, or a majority (over 50%) of everyone who cast a ballot (meaning those who cast a ballot in the 2020 election but who skip the constitutional amendment question). Pritzker contributed $56.50 million to the campaign. Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on the ballot measure. Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. Illinois Allow for Graduated Income Tax Amendment (2020), The ballot measure would have repealed the state's constitutional requirement that the state's personal income tax is a flat rate across income. The ballot measure would repeal the state's constitutional requirement that the state personal income taxbe a flat rate across income. Votes occurred along partisan lines. A host of problematic provisions in Illinois Constitution are as off limits to voters as Abe Lincoln’s hat. Limitations on Income Taxation. New study shows property tax increase over past 20 years, Stimulus check problems: What taxpayers should do, How to ensure you won't be taxed on stolen benefits if victim of unemployment fraud, Hunter Biden tax probe examining Chinese business dealings, Fr. Because they refuse to control spending or pass major reforms, the Legislature will just continue to raise taxes on everyone in Illinois, and middle-class families will be their next target. Illinois' current tax system unfairly benefits millionaires and billionaires and this amendment will set things right for middle-class and working people. The current system forces policymakers to charge the same tax rate to everyone, regardless of how much money they make. Executive Chair of the The Duchossois Group, Inc. Muneer Satter - Supreme Court | Campaign finance requirements, Who represents me? The Legislature should not be allowed to keep raising taxes until they get their spending under control. In 2020, voters in 14 states voted on 21 ballot measures addressing tax-related policies. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, our state had a huge and growing multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, and the unfunded pension liability skyrocketed to over $137 billion. Over 95% of small businesses earn $250,000 or less a year in profits, and their owners will not see a tax increase under the new tax structure. In addition, this proposed change will pave the way for a tax on retirement income. What's on my ballot? This rate applies to a filer’s entire adjusted income. Who was behind the campaigns surrounding the ballot measure? How would Illinois have compared to other states? As required by law, I provide you with the following information. BREAKING: Illinois’s graduated income tax amendment has failed, the Associated Press projects. } This amendment will help small business owners by creating a stable economic environment for their businesses to thrive. Ballot measure laws | Compared to 2019 tax rates, Illinois would have had the sixth-highest top-bracket rate. Campaign finance requirements | .ballot-measure-endorsements ul { display: inline; Having wealthy people pay more would reduce the burden on working families. margin-top: 10px !important; [8] Quentin Fulks, a former campaign staffer for Gov. Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Illinois. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the general election next occurring at least 6 months after the adoption of this resolution a … As of December 2020, 35 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. All Rights Reserved. J.B. Pritzker's (D) 2018 gubernatorial campaign and the leader of the 501(c)(4) nonprofit Think Big Illinois, was the chairperson of the Vote Yes For Fairness PAC. It is not uncommon for reports to be filed after the deadlines. Judicial Selection | margin-bottom: 5px !important; } [13], The Vote No On The Blank Check Amendment, Coalition To Stop The Proposed Tax Hike, and Chambers Against Progressive Income Tax PACs were registered to oppose the constitutional amendment. Democrats controlled 74 seats in the state House, and Republicans controlled 44 seats. [45], On May 18, 2020, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-82) and Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady (R-44) introduced a resolution to remove the constitutional amendment from the ballot.[46]. [3] Vote Yes For Fairness, along with allied committees, had raised $60.3 million through October 27, 2020. The new section would provide the State's electors with an option to petition for a special election to recall a Governor and for the special election of a successor Governor. There would be no limit on the number of tax brackets that could be created and no limit on how high tax rates could be increased on individual taxpayers. Largest cities | House of Representatives | Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel, contributed 88 percent of the PACs' total combined funds. When combined with Nevada s ratification in 2017 and Virginia s ratification in January 2020, a total of 38 states have now ratified the ERA, passing the constitutional threshold required for the ERA to become the 28th Amendment. When the wealthiest people pay more, middle and lower income earners can pay less while the State funds critical services that our essential workers rely on.[7]. } You can view the proposed tax brackets and rates here. .sbtotaltable td { Instead, the ballot measure would allow the state to enact legislation for a graduated income tax. CEO of Petco Petroleum Corporation. Online registration closes 16 days prior to an election. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed Senate Bill 687 (SB 687), which was designed to enact a graduated income tax, on June 5, 2019. Local measures | The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the “flat tax,” that requires all … Under Illinois SB 687, the proposed tax rates would range from 4.75% to 7.99%. The flat income tax rates ranged from 2.00% in Tennessee to 5.25% in North Carolina. 2021 legislative session | } By Ed Nickow, September 16, 2020 at 11:21 am Many of my friends are sending email and posting on social media about "being educated" concerning the proposed Illinois Constitutional Amendment … On May 27, 2019, the state House passed SJR 1, with support from 73 senators. A total of 20 states required voters to present photo identification at the polls; the remainder accepted other forms of identification. [2], Vote Yes For Fairness led the campaign in support of the constitutional amendment. The amendment would change the state’s tax structure by removing the current flat rate provisions and changing it to allow a progressive income tax. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed SB 687, which would have enacted a graduated income tax if voters approve the ballot measure. Together, the committees received $60.9 million through October 27, 2020. Democrats also increased their majorities in the Illinois State Legislature. [13], Founder of Satter Investment Management, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, National Federation Of Independent Business Federal Political Action Committee, Student ID & mail addressed to voter’s residence. JB Pritzker outlines proposed graduated income tax, RELATED: IL billionaires Gov. The proposed constitutional amendment would end the flat income tax. PREAMBLE: ARTICLE VIII - FINANCE: ARTICLE I - BILL OF RIGHTS: ARTICLE IX - REVENUE Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies. Grace period registration is available in person through election day at certain locations. Illinois does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. Scheduled deadlines are usually based on periodic requirements—such as monthly or quarterly reports—or certain lengths of time before and after elections. Ballot access for candidates | The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 12, and the FRE is 49. As small businesses and local employers struggle to rebuild, this is the worst possible time to impose huge new tax increases. The Graduated Income Tax Amendment would have eliminated the Illinois constitutional requirement that tax rates remain flat across incomes. 2) Taxes and spending are out of control. 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