View as PDF Chicago – Taxpayers United of America (TUA) urges the Illinois General Assembly’s Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee members to oppose HJRCA 57.
“We have written a letter to the members of the Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, urging them to vote against Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan’s proposed education funding constitutional amendment due to the dire financial implications for Illinois taxpayers,” said TUA director of operations, Jared Labell.
“The state pension funds are essentially a giant burn pit for taxpayer dollars, so approving this constitutional amendment will only further exacerbate the financial crisis without addressing the underlying systemic problems with government education in Illinois.”
- View TUA’s letter to the Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee members
- View TUA’s recent analysis of the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS)
- View TUA’s recent analysis of the State Universities Retirement System (SURS)
“Illinois has recorded fourteen straight years of budget deficits and is facing a $10 billion budget deficit by this summer. The state has the lowest credit ratings and by far the worst-funded government pension system in the country,” said Labell. “Illinois taxpayers are not prepared to be obligated to send more of their hard-earned dollars to Springfield for reckless mismanagement and subsidizing a broken government education system.”
“Madigan’s proposed constitutional amendment is as absurd as the current text of Article X, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution, as the constant references to ‘free education’ are totally bogus. Government education is funded by your tax dollars. In no way is it free. Taxpayers have a right to contest how much of their wealth is confiscated by the state, and even more importantly, challenge the state when it seeks to increase its misappropriation of funds,” concluded Labell.
Summary of HJRCA 57 – Proposes to amend Section 1 of Article X of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a fundamental right (instead of goal) of the People of the State is the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities. Provides that it is the paramount duty of the State to provide for a thorough and efficient system of high quality public education institutions and services and to guarantee equality of educational opportunity as a fundamental right of each citizen (instead of requiring the State to provide for an efficient system of high quality public education institutions and services). Provides that the State has the preponderant financial responsibility (instead of the primary responsibility) for financing the system of public education. Effective upon being declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act.
