For Immediate Release: 11.4.20
Chicago – The people of Illinois made their voices heard in this election like never before—on Congress, on the Senate, on the presidency, and on the Fair Tax amendment. By all accounts, this election has seen record turnout in Illinois and across the nation in the midst of a pandemic and social unrest.
“Making it easier to vote, as Illinois did this spring, encourages more people to come out and make their voices heard on issues that they care about most,” said Teresa Ramos, V.P. of Public Policy and Advocacy, Illinois Action for Children. “Millions of voters in every part of our state have shown their support for tax fairness and funding fairness that will support Illinois’ families most critical needs while asking the wealthy to finally pay their fair share—this is a victory in and of itself, and the work to make Illinois more equitable continues with more urgency than ever.”
It appears that the Fair Tax ballot question will not be passed by Illinois’ voters.
“While the result is not what we and so many others hoped for, the Fair Tax question was the latest example of Illinois taking proactive, critically-important steps to adequately fund our state’s priorities and to positively impact the lives of children and families moving forward,” said April Janney, Acting President and CEO of Illinois Action for Children.
This is the first time Illinois voters have been asked to write tax fairness into their constitution. If enacted, the Fair Tax would have cut taxes for the 97 percent of Illinoisans who make less than $250,000 per year, required the wealthiest 3 percent of Illinois residents to pay their fair share, and raised billions of dollars to invest in schools, health care, and jobs in every part of our state. The coalition that came together around this effort will continue the fight for equity and fairness in Illinois.
“Illinois Action for Children, with our 23 unique and diverse programs, is poised to continue delivering on the promise that all children have the resources they need to succeed in school and in life.” said Shauna Ejeh, SVP of Programs. “Through these programs, our work supporting the Governor’s Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding, and many other equity-focused initiatives, we are focused on taking bold steps to make good on the Governor’s stated goal of making this the best state in the nation to raise children.”
Join the Sylvia Cotton Center for Research and Policy Innovation powered by Illinois Action for Children on November 17, 2020 as we release All Children, All Families, a comprehensive policy agenda designed to ensure racial, gender, and economic equity for families, child care, and early education in Illinois.
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