Republican Lawmakers Push for Income Tax Repeal

Democratic leaders are fresh off their victory in getting an income tax hike through both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, but now Republicans in the state Senate are challenging the legislation by calling for its repeal.

State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) joined his fellow GOP lawmakers in voting against the tax hike, and he is now crafting legislation to repeal the tax increase. Murphy said he is confident an ample number of his colleagues will support the plan, noting that Republicans have more seats in the new legislature. He also said several of the Democratic Senators who voted against the tax hike will continue serving.

"Do I expect the Senate President to allow this bill to move, or the Speaker, or the Governor to sign it?" Murphy said. "I don't, but nobody ever got somewhere by saying I might as well not get started because it probably won't happen."

The legislation calls for a 67-percent increase in the state's income tax along with a spike in the corporate tax. Murphy said the move will cost the state jobs.

It is eliminated that Illinois' budget deficit could reach $15 billion this year. State Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon), who serves as the Senate's deputy minority leader, said a tax increase is not something he would make a pledge to block in every situation, but he said in this case, lawmakers have failed to go through the budget line-by-line, and make cuts.

"The tax increase was wrong in the first place," Righter said. "I think it's going to make things worse. It's going to fuel more government spending, and it's going to lead to greater job loss and diminish economic activity."

Governor Pat Quinn says he will sign the income tax legislation, calling it a necessary step to generate revenue.

"It's important for the state government not to be a fiscal basket case, and that's what I confronted when I arrived," Quinn said. "I've said for two years, I said it in campaigns, we needed to restrain spending. We have. And we also need revenue to pay these overdue bills. And we will.