LANSING — Yesterday, the House passed a package of bills in response to the passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act late last year. Without these bills, Michigan taxpayers would lose their ability to file personal and dependent exemptions beginning in the next tax year. In response, state Rep. Ronnie Peterson (D-Ypsilanti) issued the following statement:
“I was happy to vote in favor of these bills yesterday to make up for the negative consequences of the sweeping tax reform plan rushed through Congress at the end of last year. The plan would have penalized working families in Michigan by eliminating their ability to claim personal and dependent tax exemptions next year. Were it not for our vote yesterday, this could have cost our hardworking men and women an estimated $1.5 billion in additional income tax every year. My colleagues from both sides of the aisle agreed that we couldn’t allow that to happen. For years, Democrats have been calling for an increase to our personal tax exemptions. I am disappointed it took a bad federal tax bill to make this happen, but at least our working families will now keep more of their hard-earned money.”
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