When I skimmed Family PAC’s email announcing the defeat of the Democratic Party-backed constitutional amendment to allow a progressive income tax in Illinois, I saw the number 35 and thought, “That was close.”

It takes 36 votes, a two-thirds majority, to pass a constitutional amendment in Illinois.

But when I found the roll call, I saw that the measure got 35 “No” votes.

That meant almost half of the senators in the Democratic Party bailed out.

Perhaps the phone calls that Paul Caprio’s group made to Downstate Democrats helped win the day. His press release follows:

SPRINGFIELD – 4:28PM – APRIL 29
GRADUATED INCOME TAX AMENDMENT DEFEATED IN ILLINOIS SENATE

Downstate Democrats joined with Republicans today in decisively defeating an attempt to put a graduated income tax proposal on the Illinois ballot this
November. The vote of 35 no/19 yes and 1 present was so decisive that the proposal is now dead for this session.

The taxpayers of Illinois have been saved from hundreds and millions of dollars of excessive taxes and the business climate in Illinois has been saved from further erosion.

Family-Pac made more than 23,000 live transfer calls in six target Senate districts that resulted in more than 766 constituent calls to legislators in these districts during the past week. In addition to that, we made more than 81,000 calls across the state where voters were asked to call their state senator.

April 29, 2008 – A good day… for Illinois taxpayers.

Paul Caprio

Maybe Senate Democrats have been following the travails of their favorite presidential candidate and concluded that his coattails, even in Illinois, may not be as long as they thought.