This session so far has been the least productive legislative session for the House in decades. After our legislative sessions this week, we have passed a total of 10 bills in the House, far fewer than other sessions by this point.
On Monday during our House session, we voted on a motion to exempt forgiven PPP loan income from state taxes. Unfortunately, in a party-line vote Democrats refused to bring the bill up for debate. I have heard from many local businesses concerned about the massive unanticipated tax bill this will cause them, and I will continue to fight for certainty and relief for our local businesses.
During Thursday’s House floor session, we voted on a motion to advance a bill to join the federal government in exempting the first $10,200 of unemployment payments from taxes. Unfortunately, House Democrats voted against the motion and it did not pass.
We also voted to bring up a bill that would provide for summer school expenses as our students and teachers combat the learning loss from the last year of virtual learning. The summer school bill would increase school choice, provide funding for student mental health, and ensure students are back in schools so they can hopefully catch up on much of the learning that was lost over the last year. This motion was also blocked by the Democrats.
This week the Governor released a revised budget proposal in light of our new projected $1.6 billion surplus. In this new budget, he has kept many of his proposed tax hikes, aiming to raise taxes by $670 million. While this is a smaller number than his over $1 billion in proposed tax hikes from before, it is still unconscionable to raise taxes when many families and businesses are still struggling, especially since the state has enough money to fund its budget responsibly.
PLEASE CONTACT ME
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time during this session to share your thoughts, concerns, or ideas. I am here to serve you!
Deb Kiel
