Illinois Senate approves House’s $5 billion tax hike, $36.5 billion spending plan

https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/illinois-senate-approves-house-s-billion-tax-hike-billion-spending/article_e5ee9d88-60cf-11e7-8f43-133a8a4cd8c6.html

Former gubernatorial candidate and Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, discussing the bills on the senate floor. (Illinois News Network photo)

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Greg Bishop, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for the full story, and other related stories.  Here is an excerpt below.)

In an historic session on Independence Day, the Illinois Senate approved three budget-related bills that would raise taxes by $5 billion effective immediately and spend $36.5 billion in fiscal year 2018.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the tax hike. Even with a Rauner veto, if no votes change in either the House, which passed the same measures Sunday night, or Senate, the tax hikes and spending plan will go into effect.

Senators needed exactly 36 votes to send House Speaker Michael Madigan’s tax increase on to the governor, and that’s exactly how many it received. 18 senators voted against it.

Note:  For the amendments passed by the House on Senate bill 0006,  which is for the budget,  Dale Fowler (R – Harrisburg), voted for them, Paul Schimpf (R- Smithston) voted against them.

For the tax increase, SB0009, both Fowler and Schimpf voted it down.