LANSING – State Rep. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) asked that the Michigan Legislature act quickly to bring tax relief to Michiganders today by requesting that her bill to restore the $600 per-child tax deduction be discharged from the House Tax Policy Committee and brought to the floor of the House for a vote. Brinks’ bill, House Bill 4562, is one of six in the House Democrats’ package of legislation to bring real tax relief to Michigan’s hard-working families and seniors.
“Families around the state that struggle just to put food on the table and pay the heating bill relied on this tax deduction to help make ends meet,” Brinks said. “It’s reprehensible that the deduction was taken away from them in the first place. It’s doubly disappointing that the request to bring my bill restoring the deduction to the House floor for an up-or-down vote was denied.”
House Democrats introduced a number of proposals last year that would undo the heavy tax burden Lansing Republicans levied on Michigan’s middle-class families and seniors. They include measures to eliminate the new retirement tax, restore the Homestead Property Tax Credit, increase the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), require employers to inform workers about the EITC and ban businesses from deducting the expense of moving jobs out of the state.
“Michigan families are reeling from the new tax increases, and it’s time for them to get relief,” Brinks said. “While I’m disappointed that my request to restore the $600 per-child deduction was turned down today, I’m going to keep fighting to restore fairness to our tax code.”