Simon Poll: Voters favor graduated income tax, lobbying reforms

Delivering another boost to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s pet policy proposal, a new poll shows Illinois voters overwhelmingly back an income tax that hits wealthier residents harder.

And unsurprisingly, voters are even more sold on one of his chief ethical reforms.

Voters favor a graduated income tax 2-to-1, and nearly nine out of ten want stricter laws governing when former state legislators can become lobbyists, according to a Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Poll released on Tuesday.

The poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted between Feb. 10 and 17 and has a margin of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The respondents included 56% male and 44% female respondents, and interviewers were asked to to speak to the youngest registered voter at home at the time of the call. But the methodology has been criticized for two reasons: the duration of the poll and its gender disparity.

The poll found the highest level of support for the graduated income tax was in Chicago, with a 73% approval. In Chicago’s suburbs, 68% preferred the plan, and 55% had a favorable opinion Downstate. In total, 65% of those polled said they favored the constitutional change — 44% of that amount strongly favored it while 21% somewhat favored the tax change. About a third — 32% — opposed the proposal, the poll found.

When Illinois voters head to the polls on Nov. 3, 2020, they will vote on an amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would allow state lawmakers to impose a graduated income tax. Currently, the state constitution mandates that income tax be levied at a flat rate across all incomes.

The specific progressive income tax Pritzker has proposed would raise taxes only on people who earn $250,000 or more a year — incomes between $250,000 and $500,000 would be taxed at 7.75%. It would maintain the current tax rate of 4.95% on incomes between $100,000 and $250,000. And it would reduce the rate on incomes of $100,000 or less.

Amr Alfiky/AP file

Income from $500,000 to $1 million would be taxed 7.85%, and income over $1 million would be taxed 7.99%. The corporate tax rate within the package would also be raised to 7.99%.

The poll’s results were released a day after Fitch Ratings warned that “failure of the income tax amendment would trigger fiscal actions that could exacerbate the state’s structural budget challenges and pressure local governments, including school districts.” The rating agency says the state’s credit will be heavily impacted by whether or not voters approve the graduated income tax amendment come November.

On another issue, Pritzker and lawmakers have voiced support for proposals that would ban elected officials from lobbying any local government. State lawmakers are currently banned from working as paid state lobbyists — but the indictment of former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago last year put a gaping loophole on full display. Although barred by law from lobbying state government, Arroyo — who resigned after being arrested — had been registered with the city of Chicago as a lobbyist since 2017.

Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register via AP

The poll found 85% supported a “revolving door” policy in which lawmakers would have to wait at least one year after leaving office before accepting a job with firms that lobby the state Legislature. Additionally, 61% supported an outright ban on state legislators being paid for lobbying local governments and 33% opposed the proposal.

During Pritzker’s State of the State address in January he vowed that it’s time to enact a revolving-door policy to end the tradition of elected officials who “immediately start lobbying their former colleagues.”

Polltakers were also asked their opinion on redistricting reform, with 64% in favor of having “legislative district maps created and recommended by a commission that is independent of the elected representatives.” There were 22% opposed. The favorable opinion of redistricting reform crossed both partisan and geographical lines.