Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to reach some agreement on the state's budget deficit. With the state facing massive social service cuts, Gov. Pat Quinn has already vetoed what he considered an underfunded social service appropriations bill and an overfunded operating budget. An override of the latter is possible, as Sen. James Meeks noted in the SouthtownStar today. But even if that portion of the budget is ultimately approved, deep cuts would still be required unless the General Assembly agreed on a new source of revenue (i.e. an income tax increase).

Of course, the Meeks tax plan (HB 174) that passed the Senate in late May is still sitting on the table. And Citizen Action/Illinois is using the airwaves to remind certain legislators of that fact. Beginning today, the group is running television ads on cable stations in 21 Illinois House districts asking "key representatives" to support HB 174, calling it "a responsible solution to addressing the long-term structural deficit in Illinois while providing relief from regressive taxation." Watch it (this version targets Rep. Donald Moffitt):

Below is the full list of targeted lawmakers:

Daniel Beiser (D-Alton)
Mike Bost (R-Carbondale)
John Bradley (D-Marion)
Rich Brauer (R-Springfield)
John Cavaletto (R-Salem)
Lisa Dugan (D-Kankakee)
Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville)
Robert Flider (D-Decatur)
Careen Gordon (D-Coal City)
Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville)
Thomas Holbrook  (D-Belleville)
Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth)
Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls)
Donald Moffitt (R-Galesburg)
Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg)
Raymond Poe (R-Springfield)
Robert Pritchard (R-Sycamore)
Dan Reitz (D-Sparta)
Chapin Rose (R-Charleston)
Jil Tracy (R-Quincy)
Jim Watson (R-Jacksonville)