Money is tight right now for families in Northeast Michigan. Rising gas, grocery, and electric costs are piling up bills on kitchen tables, leaving families facing growing financial hardships.

Yet, in the face of this crippling economic strain, Democrats are planning to kneecap everyday people with an income tax hike. Passing the bill for expensive and unnecessary new liberal programming onto residents.

Democrats are corrupting a 2015 Republican law that triggered an automatic income tax cut when the state surplus grew quickly. From the outset, the architects of that legislation — former Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican legislators — were unequivocal: The income tax cut would be permanent.

That aligns with the views of nonpartisan experts at the state House Fiscal Agency.

In March, state Treasurer Rachael Eubanks announced the income tax rate would fall from 4.25% to 4.05%.

However, just after that, Attorney General Dana Nessel published a formal opinion declaring that the automatic income tax hike would only stay in effect for one year, completely ignoring the intent of the 2015 bill.

Nessel openly criticizes tax cuts and instead advocates for increasing taxes. Governor Whitmer supports that plan and has instructed the treasury department to implement it. Their strategy involves concealing the tax hike by raising withholding guidelines for businesses. Democrats are trying to hide income tax savings this year so they can snatch it away from us next year.

This departure from the law’s original intent is a deliberate Democrat effort to negate legislation simply because it does not align with their political agenda.

This strategy not only contradicts the wishes of Michigan voters but also reveals a concerning willingness to play politics with the economic well-being of our citizens.

The crux of the issue lies in the stark disparity between the governor’s unlimited spending spree and the financial challenges faced by residents.

While our constituents make tough budget decisions and tighten their belts, Democrats fight against permanent financial relief.

In collaboration with my fellow House Republicans, we have steadfastly fought to preserve the tax cut, countering numerous Democratic efforts to obstruct relief for Michiganders. Democrats even tried to remove the tax cut for this year.

Despite their efforts, Republicans were able to protect the reduction for 2023. Now, the governor is trying to remove the tax cut for all future years. The House Fiscal Agency, in their nonpartisan analysis, aligns with our stance, emphasizing that an income tax cut should be a permanent feature of Michigan’s fiscal policy.

Michigan residents deserve more than political maneuvering and temporary solutions. They deserve a fiscal policy that prioritizes their needs over partisan posturing.

As we navigate these financial uncertainties, I’m committed to providing lasting relief for Michigan families and securing a brighter economic future for our district and state.

###