Legislative Leaders Pondering Lame Duck Tax Increase?
Governor JB Pritzker and legislative leaders may attempt a tax increase in the final days before a new General Assembly is sworn in next January, but many lawmakers we spoke to say no decision has been reached.
Some Republicans in the legislature seem to feel like the old Yogi Berra phrase “it’s like déjà vu all over again.”
Following the election of Governor Pat Quinn to a full term and some outgoing Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Careen Gordon and Rep. Bob Flider, Democrats used their “lame duck” status to protect other incumbents who didn’t want to vote for a tax increase.
Both Flider and Gordon were given jobs in the Quinn administration, leading to four years of charges of a quid pro quo.
In January 2021, the legislature may find itself in a similar position. Governor JB Pritzker championed a constitutional amendment changing the state income tax from a flat rate to a graduated rate based on income.
Pritzker said following the November defeat of his signature proposal that cuts from the lost revenue “will be painful.”
One legislative Democrat say sit appears decisions are in flux, but many Democrats prefer a tax increase to a series of draconian cuts.
“We have something like five lame ducks in the House,” the legislator said. “Get those five votes on board a tax increase and it helps a lot to get it passed.”
“The Governor didn’t run on rehashing Bruce Rauner’s cuts,” said another Democrat. “He wants to help people, and we’ll help people with more revenue, not less.”
But some Republicans are skeptical.
“Sure, the cynical side of me says they may try to make something happen,” said one GOP member. “But can you outrage when voters killed Governor Pritzker’s signature policy achievement and Democrats go to raise taxes anyway?”
The specter of a federal investigation into House Speaker Michael Madigan also looms over any discussion of a tax hike. Madigan is perilously close to losing his position as more than 15 members of his caucus say they won’t vote for him for another term as speaker.
“It’s hard to predict if he still has the sway to [twist arms] like he did in 2011,” a GOP lawmaker tells The Illinois.
The legislature also cancelled the traditional veto session which surrounds Thanksgiving week due to the increase in the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers have only been in session a handful of days since February.
The new legislature is scheduled to be sworn in January 13.
Neither the Speaker’s office, Senate President Don Harmon’s office, or the Governor’s office answered our request for comment late yesterday.