UIS/NPR Illinois survey finds a majority of Illinois voters support a graduated income tax

The 2019 Illinois Issues Survey conducted by the University of Illinois Springfield Survey Research Office and NPR Illinois finds a majority of Illinois voters support the proposed graduated income tax constitutional amendment that will appear on the November 2020 ballot.

The proposal would amend the Illinois Constitution and replace the current flat tax with a graduated income tax. According to an Illinois Senate joint resolution, the new system would provide a “fair tax system” where lower income tax rates would apply to lower income levels and higher rates would apply to higher income levels.

Support for the graduated income tax grew from 57% in 2018 to 67% in 2019, according to the Illinois Issues Survey. However, there is a vast difference in partisan support for the proposal. Democrats/Democratic-leaning voters (79%) are much more likely to support the graduated state income tax than Republican/Republican-leaning voters (49%) and non-leaning independents (59%).

“We are more than a year out from the November 2020 vote,” said A.J. Simmons, Ph.D., director of the UIS Survey Research Office. “Between now and then, those in favor and opposed to the amendment will be sharpening their arguments and increasing ads aimed at swaying voter opinion. It will be interesting to see how public opinion reacts to those efforts.”

The age group most likely to support the proposed graduated income tax constitutional amendment is respondents ages 18 to 34 (71%), a slight contrast with the lowest supporting age group, those ages 45 to 59 (64%). Across regional lines, results are quite similar among Cook County (69%), the collar counties (63%), and downstate counties (67%).

There are differences in support among race groups, with blacks (79%) favoring the tax more than any other group, while whites (63%) and Hispanics (67%) responded more similarly.

In regards to income, support for the tax is at 70% for those with incomes under $45,000 and drops to 65% for household incomes between $45,000 and $100,000. Support drops further to 62% for individuals reporting a household income over $100,000.

“Slightly less than a third (29%) of respondents believed they would pay more with the proposed tax, with a plurality (46%) thinking they would pay about the same,” said Simmons.

The Illinois Issues Survey found 57% of Illinois voters are closely following news surrounding the proposed graduated state income tax constitutional amendment. There is also some optimism surrounding the impact the graduated income tax could have on the state. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents believe it will have a positive effect on the financial health of the Illinois government.

The 2019 Illinois Issues Survey was designed and analyzed by the staff of the Center for State Policy and Leadership, the Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies and the Survey Research Office at the University of Illinois Springfield. The survey was fielded from Sept. 13-23, 2019 among a sample of 1,012 registered voters as part of an online panel provided by Qualtrics. For all respondents the credibility interval is plus or minus 3.5. While a margin of error is often used to express uncertainty in polling, for online surveys credibility intervals are used to measure the accuracy, or uncertainty, of the survey.

A full summary of this portion of the 2019 Illinois Issues Survey can be found on the UIS Survey Research Office website. For survey analysis and questions, contact A.J. Simmons, Ph.D., director of the UIS Survey Research Office, at 217-206-8109 or asimm2@uis.edu.

UIS/NPR Illinois survey finds more voters feel the state is headed in the right direction overall

The 2019 Illinois Issues Survey conducted by the University of Illinois Springfield Survey Research Office and NPR Illinois finds more Illinois voters feel the state is headed in the right direction and that the economy is improving. Voters also rate Gov. JB Pritzker’s overall job performance at 59%.

The survey found that twice as many respondents (28%) say Illinois is heading in the right direction, compared to only 14% in 2018. Nearly three in ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (29%) and Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents (31%) say the state is heading in the right direction compared to less than one-fifth (17%) of non-leaning independents.

“Perhaps surprisingly, there little variation across the different regions of the state,” said A.J. Simmons, Ph.D., director of the UIS Survey Research Office. “While nearly three in ten respondents living in Cook County (29%) and downstate (29%) say Illinois is on the right track compared to slightly under a quarter (24%) of voters in the collar counties.”

In 2018, 15% of respondents described the economy of Illinois as “excellent” or “good.” In 2019, the survey finds that number has risen to 23%. While nearly a quarter of voters in Cook County (24%) and the collar counties (24%) rate the economy “excellent” or “good,” slightly less (21%) of downstate voters do.

However, the survey finds the number of respondents who have considering moving out of the state in the previous 12 months has risen to slightly more than six in ten (61%) compared to 53% or respondents a year ago. Respondents ages 18 to 34 (69%) were the most common age group to say they’ve considered moving out of Illinois in the past year. The three most common reasons cited for moving by voters who have considered leaving the state are lower state taxes (27%), state government policies (17%) and better weather (15%).

“While a majority of voters say they have considered moving out of Illinois, far fewer report having taken steps to do so,” said Simmons. “Over a quarter of respondents who have considered moving out of Illinois say they’ve looked up the cost of living in another state (28%) and looked at housing in a new state (26%). However, only 2% have submitted paperwork to rent or buy housing in a new state and only 5% of these folks have applied for jobs out of state.”

Finally, the survey found 59% of voters approve of the way Gov. Pritzker is handling his job. While 79% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents approve of the job Governor Pritzker is doing, only 32% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents do. Non-leaning independents give Pritzker a 49% approval rating. When looking across the regions of Illinois, 69% of Cook County voters, 56% of collar county voters and 51% of downstate voters approve of Gov. Pritzker.

The 2019 Illinois Issues Survey was designed and analyzed by the staff of the Center for State Policy and Leadership, the Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies and the Survey Research Office at the University of Illinois Springfield. The survey was fielded from Sept. 13-23, 2019 among a sample of 1,012 registered voters as part of an online panel provided by Qualtrics. For all respondents the credibility interval is plus or minus 3.5. While a margin of error is often used to express uncertainty in polling, for online surveys credibility intervals are used to measure the accuracy, or uncertainty, of the survey.

A full summary of this portion of the 2019 Illinois Issues Survey can be found on the UIS Survey Research Office website. For survey analysis and questions, contact A.J. Simmons, Ph.D., director of the UIS Survey Research Office, at 217-206-8109 or asimm2@uis.edu.

Legislators support civic education by providing Illinois Issues to public libraries

Illinois Issues, the state’s leading public affairs magazine, has launched a new program in cooperation with state legislators to promote public policy information and education through the public library system. “Issues for Citizens” was launched in September with 31 legislators providing Illinois Issues to 59 libraries across the state. (Please check the list below for your local legislator and library.)

“Illinois Issues, with its special focus on Illinois government and politics, and its close attention to current trends and legislative issues, definitely belongs in public libraries so that all citizens can be better informed about important issues that affect the lives of each and every one of us,” Dana Heupel, Illinois Issues executive editor, said. “Information from credible sources can lead to civic engagement and productive dialogue in the public arena about important issues.” Heupel cited wind power in Illinois, an overview of the collapse of the economy and profiles of new legislative leaders as examples of recent topics in the magazine.

Besides a 13-issue subscription to the award-winning magazine, participating legislators also provided libraries with The Illinois Governors: Mostly Good and Competent. This third edition (2007) of the book, originally titled Mostly Good and Competent Men by Robert Howard, is edited and updated by Taylor Pensoneau and Peggy Boyer Long. The book introduces readers to the state’s chief executives from Shadrach Bond to Rod Blagojevich and tells the stories of these powerful men’s lives in the context of the state’s rich and colorful political history.

As part of the legislators’ gifts, libraries also receive Illinois Issues’ annual Roster of State Government Officials, a comprehensive listing of contact information for statewide constitutional officers, major executive agencies and directors, state legislators’ listings for their Springfield and district offices, as well as listings of key staff members and much more.

Entering its 35th year, Illinois Issues is a not-for-profit magazine published at the University of Illinois Springfield. A part of the Center for State Policy and Leadership, the magazine is consistently praised for its reporting and news analysis, recently receiving two national awards from Capitolbeat, the association of Statehouse reporters and editors.

Illinois Issues is continuing to enroll legislators and their libraries in the program. More information is available by calling 217-206-6094 or through the web site at http://illinoisissues.uis.edu/ .

Issues for Citizens Program

Legislator/Library

Sen. Pamela Althoff
Crystal Lake Public Library

Rep. William B. Black
Danville Public Library
St. Joseph Township Swearingen Memorial Library

Sen. Bill Brady
Bloomington Public Library

Rep. William D. Burns
Bessie Coleman Library (Chicago)

House Rep. Leader Tom Cross
Plainfield Public Library
Naperville Public Library on Naper Blvd.

Senate President John Cullerton
John Merlo Library (Chicago)

Rep. Monique D. Davis
Carter G.Woodson Library (Chicago)

Sen. Deanna Demuzio
Carlinville Public Library

Sen. Kirk Dillard
Bloomingdale Public Library
Itasca Community Library

Rep. Ken Dunkin
Chicago Public Library – Hall Branch

Rep. Jack D. Franks
Harvard Diggins Library (Harvard)

Rep. Jehan Gordon
Peoria Public Library – McClure Branch

Sen. Bill Haine
Hayner Library District (Alton)
Six Mile Regional Library District (Granite City)

Sen. Don Harmon
Chicago Public Library – Austin Branch
Chicago Public Library – Galewood-Mont Clare Branch
Chicago Public Library – North Austin Branch
Melrose Park Public Library
River Forest Public Library

Rep. Kay Hatcher
Aurora Public Library - West Branch
Batavia Public Library
Charles B. Phillips Public Library (Newark)
Kaneville Public Library District
Maple Park Library District
Messenger Public Library (North Aurora)
Plano Public Library
Oswego Public Library
Sugar Grove Public Library District
Town & Country Library (Elburn)
Yorkville Public Library

Sen. Dan Kotowski
Norridge Public Library (Chicago)
Elk Grove Village Public Library

Rep. Lou Lang
Lincolnwood Public Library District
Morton Grove Public Library

Rep. David Leitch
Peoria Public Library – Lakeview Branch

Sen. Ed Maloney
St. John Fisher Library (Chicago)

Rep. Richard Myers
Carthage Public Library
Henderson County Public Library District (Biggsville)

Rep. Elaine Nekritz
Indian Trails Public Library (Wheeling)
Prospect Heights Public Library District

Rep. JoAnn Osmond
Lake Villa Library
Zion-Benton Library

Rep. Robert W. Pritchard
Flagg-Rochelle Public Library District
Sycamore Public Library

Senate Rep. Leader Christine Radogno
Lemont Public Library

Rep. Kathy Ryg
North Chicago Public Library
Warren-Newport Public Library

Rep. Darlene Senger
Naperville Public Library (The Nichols Library)
Aurora Public Library – Eola Road Branch

Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano
Elmwood Park Public Library
Franklin Park Public Library

Sen. John Sullivan
Warren County Public Library

Rep. Jil Tracy
Quincy Public Library

Rep. Dave Winters
North Suburban District Library (Loves Park)
South Beloit Public Library

Rep. Karen Yarbrough
Maywood Public Library