The Capitol Fax Blog » A bit of the back-story

Friday, Jul 27, 2007

* We talked about the newly revised cigarette tax yesterday. As you know, a new amendment was introduced in the Senate to up the proposed tax hike from 75 cents per pack to 90 cents. A Senate committee approved the amendment yesterday. Check this out…

No opponents were allowed to testify during Thursday’s hearing.

* The Daily Herald breaks through the clutter of the partisan committee debate yesterday and gives us this…

With Democratic support possibly wavering on the plan, Senate leaders reached out to DuPage County in hopes of gaining support from that county’s Republican senators. The latest version would let DuPage and every other county in Illinois impose up to a $2-per-pack tax. Currently only Cook County can do that.

DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom has spent months lobbying for this, saying a $1 tax there would raise $25 million annually, enough to restore jobs and social service programs cut from the county budget. […]

Although all Republicans voted against the plan in a Senate committee Thursday, the strategy is likely to work with the full Senate. State Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican, said he supports it, and sponsors said at least two other DuPage senators are also supportive.

“On balance, I think it’s the best a guy in the suburbs, a minority Republican, could hope for,” Cronin said.

* A bit more from Michael Sneed on the amendment’s sponsor, Sen. John Cullerton…

Cullerton, who was raised in DuPage County, has promised to help Schillerstrom ease DuPage budget pressures by cutting him cash for the county.

- posted by Rich Miller

8 Comments

- Capitalist Pig - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 9:18 am:
So a couple of “conservatives” are gonna vote to raise taxes in order to give their constituents the ability to raise taxes more. roflmao. Ya, this state has some real conservative thinkers up in the country club collar don’t they.

Democrats care more and Republicans spend less. HAHAHAHAHAHA

- BlueByrd - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 9:22 am:
Was the Daily Herald just complaining about Schillerstrom working with Democrats?

- Captain America - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 9:35 am:
Securing DuPage Republican support for the cig tax increase was a shrewd move by Senator Cullerton.

I agree completely with many recent commentators that cig tax increases constititute a shaky foundation for the budget,given the likelihood that cig sales are likely to fall, particularly if the Feds enact the large tax increase associated with the SCHIP expansion (The compassionate conservative has declared he will veto the SCHIP expansion despite the existence of significant bipartisan support.)But what else can you do given the Governor’s irrational adamant opposition to sales and income tax increases?

- Belle - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 9:40 am:
So smokers drive across state lines….I really don’t think the state is going to see the revenue increase they hope for. So another hit to small business in Illinois. And next year the lack of revenue will be used as an excuse to raise taxes anyway. And Capitalist Pig has it wrong. Whether Democrat or GOP, politicians don’t care about individuals at all. It’s all about the next sound bite or whatever group gets the press coverage.

- Dan Vock - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 9:48 am:
So, let’s see…

The existing Illinois tobacco tax is, what, 98 cents? Then you add, 90 cents for this new state tax. Plus $2 a pop in DuPage. Plus Congress is looking at raising the federal cig tax to $1 (I think it’s 39 cents now) to pay for S-CHIP.

So, assuming all of these things come true, a DuPage smoker would be $5 in TAXES on a pack of cigarettes, whereas now he’s paying $1.37 or so? Sure adds up quick.

- Leroy - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 10:15 am:
Nobody likes smokers, and everyone likes stuff that free tax money buys us, so this seems like another obvious case of Illinois win-win.

- Capitalist Pig - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 10:29 am:
Belle,

That is the old saying about “the 2 biggest myths in Washington/Springfield”

Of course they don’t care. And, of course they want to raise taxes. How else will they get the press to get re-elected? What was the last story written in good light about a tax decrease?

- So Blue Democrat - Friday, Jul 27, 07 @ 12:39 pm:
The key question should be whether only 20% of the Illinois residents should be required to pay for the increased state revenues in which the revenues will benefit a majority of residents in some way (e.g., more funding for schools, roads, etc). Is this fair? I do not think so! The real issue is that the political leadership in Illinois has no courage to increase revenues in the fairest manner-a small increase in the income tax or even an increase in the gas tax.

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