50th district Senator speaks on SJRCA 1

By Benjamin Cox on May 3, 2019 at 2:05pm

Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1 passed the Senate Wednesday.

Voting on the senate floor, the democratic super-majority prevailed in a 40-19 vote. 50th district state senator Steve McClure and 47th district state senator Jil Tracy both voted NO.

SJRCA 1 proposes an amendment of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution. It arrived in the House Wednesday, where it must also pass to be allowed on any future ballot. Because it is an amendment to the state constitution, people will also get the chance to vote.

Because of this, the potential procession of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax plan through state legislature and the state in general is only beginning.

Two emails sent by the office of 48th district senator Andy Manar Wednesday shortly after the vote show two separate rates on the same chart detailing the progressive income tax rates.

The first email, sent at 2:30 pm, showed a 4.85% tax rate for both the single filers with between ten thousand and one hundred thousand dollars and joint married filers with a total combined income between ten thousand and one hundred thousand dollars. A second email sent at 5:10 pm, however, shows a 4.9 percent rate instead of 4.85 percent in the same spots.

All other measurements were the same in both charts, including a rate of 4.75% for both single and married filing jointly with income between zero and ten thousand dollars, new corporate rate of 7.99%, up from 7.0, and a jump from 4.95 to 7.75% at 250 thousand dollars.

The second email said the news release about the fair tax package sent on behalf of Senator Manar earlier contained an error in the chart showing the proposed income tax rates.

Senator Steve McClure offers his vision of the process SJRCA 1 will take in Springfield.

“This whole thing targets the very people who are going to stay in the state. In the future, it’s going to target everyone. Everyone knows the rates are already changing, even in the few weeks that we’ve had this up for discussion on the senate floor, and it’s like a Trojan horse. It was painfully obvious, even during the debate. The rates are going to change again. If the people want to know what’s causing their problems, they should install a mirror in the chambers of the Senate, the House, and in the Governor’s office.”

The vote followed directly along party lines.