News Round Up: February 4, 2019
Here are some highlights from the past week’s news and upcoming events on family tax credit issues:
Top Story: This Thursday, join TCWF and Prosperity Now on Capitol Hill to discuss what’s ahead for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 2019 – from the challenges posed by the government shutdown and IRS budget cuts, to opportunities for Congress to expand the credit for workers without dependent children. The briefing will feature keynote speakers Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). Register here.
- U.S. Representative Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) introduced the “Territorial Economic Growth and Recovery Act of 2019,” which would require the federal government to reimburse U.S. territories for amounts paid to low-income workers through the EITC and Child Tax Credit (CTC). (Congress.Gov)
- Georgia State Senator Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) introduced legislation to enact a refundable state EITC worth 10 percent of the federal credit. (Georgia General Assembly)
- Colorado State Representative Jonathan Singer (D-Longmont) introduced legislation to reactivate the state’s CTC by repealing a provision that ties the availability of the credit to the enactment of a federal “Marketplace Fairness Act.” (Colorado General Assembly)
- New York State Assembly Member Robin Schimminger (D-Kenmore) introduced legislation to increase the state’s EITC from 30 to 32.5 percent of the federal credit in 2019, and 35 percent of the federal credit in 2020. (New York State Assembly)
- Minnesota State Senator John Marty (DFL-Roseville) introduced legislation to increase the value of the state’s EITC to 75 percent of the federal credit and remove existing variations in the size of the credit that are dependent on the number of qualifying children in an eligible family. (Minnesota Legislature)
- Rhode Island State Representative Scott Slater (D-Providence) introduced legislation to increase the state’s EITC from 15 to 20 percent of the federal credit. State Senator Walter S. Felag (D-Warren) introduced similar legislation to increase the credit from 15 to 18 percent of the federal credit. (Rhode Island House Bill 5245; Senate Bill 129)
- We blogged about a new report from Prosperity Now that finds financial uncertainty continues to plague millions of Americans – especially households of color – and recommends improving state-level EITCs as part of a broader policy agenda for advancing racial equity and improving economic security. (TCWF)