Blagojevich, Who Once Pushed Huge Tax Hike, Says He Now Stands Between Legislature and Tax Hike January 26, 2009 Joseph Bishop-Henchman Joseph Bishop-Henchman After mentioning that he considered appointing Oprah Winfrey to the U.S. Senate, embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) had this to say: “The fix is in,” Blagojevich told “GMA.” “They want me out of the way” so the Illinois Legislature can enact a large tax increase, he said. Lest we forget, it was Blagojevich himself in 2007 who pushed the largest state-level tax increase in a decade, a plan that ultimately failed unanimously in the Legislature. Blagojevich wanted the $7 billion increase to be in the form of a gross receipts tax, a hidden and economically damaging form of taxation. Just saying, Blagojevich is hardly an warrior against excessive taxes. Image from stoprod.org Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you. Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Share Tweet Share Email Topics Illinois Tags State Tax and Spending Policy