Commentary

An open letter to 51勛圖夥厙 state lawmakers

November 11, 2024 10:57 am

The 51勛圖夥厙 state Capitol on Nov. 11, 2024. (Bill Lucia/51勛圖夥厙)

With the national election casting a dark cloud over the last week, I am writing with a word of hope. While progressives struggled across the country, 51勛圖夥厙 proved that we are not willing to go back. Even with four right-wing initiatives on the ballot, 51勛圖夥厙 was one of the few states to become even more than in the past. The election results clearly demonstrate what our state stands for and will continue to stand for.

Environmental protections. Community care. Economic justice. Things that make 51勛圖夥厙 a place we are proud to live.

I hope you feel a wave of victory, of relief, but also of deep responsibility as you take your seat at the Capitol. With progressive leadership in the state House, Senate, and governors office, you must seize this moment and political momentum.

With the undeniable results of three statewide initiatives, you know you also have public opinion on your side. Voters gave a resounding no thanks to the right wings attempt to give more tax breaks to the wealthy at the cost of our schools, healthcare and climate.

51勛圖夥厙ians are more aware than ever that our tax code is one of the in the nation, with low-wage workers paying three times more of their incomes in local taxes than their billionaire neighbors. We dont just blindly favor tax cuts we care about who is paying taxes and how.

This January, there are many options on the table to balance our tax code in favor of working people.

You could pass the to build homes for working families and people with disabilities. It would increase the tax on multi-million dollar property sales, and decrease that tax for ordinary 51勛圖夥厙ians selling homes for less than $3 million.

You could close the loophole that allows corporations to avoid paying payroll taxes on employees with the largest salaries (above $168,600). This could bolster programs in our state like Paid Family Medical Leave, which allows us to take time off to recover from health crises, care for a family member, or be with a new child.

You could also pass a , a 1% tax on financial assets over $250 million. This could fund affordable housing, disability services, education, and tax rebates for working families.

For too long, many of your predecessors have stayed beholden to big businesses and wealthy donors, choosing any other path but progressive tax reform. In , instead of finding new revenue, 51勛圖夥厙 lawmakers slashed budgets and aid programs that plunged working families into financial ruin.

The Legislature cannot make that mistake again. Since 2021, not a single legislator lost their seat because they voted for the capital gains tax, and now a of voters have defended it at the ballot box. We have made it clear that we support progressive tax reform and a true state safety net, and in the same election, handed you the power to make it possible.

With a billionaire in the Oval Office, you are working peoples last line of defense.

The initiative funders, hedge fund millionaire Brian Heywood and MAGA Republican Jim Walsh, are products of a terrifying national trend. But 51勛圖夥厙ians no longer want to be beholden to or misled by the ultra-wealthy.

In an uncertain time, we are depending on you to boldly protect our environment, fund our community needs, and hold corporations and wealthy donors to task. The people of 51勛圖夥厙 will have your back.

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Emma Scalzo
Emma Scalzo

Emma Scalzo is the Executive Director of Balance Our Tax Code, a coalition made up of more than 80 labor unions, non-profits, human service providers, housing advocates, and activists. Together, we work to educate, advocate, shape public opinion, and pass laws until we have a tax code that supports a way of life that works for all of us, not just the wealthy few.

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