Taxes are an ever-present force in Americans’ lives, and the debate about how high they should be rages on in Illinois government.

Illinois politicians are debating whether to let the Temporary Tax Increase of 2011 expire in January 2015.

The Temporary Tax Increase of 2011 raised the individual income tax rate from 3 percent to 5 percent.

According to the Operating Budget Book for 2015, the fiscal year 2014 projected gross Individual Income Tax receipts are expected to bring in more than the original estimate of $17.7 billion.

“The revenue in excess of forecast was primarily driven by capital gains on asset sales, dividends and interest income,” according to the budget book.

Bruce Rauner, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, said the bill needs to end during a campaign stop at the Hunter building in Carbondale on Sept. 30.

“In the next year we need to go back down [from 5 percent] to 3.75 percent, that’s the law. Then we need to roll it all the way back to 3 percent,” he said.

Rauner said he would like to increase sales taxes to make up for the shortfall in revenue from the income tax cut.

“Right now, we only tax products, and we could be taxing some services,” he said.

Rauner said other states with more balanced budgets have a broader sales tax.

Maintaining the state’s current income tax rate is one of the ways Gov. Pat Quinn would like to rebound Illinois’ finances, a March press release from the Illinois Government News Network said.

“Illinois is in a stronger financial position now than we were five years ago and now is the time to end the era of fiscal cliffs and secure Illinois’ long-term financial future,” Quinn said.

Any change in tax rates will affect the university’s operating budget, said Adrian Miller, the student trustee for the SIU Board of Trustees.

“Students need to realize how much our university does receive from the state of Illinois,” Miller said.

He said the decision concerning taxes could be potentially damaging.

“State institutions have made a lot of cuts, and the number of people who are employed by the SIU system is astronomical,” Miller said. “I think the impact this would have on the region would be detrimental.”

Most SIU students receive aid from M.A.P. and Pell Grant programs and making sure they are in place and well funded is a goal of the SIU Board of Trustees.

The debate will continue until the new governor and state representatives are sworn in after the elections. It is the Illinois General Assembly’s duty to prepare a budget proposal that will then be approved by the governor. The elections are on Nov. 4.

Miller said students need to be sure they are represented not only as students, but also as citizens of their district.

“It is so important for students to vote in the district that SIU is in,” he said. “We should have a strong voice in what is done. Making sure we are represented as an institution but as a student body also.”

The Student Center will host voting this year for the first time. If students are not registered to vote by the Oct. 7 deadline, the can register online at https://ova.elections.il.gov.