While Illinois Democrats are touting a dollar-a-pack increase in the state cigarette tax to provide necessary funding for a needs-based grant program for college students, Republicans are advocating a new amnesty program for those who owe income and sales taxes.

Give credit to Republicans for offering an alternative to the Democrats’ proposal, rather than just objecting to the tobacco tax plan.

The state clearly needs to address spending, not just revenue. But savings through spending cuts take time, and the Monetary Assistance Program, which helps about 137,000 Illinois college students, doesn’t have time. Money appropriated for MAP grants is insufficient beyond this fall semester.

The tax amnesty program could use some fine tuning – which could be easily accomplished in the “veto” session that begins Wednesday. But it offers a better alternative to the Democrats’ idea of a cigarette tax hike (which we addressed in a Monday editorial). The tax amnesty targets people who already owe the state money.

To read the entire editorial click here.