LANSING — State Reps. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights) and Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) introduced a package of bills today to help make back-to-school shopping more affordable in Michigan. The bills would create a “tax holiday” on the third Saturday in August of each year, eliminating both the sales and use taxes on certain items purchased on that date.
“There are so many things that students these days need to ensure they are taking full advantage of their educational experience,” Shannon said. “Our schools have reached a point of critical underfunding, and as a result are unable to provide their students with the supplies they need to be successful. The cost of success has been shifted over time from the schools, to the teachers, and now to the students. Our legislation would help reduce that cost.”
Some of the items eligible for the tax exemptions would include clothing; school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, binders, calculators and lunchboxes; personal computers and personal computer accessories. The bill does set price limits for individual items that fall into any of the eligible categories.
“Despite a modest salary, teachers are spending an increasing portion of their own money on classroom supplies every year,” Koleszar said. “While we must continue to work toward paying our teachers what they truly deserve, this bill will provide a small step toward much-needed relief for educators who continually put the needs of their students above their own.”
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