Michigan Democrats Call for $1B Tax Cut for Middle Class

» Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts.

Democrats in Lansing on Monday proposed a $1 billion tax cut for the middle class through a combination of measures that include expansion of tax credits and deductions for college students and families.

The plan — announced by House Minority Leader Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills; Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-Meridian Township and Rep. Tom Cochran, D-Mason — also would create new or expand existing tax credits for child- and elder-care service, homeownership, and college loans.

Tell Us:

• Do you think middle class families are over-burdened by tax laws? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Greimel said the proposal would partly reverse “the largest tax shift in Michigan history,” the Detroit Free Press reports.

Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesman for House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, told the Free Press the proposal is a “ridiculous wish list.”

“This isn’t about the middle class; this is about putting on a dog and pony show to get themselves elected, and they’re not even any good at that,” D’Assandro said.

The so-called Blueprint for Michigan Families would establish:

• A new $400 per-child tax credit for each child age 13 and under in a households with income less than $100,000.
• A new dependent care tax credit to help families with working parent(s) offset the cost of child care or caring for an elderly parent.
• An expansion of the Homestead Property Tax Credit to families making up to $100,000, up from the current limit of $50,000.
• A senior deduction that exempts the first $2,300 in income from taxation for residents age 65 and older.
• A College Affordability Tax Credit of up to 50 percent of the amount paid on state and federal higher education loans for any employed Michigan resident.