Apparently I missed some tension while having dinner at the Crystal Lake Country Club.

I admit to raising the body temperatures of some club members by asking if they were ready to pay a 6.25% state sales tax on their membership fees.

I didn’t get to watch the Illinois House defeat Governor Pat Quinn’s 50% income tax increase.

Now the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting,

Reporter Dave McKinney and Jordan Wilson wrote that the bill failed 42-74.

Republicans voted against the bill. 25 Democrats did, too.

The article does not point out that the state income tax would have risen 50% under the legislation.

If a 50% income tax increase can’t pass, it is unlikely Senate President John Cullerton’s and Senator James Meeks’ 67% income tax hike probably won’t pass either. The article says only 35 indicated support for the larger tax hike.

Is the next move “pass my budget or else,” Governor Quinn’s so-called “Doomsday Budget“?

It seems to me that House Democrats have decided to try to force Republicans to vote for whatever tax increase they eventually want to pass.

But, since the Dems have a veto-proof majority in both houses, every Republican who votes for such a tax hike will let a Democrat off the hook come election time. I hope there are any such weak sisters.