Calculator shows possible tax increase of Illinois labor amendment

[October 03, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Amendment 1 on the November ballot in Illinois has supporters saying it gives workers an even playing field when negotiating with their higher-ups. Opponents say the measure will lead to more tax increases.

The amendment has been the subject of much debate as many Democrats say the amendment is a way to codify workers' rights in Illinois.

Bryce Hill of the Illinois Policy Institute said it likely will increase property taxes.

"Amendment 1 would open up and create this Pandora's Box of new subjects of collective bargaining, and each new subject will ultimately raise the cost to taxpayers," Hill said. "The cost of government gets more expensive when you have to meet new demands."

Illinois residents already pay the second highest property taxes in the nation. The Illinois Policy Institute property tax calculator indicates that if Amendment 1 is passed, Cook County residents who own a house valued at the county average will see a $3,000 increase in property taxes over the next four years. DuPage County residents meeting the same requirements would see an estimated $2,200 increase and in Madison County, property owners would see on average a $700 increase over that same time frame.

Hill said if voters approve the measure, it would also stop future tax relief legislation.

"These pro-taxpayer reforms, the things that taxpayers need to get relief from this crushing property tax burden, will be thwarted," Hill said. "Those things will be deemed unconstitutional in many cases because of the wording of the language."

State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, said legislators will still be able to legislate.

"We are still [as legislators] obligated to make the laws in the state of Illinois," Ford told The Center Square. "We are not giving up our powers to protect workers."

Ford said that the measure would benefit Illinoisans in many ways.

"Democrats believe this will help the economy because we are going to strengthen the working class people and their families," Ford said. "This will help working-class people put their kids through college, and it will help working-class people fight inflation."

Voters get the ultimate say on Amendment 1 on the Nov. 8 ballot. It takes a three-fifths majority of those voting on the ballot measure to be approved.

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.