Supporters of an
education funding proposal heeded concerns from Illinois Farm
Bureau and other groups and are back with “legislation that
would work and be accountable.”
That was
the message Ralph Martire, head of the Center for Tax and
Budget Accountability, delivered to the IFB board last week in
Bloomington.
Martire,
a driving force behind a proposal known as HB750, discussed
the state’s financial problems and possible solutions during a
lengthy, interactive presentation to board members.
“There’s
going to be a historic opportunity to address long-term
education problems” during this year’s legislative session,
Martire said. “This bill does a lot of good things and
accomplishes a lot of the things Farm Bureau has worked
for.”
Martire
outlined his center’s proposal to increase the personal income
tax from 3 percent to 5 percent and to tax 44 types of
consumer services, including hair cuts. The goal is to fully
finance projected per-pupil funding levels and special
education costs, to provide $2.5 billion in education property
tax relief, and to pay down the unfunded liability on state
employee pensions, he explained.
The
bill’s supporters currently are working with legislative
leaders on an accountability measure that would limit the
amount of new money that could be spent on salary increases.
Martire invited Farm Bureau leaders to provide input on the
measure.
“We want
local school districts to make decisions on how to spend the
money, like to reduce class sizes, technology, and other
things that improve education,” he said.
“IFB is
analyzing HB750 and its companion bill, SB750,” said Kevin
Semlow, IFB director of state legislation. “There are
some major amendments coming that clarify this new proposal we
would like to look at.
“There
are some portions of 750 that Farm Bureau policy has long
strived for — property tax relief, increasing per pupil
funding, and other long-term reforms.
“IFB
policy established by our membership has championed education
reform for decades,” Semlow added. – Kay
Shipman
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