Illinois

Statewide: The Graduated Income Tax - The Past And The Future

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published October 15, 2020 at 12:02 PM CDT

As voters continue to cast ballots in Illinois, a key part of the state's financial picture is being decided. A constitutional amendment that would swap Illinois' flat income tax for a graduated tax, with a different rate for higher earners, is seen as a way to shore up Illinois' budget. But how much would it help the state? And what happens if the proposal fails? We'll have a discussion.

We'll hear about the brief time Illinois had a graduated tax and why that changed.

Also, a reporting investigation has uncovered more details about COVID-19 outbreaks in Illinois - where they've occurred and some of the reasons why.

That and more on this week's Statewide.

Our lineup:

* Dana Cronin with Harvest Public Media explains the risks of COVID-19 on migrant farmworkers in Illinois.

* Sean Crawford talks with reporter Dan Vock, who examined the financial implications of the graduated income tax proposal - whatever the outcome.

* Charlie Wheeler tells us about the time when Illinois had a graduated tax and why it went away.

* Tim Shelley visits with Sara Sefried of the Center for Prevention of Abuse about efforts to curb human trafficking in central Illinois and help victims.

* Yvonne Boose of WNIJ reports complex factors complicate county level COVID-19 prevention.

* Hannah Meisel speaks with Sky Chadde, with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, about their findings that show undisclosed incidents of COVID-19 at facilities like prisons, businesses, schools, meatpacking plants and more.

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