Illionois fights for higher taxes to help schools

Funding for education is far from adequate. Forced by shrinking funds to cut music, the arts and physical education out of school curricula, the U.S. educational system is sub-par compared to others around the world. Schools look for the cheapest, and sometimes less healthy lunch options simply because fresh fruits and vegetables cost too much. Teachers pay for school supplies out of their pockets, and parents are sent a long list at the beginning of each year for additional paper towels, pencils, crayons and other needed items that must be submitted before school begins. The days of the happy-go-lucky school system have changed.

For the majority of us growing up we showed up with our new backpack and her pencil case and went right to work. Now however the cost of simply supplying an education to our children is excessive and schools need every penny they can get to make the educational system work for them. In the Illinois state school system, $.98 of every package of cigarettes sold in the state goes toward educational funding. In 2010, over $560 million was given to the Illinois state school system. Other states have similar programs such as Indiana where the tax is 99.5 cents per pack, and the benefits to the school system are fantastic.

However the state of Illinois recently saw the failure of a new bill in the House which would have raised the cigarette tax by one dollar per pack in addition to the current $.98 tax. Lawmakers feared that adding an additional dollar would force Illinois residents across state lines to get their cigarettes at a cheaper price. For those in the state of New York, those in and around Chicago area can expect a pack of cigarettes to climb to around $10 per pack once the average tax of $4.67 is added on.

With surrounding states that rank among the lowest in the country in tobacco taxing, it may be very tempting for Illinois residents to cross those lines to save a few bucks. Lawmakers were hoping to add the tax to help a sagging budget, and further support the school system. But there are no guarantees that it will even work--especially if it sends everyone running for the state line.