Local legislators have different views about Gov. James Thompson’s strategy for asking Illinois citizens to support a tax increase for human services, such as higher education, instead of directly proposing one.

“If we do increase the state income tax, there is no guarantee from him (Thomspon) how he will spend it,” Sen. Patrick Welch, D_Peru, said. He said he was unsure whether Thompson’s stategy would work because it is an election year. “He left himself open to a lot of criticism,” he said.

Welch said Thompson is allocating zero funding for education for next year.

Rep. John Countryman, R_DeKalb, said, “It is a much better strategy on the governor’s part because he is letting people make the case.” He said more people are communicating and coming out to Springfield to persuade legislators to approve a tax increase.

Countryman said some of his constituents were opposed to Thompson’s direct proposal for a tax increase last year because when Thompson was elected he said he would not raise taxes. However, he said the “difference between strategies remains to be seen.”

Countryman said the House of Representatives has not discussed the tax increase issue because Speaker of the House Michael Madigan is not willing to do so yet. “We don’t know what will happen, what his (Madigan’s) agenda is,” he said.

Countryman said he has not taken a position on a tax increase yet. “There aren’t any guarantees. That is the difficult thing for me. I think these are the reasons why somebody like me has to be careful,” he said.

Students, faculty and staff members from throughout Illinois rallied and lobbied legislators in Springfield Wednesday in support of a tax increase.

Countryman said although he does not demean rallies in any way, he does not think they have a major impact on the legislators.

Brian Hopkins, Sangamon State University student regent, said few legislators objected to being called out of session to speak to lobbyists about their concerns. He said although some legislators told students they would not support a tax increase, a “majority” said they would consider it.