Illinois Income Tax Sunset Could Mean Drastic Reductions in Domestic Violence Services Funding

Illinois legislators are currently debating whether what was planned as a temporary increase to the state income tax rate for individuals and corporations should be allowed to expire in January 2015. Passed in January 2011, the increase raised the income tax rate on individuals from three percent to five percent and on corporations from 4.8 percent to seven percent. The goal of the increase was to get the State of Illinois, widely known for its fiscal woes, on a more sound financial footing. 

While opinions may vary about the state of the economy in Illinois and how it can be fixed, one thing is certain, if the increase is allowed to sunset in January as planned, tens of thousands of people statewide will be cut off from critical human services programs. The reason: the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) will lose $397 million in funding, together with the Illinois Department on Aging ($129 million) and the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services ($87 million). These reductions in funding would come on the heels of five years of budget cuts for DHS. In some cases, reducing state spending will result in subsequent loss of federal matching funds.

DHS provides a critical revenue stream to Family Shelter Service, which offers shelter, counseling and court advocacy services to 2,000 adults and children annually in DuPage County. We receive 12,000 calls each year to our hotline from individuals affected by domestic abuse, as well as law enforcement, which reports they are currently seeing an uptick in local domestic violence incidents. But domestic violence services are not mandated by state law, and if the tax increase is allowed to sunset in 2015, we will be among the first to see major reductions — or possibly a total elimination of funding, currently at $700,000 per year. Statewide, this would mean an estimated 13,000 individuals would not have access to shelter and other sometimes life-saving services. 

We need your help. Please reach out to your state senators and representatives on our behalf. It requires only a short email to your legislators urging them to support the governor's "Recommended Budget," which will keep the tax increase in place.

At Family Shelter Service, our work with individuals affected by domestic violence is not just the fulfillment of our common values of fairness, compassion and empowerment; our work is a fiscally sound investment in the health and welfare of our community — a community where anyone who chooses can live in safety and peace.

Judy Caribeaux, Family Shelter Service Executive Director