This week, in what appears to be an effort to answer Gov. Bruce Rauner’s reform agenda, the Illinois Senate Democrats unveiled what they are calling their “economic agenda.”
Unfortunately it does not address any of the needs of the state’s job creators, and it adds even more spending at a time when the state is billions in the red. While calling it a “middle class” agenda, the Democrats ignore the simple fact that small business owners are the middle class and many of these provision hurt them.
The agenda contains the following provisions:
Tuition tax credit. Qualified parents or students who are Illinois residents can claim a tax credit for higher education expenses incurred at any qualified public or private university, community college, vocational school, or other post-secondary educational institution located in Illinois.
Minimum wage. Increases the state minimum wage to $9 an hour on July 1, 2015, and raise it another 50 cents an hour every year until the minimum wage reaches $11 in 2019. Provides a three-year tax credit for employers with less than 50 employees. NFIB OPPOSED.
Illinois College Promise Program. Covers tuition and mandatory fees for up to two years at any of the state’s 48 community colleges so long as the student continues to meet all applicable eligibility requirements.
Healthy Workplace Act. Guarantees up to seven paid days of sick time to full and part time employees. Sick time would accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Employees would not be able to take sick time for the first 120 days of employment. NFIB OPPOSED.
Corporate loopholes. Ends a variety of corporate tax breaks including corporations ability to automatically receive a tax breaks for production outside of Illinois. Closing these loopholes will bring the state $334 million.
