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Governor Accused of Holding Education Captive In Exchange for Tax Increase
The governor's proposed budget -- carrying a $1.2 billion cut in education funding -- faced a room of skeptical lawmakers Thursday. Members of both parties on the House Appropriations-Elementary and Secondary Education Committee said for the record what a lot of people around the Capitol have been saying: Gov. Pat Quinn is asking schools to take a big hit to make a case for an income tax increase.

During last week's budget speech, Quinn said the state could avoid education cuts -- including 17,000 teacher layoffs -- if the legislature approves a 1 percentage point increase in the icome tax. That would bring the state's flat income tax to 4 percent.

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora), the committee's chairman, said, "I'm really very upset that we've gone down the line of taking something like education... (and) making that like a tool to wield, forcing people into votes." Julie Smith, the governor's deputy chief of staff for education, said economic conditions are bad everywhere, and that Illinois is in crisis. Other lawmakers, including Republicans, joined Chapa LaVia in her anger.

State Rep. Al Riley (D-Olympia Fields) cautioned Smith not to use the expiration of federal stimulus funds as an excuse for seeking a tax increase, reminding her that the stimulus program was going to run out during this year regardless.

(Illinois Radio Network)
03 19 10 by Newsroom
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