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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has been in economic turmoil
3for years and has gained notoriety across the country for
4spending outside of its means and falling into enormous debt
5that burdens Illinois's taxpayers; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Illinois has a total debt of $187,000,000,000
7equaling roughly $40,000 in debt per household in the State;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, A recent Commission on Government Forecasting and
10Accountability report estimates Illinois's unfunded pension
11liabilities alone total $100,500,000,000; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Illinois Comptroller has reported that the
13State currently has $7,000,000,000 in unpaid bills and
14$30,000,000,000 in bond debt; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In 2011, as a promise to Illinois taxpayers to pay
16off debt and to stabilize the State's economy, Illinois
17lawmakers pushed through a record income tax increase that
18raised the income tax rate on individuals to 5% from 3%, and on
19corporations to 7% from 4.8%; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Since the tax increase was passed, Illinois's

 

 

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1pension debt has grown and the State's economy has struggled
2due to increased spending; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The tax increases and irresponsible borrowing
4have forced businesses and residents to flee the State for more
5tax friendly and financially stable states that offer more hope
6for success; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The citizens of Illinois have been calling upon
8their elected officials to stand against wasteful spending and
9to assure its citizens that the Illinois General Assembly is
10ready to make the necessary changes to put Illinois on the path
11to prosperity while giving a much needed relief to taxpayers;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Real solutions exist to Illinois's massive debt
14and spending problems and these solutions exist without
15increasing the already high tax burden on its citizens;
16therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
19SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Legislature is
20encouraged not spend outside of its projected 2014-2015 revenue
21estimate of $34,495,000,000 as acknowledged in HJR80 of this
22General Assembly and that every legislator in this State

 

 

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1recognize that Illinois can no longer spend more money than it
2brings in through revenue and can no longer ask its citizens to
3bear the burden of government misspending; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Legislature is urged to keep
5its promise and allow the temporary tax increase to sunset on
6January 1, 2015 as scheduled and to enact real spending
7reforms.