Illinois Republican state representative wants state to tax Wisconsin fleebaggers.
suntimes.com
GOP lawmaker wants to tax Wisconsin Dems
BY DAVE MCKINNEY Springfield Bureau Chief/dmckinney@suntimes.com Feb 24, 2011 04:42PM
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois should start taxing the paychecks of on-the-lam Democratic lawmakers from Wisconsin and Indiana if they’re intent on staying here for long, a GOP lawmaker proposed Thursday.
State Rep. Michael Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) said he will sponsor legislation to impose the state’s 5-percent individual income tax on the out-of-state lawmakers while they are here to avoid votes on union-busting legislation in their home states and ostensibly working.
“If you’re a movie star and come here and work, we’ll tax you. If the Green Bay Packers come to Soldier Field and play a game, they are paying the income tax,” Tryon claimed.
“But we have legislators from Wisconsin who are working here for the purpose of denying a quorum. We know they’re working here because they say that on TV. When you work in Illinois, you ought to pay the tax,” Tryon said.
Fourteen Wisconsin Senate Democrats have been hiding out near Tryon’s far northwest suburban legislative district since Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tried to force a vote in the state Senate to strip public-employee unions of collective-bargaining rights.
Some Indiana Democratic lawmakers have come here, as well, to try to slow down similar anti-union legislation being pushed by Republicans at the Statehouse in Indianapolis.
Tryon’s maneuver, essentially, is all for political show since there is virtually no chance Illinois’ Democratic-led House will allow the measure to move, particularly given how the state budget meltdown is first and foremost on the legislative agenda.
“We’re dealing with a huge budget problem in our state,” said Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo), whose legislative district has hosted the Wisconsin legislative delegation. “I know we can have some fun with this … but we have to be very focused on what we’re doing. We have plenty of problems in Illinois, more than most states do.” |
