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Madigan Urges More Tax on Wealthy to Balance State Budget

The Illinois Constitution says the state can only have a flat income tax. Most people seem to think that means wealthy people cannot be made to pay higher tax rates. One prominent Springfield policy maker has a different view.                              

A failed bid to allow for a graduated tax rate would seem to take a progressive tax rate off the table. 
And yet this was House Speaker Michael Madigan's recent suggestion for getting to a balanced budget:

"Cuts in spending, new revenue -- especially taxes on the wealthy."

Madigan helped draft the 1970 constitution, so he's well aware of the flat-tax restriction. But he says there are other ways:

"You work with exclusions and deductions in the Illinois income tax -- Earned Income Tax credit as an example."

For that to bring in more money, the state would have to raise everyone’s income tax rate while adding those “exclusions and deductions."

Critics say leaning on the rich will prompt millionaires to leave Illinois. 

A tax hike of any variety isn't expected any time soon; that's trapped in a partisan standoff over Governor Bruce Rauner’s controversial agenda — which he says must pass before he’ll talk taxes.

In the meantime, lawmakers are considering a bare-bones, temporary budget.  

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.