January 3, 2011
ACTION NEEDED: The General Assembly is making important decisions on the state budget and the future of Illinois this week and next week during the “lame duck session.” The House has scheduled eight days of sessions, and the Senate has scheduled four days.
Please contact your State Representative and Senator and Governor Quinn as soon as possible:
You can find contact information for your elected officials at: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx or http://www.ilga.gov/house/
You can reach Governor Quinn at:
Office of the Governor
Phone: 217-782-0244
http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx
Insist that they protect students, families, and communities from a ruinous state budget shortfall which is resulting in program cuts and eliminations and forcing some local governments, school districts, and program providers to borrow money in order to pay their employees and operating expenses.
Urge them to provide needed revenue to the state by increasing the personal income tax rate to 5 per cent. They should also add some progressivity to the current tax structure in the form of tax credits for low- and moderate-income families. They should expand the sales tax to include some services.
Ensure that Illinois will be able to pay for much needed services, including improvements in the way schools are funded.
BACKGROUND:
The League is a member of the Responsible Budget Coalition. The coalition information paper contains information on the issues and positions that are on the table this week. Find it HERE.
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