In case you missed it, last week the Republicans passed a tax reform bill that is a key component Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s budget plan that cuts business taxes by over 85% and does so on the backs of retired folks, kids and the working poor. The bill now heads to the Governor for his signature.
Gov. Rick Snyder’s massive tax reform package has passed in the Legislature, giving him a key victory in his first state budget.“Today is marking the death of the Michigan business tax,” Snyder said. “It’s about more and better jobs and an opportunity to keep young people in Michigan.”
The bill passed 20-19 in the Senate, with Lt. Gov. Brian Calley casting the tie-breaking vote. The House then concurred with changes made in the Senate and passed the package 56-52. They now head to Snyder’s desk for his eventual signature.
The votes wrap up the part of the 2011-12 fiscal year budget that deals with revenue. Department spending budgets still need to be finalized for the budget year that begins Oct. 1.
The tax reform bill decided by Calley eliminates the Michigan Business Tax and replaces it with a flat 6 percent corporate tax to be paid only by companies with shareholders, resulting in a nearly $2 billion tax break for Michigan businesses. The bill assesses a new tax on pensions and eliminates most individual tax credits, including the child exemption. The earned income tax credit for the working poor will be cut by more than half.
Several events in Michigan this week worth noting:
MichiganForward is holding meetings and press conferences today (Monday, May 16th) across Michigan in Detroit, Benton Harbor and Traverse City. This is the group that is leading the repeal of the Emergency Financial Manager law. For more information, go to www.MichiganForward.org.
FireRickSynder, the group leading the charge on the recall of Governor Rick Snyder is holding a rally at the State Capital in Lansing this Saturday, May 21st from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. to kick off the recall of Governor Rick Snyder with a petition drive. Note that there will be no online petitions and signature collection does not begin until May 21st. There are, apparently, some scam websites set up to try to sabotage the effort. The group needs to collect over 800,000 valid signatures in just 90 days so they will need all the help they can get. However, organizers tell me they have upwards of 18,000 people signed up to volunteer so, doing they math, that’s only 56 signatures per person. Doable? You bet!
Head over to www.firericksnyder.org for more information.
The Michigan Education Association (MEA) will hold a meeting and rally the State Capital in Lansing on Saturday, May 21st. For more information, got to the website HERE. Their meeting & rally are from 1:00-3:30 after which they will join the FireRickSnyder folks collecting signatures.
SAVE THE DATE: The next rally in Benton Harbor, organized by Heartland Revolution will be Saturday, June 18th. Stay up-to-date at the Heartland Revolution website.
Got Michigan-related protest/rally/recall/repeal news or events? Send them to eclectablog at gmail.
