May 25, 2021
The Honorable J.B. Pritzker Governor of Illinois 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706
The Honorable Emanuel Chris Welch Speaker of the House 300 Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706
The Honorable Greg Harris House Majority Leader 300 Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706
The Honorable Don Harmon President of the Senate 327 Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706
The Honorable Kimberly Lightford Senate Majority Leader 329A Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706
The undersigned nonprofit, advocacy, labor, and community organizations represent and serve millions of Illinois families, children and seniors in every part of our state. For more than a decade, we have worked together as the Responsible Budget Coalition to urge passage of state spending plans that are adequately funded, avoid harmful cuts to needed services and jobs, and are based on revenue that is fairly raised from those individuals and entities with the greatest ability to pay.
We write today to call on you once again to pass a budget that meets those goals, and to make clear that we believe doing so will require the closure of corporate tax loopholes such as those identified by Governor Pritzker.
Although tax revenues have rebounded more quickly than expected, reports indicate at least a $1.3 billion deficit remains in the FY22 budget. Further, while the state has benefited from urgently needed funds provided as part of the American Rescue Plan, we are aware of the uncertainty of federal guidance for spending it, and in any event, it is not recurring revenue upon which to build a sound budget.
We believe strongly that the remaining shortfall must not be closed with damaging cuts. After a year of unprecedented challenges in which tens of thousands of Illinois residents died of COVID-19, millions became unemployed, and the resulting crises of hunger, housing and other economic hardships fell disproportionately on Black and Brown communities, the people of our state need robust public services now more than ever. Cuts to the jobs they do and the services and supports they rely on won’t help working people get back on their feet.
In the remaining days of the spring legislative session, we reiterate in the strongest possible terms our support for closure of the more than $900 million in corporate tax loopholes the administration has identified. These are not new ideas or untried approaches; many other states have already wisely closed these loopholes, and many legislative caucuses have long recommended doing so here as well.
The reality is that every special favor written into the tax code for the benefit of a profitable corporation is an expenditure and should be weighed as such. These corporations have had ample opportunity to come before the General Assembly and attempt to justify these loopholes, but they have failed to do so. Now, with Illinois like the rest of our nation striving to recover from the pandemic and build back better, these are costly expenditures that working families, seniors and children across our state simply can’t afford.
Should you have any questions in regards to this letter, please contact our co-chairs – Niya Kelly with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless ([email protected]) or Jeremy Rosen at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law ([email protected]).
Sincerely,
AFSCME AIDS Foundation of Chicago Center for Tax and Budget Accountability Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Citizen Action/Illinois Faith Coalition for the Common Good Forefront Grassroots Collaborative Heartland Alliance Illinois Action for Children Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities Illinois Collaboration on Youth Illinois Federation of Teachers Illinois Partners for Human Services Latino Policy Forum League of Women Voters of Illinois SEIU HCII SEIU Local 73 Shriver Center on Poverty Law Supportive Housing Providers Association