Source:
Chicago Tribune January 12, 2011
Quinn congratulates Democrats on income tax increase
Posted by Ray Long and Monique Garcia at 2:15 a.m.
A triumphant Gov. Pat Quinn congratulated fellow Democrats early today after the Illinois Senate and House sent him a major income tax increase without a single Republican vote in favor.
Quinn smiled and shook hands on the floor of the Senate around 1:30 a.m. after the Senate voted 30-29 for the bill, which would raise the personal income tax-rate by 67 percent and the business income tax rate by 46 percent.
The House passed the bill hours earlier Tuesday night -- likewise without a vote to spare and with nary a Republican in support.
Read more:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2011/01/quinn-congratulates-democrats-on-income-tax-increase.html
Not one Republican vote...in either house. Illinois is in a severe financial crises, as are many states. This courageous move by the Democrats will save the state from financial ruin and also having to destroy the social net that exists. The Republicans couldn't care less, saying that more cuts needed to be made before tax increases could be voted on. Many cuts had already been made, but those were not enough for the Republicans. The tax rate will go down in 2015.
A tax increase has been talked about for many years as the state's finances slowly went down the shaft. Quinn and the Democrats did the right thing by raising taxes. In this climate, that is incredible.