Fair tax is a women's issue

Planned Parenthood, League of Women Voters, NOW mark women’s vote centennial with call to keep voting

Planned Parenthood Illinois President Jennifer Welch appears with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the signing ceremony for the Reproductive Health Act last year. (One Illinois/Ted Cox)

By Ted Cox

U.S. women earned the right to vote a century ago, and Illinois women’s groups celebrated the anniversary Tuesday with a call for them to keep voting — for the Fair Tax Amendment.

Top leaders from the League of Women Voters Illinois, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, the Illinois National Organization for Women, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, Women’s March Chicago, and Women Employed joined Tuesday — on the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote — in a news teleconference sponsored by the advocacy group Vote Yes for Fair Tax. Touting the support of 1,000 women leaders across the state, they lobbied for the progressive income tax backed by Gov. Pritzker as an issue of keen importance for women.

“Our fight for progress in Illinois is a work in progress,” said Sam Tuttle, executive director of Vote Yes for Fair Tax, “and Illinois women are leading the way once again to pass the Fair Tax Amendment in Illinois this fall.

“This November, Illinois women will lead the way toward a fairer system that works for everyone when we vote yes for a fair tax.”

Jennifer Welch, president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, charged the state has historically “underfunded” programs important to women, especially women’s health, and even more so now in the midst of a pandemic. Citing how Planned Parenthood is the lone health-care provider in some areas of the state, she said, “Passing the Fair Tax Amendment would be a strong step in righting these wrongs.

“These investments are really needed across our state,” she added. “It’s time for fair funding in Illinois, and that’s what the Fair Tax Amendment will do.”

Others pointed out that women hold the majority of low-wage jobs, such as waitressing, and therefore bear a “disproportionate” brunt of income taxes when considered as a percentage of their disposable income under a flat tax rate.

Cherita Ellens, president of Illinois Women Employed, said the group just last week marked Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, meant to indicate that African American women have to work on average seven and a half months extra to earn what a White man makes in a year. She cited that the wealth of a White family is on average 10 times greater than that of the average African American family, seven times greater than the average Hispanic family.

“The Fair Tax Amendment will be an important tool in helping to close the gap,” she said. “The process of progress is not a straight line, but it is an ongoing active fight that hopefully we’re all engaged in, and the Fair Tax Amendment is part of that fight for progress.”

“Our state has had a problem for years,” Welch said, “and we finally have an opportunity for real reform here in Illinois.”

Women’s March Chicago says they did it before in influencing the 2018 midterm elections and they’re going to do it again in passing the Fair Tax Amendment this fall. (One Illinois/Ted Cox)

Jean Pierce, of the Illinois League of Women Voters, said the league has supported a gradated income tax for 50 years. “The fair tax meets two major league criteria,” she said. “The first is equity and progressivity. The fair tax is based on the ability to pay. This is not the case with a flat tax. Currently the lowest wage earners have twice the state and local tax burden of top income earners. A graduated-rate tax will allow the state to apportion the tax burden more fairly. The second criterion is stability and responsiveness.” Removing the state’s constitutional demand for a flat tax — which is really what the Fair Tax Amendment accomplishes — allows legislators to “design revenue structures that fit economic reality,” while addressing income inequality.

The $3 billion to be generated from a graduated income tax — in which only the 3 percent of Illinois taxpayers earning more than $250,000 pay a higher tax rate, as stipulated by the General Assembly last year — would provide funding for the league’s key issues, like education, health care, human services, the environment, and public safety.

“Those at the very top can afford to pay a bit more,” Welch said.

Maria Gonzalez, of Mujeres Latinas en Accion, said that would “greatly benefit Latinas and their households.”

Laura Welch, president of Illinois NOW, said in fact it would benefit women across the board. “It is well known that woman are more likely to have lower incomes, earn disproportionately less than their male counterparts, and are most often the heads of single-parent households,” she said. Issues that benefit those families, such as health care, education, and housing assistance, have been historically underfunded and could use additional revenue. “We strongly believe that the Fair Tax Amendment will help service providers have a better chance at fully funding programs that support women and underserved and unrepresented communities.”

Jaquie Algee, board president and founding member of Women’s March Chicago, cited the impact the group had on the 2018 midterm elections and said a graduated income tax was key to “help the cause of racial justice.”

“This fall, we are getting ready to do it again,” she said. “Women are going to lead the way to pass the Fair Tax Amendment because it is the right thing to do.”