MCC: 6% State Earned Income Tax Credit a 'remarkable improvement'

LANSING (MCC) – With the Governor reportedly scheduled to sign into law today legislation that overhauls the state tax code, Michigan Catholic Conference President and CEO Paul A. Long offered the following comments on the component of the bill that establishes a six percent state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC):

“This is a remarkable improvement from where we were at the outset of this legislative session. While the EITC has been significantly reduced from its current 20 percent level, the fact that the credit has been preserved - in light of limited state resources - is a testament to the Legislature’s appreciation for the working poor of this state.

“Michigan Catholic Conference is especially thankful to State Representative Jud Gilbert, chairman of the House Tax Policy Committee, for his efforts to keep the EITC alive and for working within his caucus and across party lines to garner support. The Conference believes the state EITC would not have been preserved without the dedicated efforts of both Democrats and Republicans alike.

“Moving low-income workers and their children out of poverty through good public policy is a matter of justice. The inclusion of the state EITC indicates with certainty that this policy is a cornerstone for the working poor in the state’s tax code.”

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.