Tax Justice Digest: Income Tax in Alaska — Koch Brothers in Tennessee– and More

In the Tax Justice Digest we recap the latest reports, blog posts, and analyses from Citizens for Tax Justice and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Alaska’s Historic Income Tax Proposal
In an attempt to help solve Alaska’s $4 billion budget shortfall Gov. Bill Walker introduced his New Sustainable Alaska Plan, which proposes a personal income tax in the state for the first time in 35 years. ITEP analyzes the new income tax in this new report.

Koch Brothers Kudzu Spreading in Tennessee
Tennessee has one of the most unfair tax systems in the nation. Now, thanks to a Koch Brothers-backed lobbying effort, the state is about to pass legislation that will require the rich to pay even less. Read more.

Missouri Voters Reject Billionaire’s Campaign to Squash Local Taxes
Rex Sinquefield, a Missouri billionaire, is on a relentless quest to squash local and state taxes in Missouri, spending millions of his own money this year on a campaign to persuade St. Louis and Kansas City residents to vote to end their cities’ earning taxes. Missouri voters rejected his agenda. For more on this tax justice win read ITEP Senior Analyst Dylan Grundman’s post.

Mississippi Tax Cut Madness
Despite a plea from one of the state’s largest newspapers to “Stop the Madness,” Mississippi lawmakers this week passed costly tax cuts that will phase in over the next 12 years. Read the details here.

And That’s a Wrap! Maryland Legislative Session Ends
This legislative session, Maryland lawmakers grappled with reducing income tax rates and also expanding the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers. These tax cuts, that at one time seemed inevitable, never came to fruition. Read ITEP Senior Analyst Dylan Grundman’s take on Maryland’s session.

ICYMI: ITEP Senior Analyst Lisa Christensen Gee wrote an op-ed for USA Today called Undocumented immigrants pay up on Tax Day. Lisa writes, “It may come as a surprise to some that just like almost everyone else, undocumented immigrants pay taxes. They pay property taxes and sales taxes, and many also pay taxes on their incomes. In fact, on average, they pay a higher share of their incomes in state and local taxes than taxpayers in the top 1%.”

If you have any feedback on the Digest, please email me here: kelly@itep.org

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