Statement from State Rep. Jim Townsend on his tax equality plan:

“It’s time for a real discussion about tax equality.  

“Yet again, House Republicans want to increase taxes on low- and middle-income families by $118 million a year, a stark contrast to my plan to cut taxes for 95 percent of Michiganders by $830 million a year. Low- and middle-income families are fed up after watching their wages decline by over 24 percent since 1999 and taxes on individuals increase by over $2 billion a year since 2012.

“Michiganders are frustrated because our complicated state and local tax code asks nearly twice as much of low- and middle-income families as it does the top 1 percent, who have experienced nearly all of the income growth in our state. It’s time for a real discussion about tax equality, my plan cuts taxes for 95 percent of Michiganders and requires billionaires to contribute the same percent of their income as everyone else.”