Lake County Gazette

State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) is willing to go as far as changing the state constitution to protect the middle class of Illinois.

McConchie is sponsoring Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 12, which would amend the Illinois Constitution to require a two-thirds super-majority vote before lawmakers can raise state taxes or impose any additional fees. Presently, only a simple majority is required.

“With all the new taxes being proposed by the super-majority in both chambers, we need to ensure adequate protections are in place to protect those middle-class families already feeling the burden imposed by years of government over-spending and fiscal mismanagement,” McConchie said in a press release.

Currently, 15 states already have similar laws on the books, and such legislation has previously been introduced here in Illinois.

“California, which is in a financial position similar to Illinois, has implemented this requirement,” McConchie said in the release. “Wisconsin also has this provision in place. In fact, many states are moving toward empowering their residents by offering this protection.”

For the legislation to have a chance of being placed on the ballot here in Illinois in 2020, a three-fifths majority is required. From there, voters would need to approve by the same ratio.