Illinois House passes resolution creating ‘Illinois Hospital Week’
The measure would set a week aside to honor and appreciate the staff of MacNeal Hospital. The state continues without a budget.
The Illinois House of Representatives adjourned from special session after just 10 minutes and 41 seconds June 22 without advancing a budget. But in a subsequent executive session, state representatives passed House Resolution 293.
HR 293 “declare[s] May 7-13, 2017 to be ‘Illinois Hospital Week’ in the State of Illinois” and “express[es] appreciation for the hardworking employees and medical staff of MacNeal Hospital.”
The vote occurred on the second day of a special session called by Gov. Bruce Rauner, who expressed the need for urgency in passing a budget before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The House adjourned after only 10 minutes and 41 seconds.
The House also made little progress on June 21, the first day of special session. Representatives convened for less than eight minutes on June 21 before adjourning until the next day.
Both sides of the aisle claim to want a compromise on a budget to prevent Illinois from becoming the first state in the union with a junk credit rating. Democrats and Republicans have proposed plans to raise taxes by more than $5 billion, which would increase the average Illinois household’s tax burden by more than $1,125 each year. But Illinoisans have expressed that they don’t want a budget that hikes taxes. Nearly two-thirds of likely Illinois voters don’t want an income tax hike as part of the state budget, according to polling conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and commissioned by the Illinois Policy Institute. More than three-quarters of respondents oppose hiking sales taxes. And nearly 80 percent agree “Illinois state lawmakers should pass major structural reforms before passing any tax increase.
The Illinois Policy Institute has introduced a budget proposal that offers real reform without raising taxes. This kind of reform-minded, no-tax-hike proposal is in line with what Illinoisans want. Lawmakers should use that as a framework while taxpayers pay for their costly special session.