State Rundown 4/1: Foolish Games

Thanks for reading the State Rundown! Here’s a sneak peek:  New York lawmakers reach agreement on a $4 billion per year income tax cut. Connecticut lawmakers want to repeal their estate tax despite a major budget deficit. Oklahoma lawmakers are dragging their feet on tax increase proposals to close the state’s billion-dollar shortfall. Missouri’s Senate passes a gas tax increase for the first time in decades but the state House and voters will have the final say.

— Carl Davis, ITEP Research Director

Last night, New York’s legislative leaders agreed to a plan to cut personal income taxes by $4 billion per year. The plan, which is being described as geared toward taxpayers earning between $40,000 and $300,000 per year, will be phased-in between 2018 and 2025. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the plan “is not being paid for” since its delayed start date pushes its cost outside of the current budget window. A previous proposal championed by Democratic members of the Assembly would have combined $450 million in tax cuts for middle and working-class families with a tax increase on millionaires. Additionally, a group of 40 New York millionaires recently petitioned the state government to raise their taxes, saying they were “deeply concerned that too many New Yorkers are struggling economically, and the state’s ailing infrastructure is in desperate need of attention.”

Despite a looming budget deficit, some Connecticut lawmakers are pushing for repeal of the state’s estate and gift taxes. If the taxes are repealed, the result would be a major giveaway to the state’s wealthiest families at a time when the legislature’s non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis projects a $2 billion revenue shortfall over the next biennium. Proponents of repeal argue that the tax encourages well-heeled Nutmeggers to flee to more welcoming climes, but research shows that tax flight is largely a myth. Opponents of repealing the estate tax argue that the state’s tax system has favored the wealthy for decades, and that the hundreds of millions in revenue the tax generates annually are a lifeline for crucial public services. The estate tax is expected to bring in $217 million in FY 2017, and applies only to estates worth more that $2 million.

Legislators in Oklahoma are squeamish about tax increases during an election year, despite the state’s budget woes and the advocacy of Gov. Mary Fallin. Many legislators are dragging their feet on considering the governor’s proposed tax increases or bond issues until they know if they’ll face opposition. Fallin has made a number of suggestions to close the $1.3 billion budget gap, including an increase in the per-pack cigarette tax and expanding the sales tax base to include some currently-exempt services. Without new revenue, state agencies could face cuts of 15 percent or more next fiscal year. Some lawmakers argue that increasing regressive sales and cigarette taxes makes no sense when the legislature recently cut taxes on income and oil and gas production by billions of dollars.

The Missouri Senate approved an increase in the state’s gasoline excise tax for the first time in almost 20 years. The current rate of 17-cents-per-gallon is among the lowest in the country. The Senate would increase the tax by 6 cents to 23-cents-per-gallon, and the new revenue would pay for road and bridge projects. The plan would also require voters to approve the measure at the ballot box. The tax increase now moves to the Missouri House, where it is expected to face opposition.

If you like what you are seeing in the Rundown (or even if you don’t) please send any feedback or tips for future posts to Sebastian Johnson at sdpjohnson@itep.org. Click here to sign up to receive the Rundown via email.