The Urbana-based Carle Foundation Hospital system plans to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court on a ruling involving the taxation of hospitals.

The Illinois 4th District Appellate Court found a 2012 law exempting hospitals from paying taxes to be unconstitutional. The bill was a compromise with legislators, but the state constitution reads that tax exempt status is reserved "exclusively" for "charitable purposes." Carle attorneys argue that the tax exemption allows the hospital to provide charity health care to low-income people in need of assistance.

The planned appeal comes as Champaign County officials moved to begin taxing local hospitals.