94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2545

 

Introduced 1/18/2006, by Sen. Louis S. Viverito

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
10 ILCS 5/28-1   from Ch. 46, par. 28-1

    Creates the State Budget Crisis and School-Funding Referendum Act. Requires placement on the 2006 general election ballot of statewide advisory questions as to whether the State income tax should be temporarily increased for specified programs of school funding. Amends the Election Code to exempt the questions from the limit on the number of questions that may appear on a ballot. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the State
5 Budget Crisis and School-Funding Referendum Act.
 
6     Section 5. Purpose. Illinois, like many other states, is
7 currently experiencing State budget shortfalls that have
8 contributed to a crisis in funding for public education. A
9 heavy reliance on local property taxes to fund education has
10 also placed a significant burden on property owners. At the
11 same time, however, Illinois enjoys relatively modest rates of
12 State income tax: 3% on individuals, estates, and trusts and
13 4.8% on corporations. Article X of the Illinois Constitution
14 provides that the State shall fund education by making public
15 schools free through the secondary level. The purpose of this
16 Act is to seek the advice of the voters as to whether a
17 temporary increase in the State income tax is warranted to help
18 solve this school-funding crisis.
 
19     Section 10. State budget and school-funding crises
20 advisory questions. The following advisory questions shall be
21 submitted to the voters of every county at the 2006 general
22 election:
23         (1) "Should the General Assembly, in order to (i)
24     provide property tax relief, (ii) increase reimbursement
25     to school districts for special education services, (iii)
26     fund the School Construction bond program, and (iv)
27     increase the State foundation level (minimum per-pupil
28     expenditures), temporarily increase the Illinois income
29     tax from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008, to
30     help solve the current State budget shortfall and to
31     increase State support for public education?".

 

 

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1         (2)"Should this temporary increase be limited to
2     increasing the rate of tax for individuals, trusts, and
3     estates by no more than one percentage point and the rate
4     for corporations by no more than one and six-tenths
5     percentage points?".
6     The votes on each question shall be recorded as "Yes" or
7 "No".
 
8     Section 15. Certification. The State Board of Elections
9 shall certify the questions specified in Section 10 to the
10 proper election officials, who shall submit the questions in
11 accordance with the general election law.
 
12     Section 20. Conflicts. If any provision of this Act
13 conflicts with any other law, this Act controls.
 
14     Section 90. Repeal. This Act is repealed on December 31,
15 2008.
 
16     Section 900. The Election Code is amended by changing
17 Section 28-1 as follows:
 
18     (10 ILCS 5/28-1)  (from Ch. 46, par. 28-1)
19     Sec. 28-1. The initiation and submission of all public
20 questions to be voted upon by the electors of the State or of
21 any political subdivision or district or precinct or
22 combination of precincts shall be subject to the provisions of
23 this Article.
24     Questions of public policy which have any legal effect
25 shall be submitted to referendum only as authorized by a
26 statute which so provides or by the Constitution. Advisory
27 questions of public policy shall be submitted to referendum
28 pursuant to Section 28-5 or pursuant to a statute which so
29 provides.
30     The method of initiating the submission of a public
31 question shall be as provided by the statute authorizing such

 

 

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1 public question, or as provided by the Constitution.
2     All public questions shall be initiated, submitted and
3 printed on the ballot in the form required by Section 16-7 of
4 this Act, except as may otherwise be specified in the statute
5 authorizing a public question.
6     Whenever a statute provides for the initiation of a public
7 question by a petition of electors, the provisions of such
8 statute shall govern with respect to the number of signatures
9 required, the qualifications of persons entitled to sign the
10 petition, the contents of the petition, the officer with whom
11 the petition must be filed, and the form of the question to be
12 submitted. If such statute does not specify any of the
13 foregoing petition requirements, the corresponding petition
14 requirements of Section 28-6 shall govern such petition.
15     Irrespective of the method of initiation, not more than 3
16 public questions other than (a) back door referenda, (b)
17 referenda to determine whether a disconnection may take place
18 where a city coterminous with a township is proposing to annex
19 territory from an adjacent township, (c) referenda held under
20 the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in
21 the Property Tax Code, or (d) referenda held under Section
22 2-3002 of the Counties Code may be submitted to referendum with
23 respect to a political subdivision at the same election.
24     If more than 3 propositions are timely initiated or
25 certified for submission at an election with respect to a
26 political subdivision, the first 3 validly initiated, by the
27 filing of a petition or by the adoption of a resolution or
28 ordinance of a political subdivision, as the case may be, shall
29 be printed on the ballot and submitted at that election.
30 However, except as expressly authorized by law not more than
31 one proposition to change the form of government of a
32 municipality pursuant to Article VII of the Constitution may be
33 submitted at an election. If more than one such proposition is
34 timely initiated or certified for submission at an election
35 with respect to a municipality, the first validly initiated
36 shall be the one printed on the ballot and submitted at that

 

 

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1 election.
2     No public question shall be submitted to the voters of a
3 political subdivision at any regularly scheduled election at
4 which such voters are not scheduled to cast votes for any
5 candidates for nomination for, election to or retention in
6 public office, except that if, in any existing or proposed
7 political subdivision in which the submission of a public
8 question at a regularly scheduled election is desired, the
9 voters of only a portion of such existing or proposed political
10 subdivision are not scheduled to cast votes for nomination for,
11 election to or retention in public office at such election, but
12 the voters in one or more other portions of such existing or
13 proposed political subdivision are scheduled to cast votes for
14 nomination for, election to or retention in public office at
15 such election, the public question shall be voted upon by all
16 the qualified voters of the entire existing or proposed
17 political subdivision at the election.
18     Not more than 3 advisory public questions may be submitted
19 to the voters of the entire state at a general election. If
20 more than 3 such advisory propositions are initiated, the first
21 3 timely and validly initiated shall be the questions printed
22 on the ballot and submitted at that election; provided however,
23 that a question for a proposed amendment to Article IV of the
24 Constitution pursuant to Section 3, Article XIV of the
25 Constitution, or for a question submitted under the Property
26 Tax Cap Referendum Law, or for a question submitted at the 2006
27 general election under the State Budget Crisis and
28 School-Funding Referendum Act shall not be included in the
29 foregoing limitation.
30 (Source: P.A. 93-308, eff. 7-23-03.)
 
31     Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
32 becoming law.