News Round-up: February 6, 2017

News Round-up: February 6, 2017

• Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced a plan that would expand the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families raising just one child from 4 percent to 11 percent of the federal credit. Democrats are advocating for the state legislature to expand the credit for all families, no matter how many children they have (Wisconsin State Journal, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Minneapolis Star Tribune).

• How will tax credits for low-wage workers fare through impending tax reform under the 115th Congress and Trump administration? The non-partisan Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity and Tax Credits for Workers and their Families (TCWF) invite you to a February 13 Capitol Hill briefing to discuss research and recent developments about these credits and what lies ahead. Register here.

• Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the Child Tax Credit (CTC) Improvement Act, a bill that would index the CTC with inflation and increase benefits for families raising children under the age of six (WTNH).

• In Missouri, lawmakers are considering SB197, a bill that would create a Missouri EITC worth 20 percent of the federal credit (The Missouri Times).

• The Oklahoma Legislature continued to debate legislation that would restore the state EITC’s refundability, which was stripped away last legislative session (High Plains Public Radio, Oklahoma Democrats).

• Nebraska Patty Pansing Brooks introduced legislation that would double the state’s EITC to 20 percent of the federal credit by 2021 (Unicameral Update, Lincoln Journal-Star).

• In South Carolina, children’s advocacy groups released their 2017 Early Childhood Common Agenda, a list of policy proposals that would improve the lives of low-income families and children. The coalition recommended creating a state EITC to help families make ends meet (Go Upstate).

• The National Conference of State Legislatures compiled tips for state lawmakers who want to spread the word about state and federal tax credits in their districts (National Conference of State Legislatures)

• The IRS is raising awareness of tax credits like the EITC in rural communities, where taxpayers are less likely to collect the credits they have earned (Hot Springs Star).