Action Alert!

League of Women Voters^®
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IL politics. IL Fiscal Crisis. Campaign Contribution Limits. lobby day March 11.

Redistricting : the Fair Map Amendment

LWVIL Briefs Members on Redistricting and Illinois Financial Crisis
Justin Levitt, Counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, kicked off "Redistricting- How We Can Ensure the Lines Be Drawn Fairly". Justin explained how Illinois current redistricting system favors the incumbent and makes it extremely difficult for challengers to get elected. He showed us election districts of all shapes and sizes, explaining that sometimes the most straight-forward rectangle can be less fair then Illinois; 4th Congressional "ear muff" District, which was drawn to create a minority district per federal law.
The League of Women Voters of Illinois is supporting the Illinois Fair Map Amendment to change the system of drawing districts that have resulted in 98% of Illinois elections being won by incumbents. LWVIL is attempting to garner 500,000 signatures by April 2010 in order to be on the November ballot.
Tom Geoghegan, author and public interest lawyer, explained that there will likely be a gerrymandering suit brought to the Illinois Supreme Court along the lines that the intent to create safe seats implies intent to abridge the amount of communication the voter receives. Representative Mike Forner (R-95, West Chicago) and one of the three winners of Ohio's recent redistricting contest demonstrated that there are tools(computer software and a specific set of objectives) to make the process of drawing fairer maps more transparent. John Bouman, President of the Sargent Shriver National Poverty Law and Spokesperson for the Responsible Budget Coalition presented Illinois Fiscal Crisis.
What Can We Do? Specifically he addressed the General Funds Budget which is roughly half of the Illinois' $56 billion budget. General finds covers health care, human services, education, higher education and public safety. He explained that the state's revenue just does not produce enough for our obligations and that by only taxing goods and not services (the fastest growing segment of the economy) we have a structural deficit.
Illinois's 3% income tax is the lowest of any state with an income tax. House Bill 174 would generate $5-6 billion of revenue (against a $23 billion deficit) by raising the income tax to 5%, raising the personal exemption from $2000 to $3000, tripling the earned income credit, doubling the property tax exemption and expanding luxury tax to 45 services, up from 17.
For more information on this budget crisis, visit www.abetterillinois.com,ctbaonline.org, and/or http://www.voices4kids.org .

HB 174- Call Gov Quinn NOW

Support and pass HB 174. Passage of this bill would provide needed revenue to the state by increasing the personal income tax rate to 5 per cent. It also provides for needed tax reform, property tax credits and adds some progressivity to the current tax structure in the form of tax credits to low and moderate income families.
(add your own comments on how the fiscal crisis is negatively impacting your community)
BACKGROUND: HB 174 would increase the personal income tax by two percentage points, from 3% to 5%, and broaden the sales tax base to include 39 services commonly taxed in other states. It would raise the corporate income tax to 5% from 4.8 %. It would generate $5 to $6 billion in new revenues so the state could pay its bills.
The bill would double the income tax credit for property taxes paid by individuals and make it refundable. This credit would be capped at $1500. It would triple the value of the Earned Income Tax Credit and make other tax relief adjustments for middle- and lower-income taxpayers, who make up 60% of all income tax payers.
If HB 174 is passed, the new monies raised in Fiscal Year 2010 will be used to pay the state's bills. Starting in Fiscal Year 2011 and continuing thereafter, 33 and 1/3% of all new revenues generated from the tax increases in HB 174 will go to the Common School Fund (this new revenue for education must be added to the appropriation amount from the previous year). Similarly, commencing in FY 2011 and continuing each year thereafter, 16 and 2/3% of all new revenues generated from the tax increases in HB 174 will go to the Higher Education Fund. The rest of the new revenue from HB 174 will go to the State General Revenue Fund (GRF).
The LWVIL has supported HB 174 and its earlier version, SB 750, since it was introduced by Sen. James Meeks in 2004. Although HB174 has undergone some revisions, it still provides for schools and necessary services that serve children and families. It will improve the financial status of Illinois.
To learn more, study the following sources.
Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. http://www.ctbaonline.org.
Voices for Illinois Children, Budget & Tax Policy Initiative, http://www.voices4kids.org.
Responsible Budget Coalition, http://www.abetterillinois.com.

HB 6200/SB 2532

Please call your State Senator and State Representative and ask them to sign on as cosponsors to legislation that will extend Campaign Contribution Limits to General Elections for contributions from the Legislative Leader Campaign PACs and Political Parties to Candidate Campaign Committees. Ask State Senators to sign onto SB 2532 and State Representatives to sign onto HB 6200. Contact information for legislators can be found at http://www.ilga.gov.

Abolish the Death Penalty

Thursday, March 11th at the State Capitol in Springfield:
Rally at the Rotunda begins at 11 am. Visits with Legislators begin at Noon. Buses will depart from various locations in the Chicagoland area in the morning and return that evening. For more information, go to http://www.icadp.org to register or call 312.673.3816. If you do plan to attend, please contact Janet Kittlaus, issues@lwvil.org as she is unable to attend and would like someone to speak for the League at the rally.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: March 5, 2010 18:49 PST.