'Rich tax' rejected by state House

SPRINGFIELD -- With Republicans leading the opposition, the Illinois House on Thursday rejected the idea of letting voters decide whether those making more than $250,000 a year should see their state tax rate double.

The proposed constitutional amendment would have raised an estimated $3 billion annually, to be split among school funding, state-sponsored construction and tax breaks for those making less than a quarter-million dollars.

Supporters said these key issues have been deadlocked too long and proposed letting voters decide if the state's wealthiest 5 percent should foot the bill. State tax data shows roughly 107,000 tax filers reported income over $250,000.

"You may not like the fact there'll be two classes of taxpayers … but remember, the one class is less than 10 percent of the taxpayers. They would pay more," said House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat. "It's not terribly complicated unless you make it complicated."

But critics called it a "class warfare" political ploy designed to embarrass Republicans -- especially downstate GOP members -- by portraying them as protectors of the rich.

Republicans blasted the idea of giving the ruling Democrats more tax dollars considering the state's financial track record of late -- a preview of what's sure to be a GOP theme in the fall elections,

"The most troubling part about the amendment … is that we are going to raise perhaps $3 billion and we're going to turn it over … to a party and an administration that everyone for the past five years has said can't spend money wisely," House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego said of the Democrats and Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The proposal needed 71 votes to advance to the Senate. It received 52.

In rare, lengthy comments on the House floor, Madigan said lawmakers should stop using Blagojevich as the reason for voting against everything.

"If you're looking to blame someone for what you'd consider to be mismanagement or misspending," Madigan said, "don't look too far beyond the end of your nose."

How they voted

The Illinois House voted 52-60 against a constitutional amendment that would have let voters decide if the income tax rate should be doubled to 6 percent for those making more than $250,000 annually.

Local lawmakers voting "yes."

Linda Chapa-LaVia, Aurora Democrat; Fred Crespo, Hoffman Estates Democrat; Paul Froehlich, Schaumburg Democrat

Local lawmakers voting "no"

Suzanne "Suzie" Bassi, Rolling Meadows Republican; Mark H. Beaubien Jr., Barrington Hills Republican; Robert A. "Bob" Biggins, Elmhurst Republican; Franco Coladipietro, Bloomingdale Republican; Sandy Cole, Grayslake Republican; Tom Cross, Oswego Republican (House Republican leader); Mike Fortner, West Chicago Republican; Jack D. Franks, Woodstock Democrat; Brent Hassert, Romeoville Republican; Carolyn H. Krause, Mount Prospect Republican; Sidney H. Mathias, Buffalo Grove Republican; James H. "Jim" Meyer, Naperville Republican; Rosemary Mulligan, Des Plaines Republican; Ruth Munson, Elgin Republican; Elaine Nekritz, Northbrook Democrat; JoAnn Osmond, Antioch Republican; Sandra M. Pihos, Glen Ellyn Republican; Randy Ramey, Carol Stream Republican; Dennis Reboletti, Elmhurst Republican; Kathleen A. Ryg, Vernon Hills Democrat; Angelo "Skip" Saviano, Elmwood Park Republican; Timothy L. Schmitz, Batavia Republican; Ed Sullivan Jr., Mundelein Republican; Michael Tryon, Crystal Lake Republican

Not voting or absent:

Joe Dunn, Naperville Republican; Patricia Reid Lindner, Aurora Republican; Eddie Washington, Waukegan Democrat