State Senator Harper Backs Measure to Provide Tax Relief for Working Families

CHICAGO, IL – In an effort to provide needed tax relief to middle-class families, Illinois state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, is sponsoring legislation that would double the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“Working families need tax relief. That’s why I’m supporting an extension of the Earned Income Tax Credit, which will increase take home pay and will help uplift the middle class,” said Harper. “The best way to create jobs in Illinois is by first increasing the disposable income of consumers so that they more money to spend on the things they need each day.”

Harper is sponsoring House Bill 2475, which would double the value of the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit over the course of five years, raising the value of the credit by 2 percent every year. Each 2 percent increase would put an estimated $44 million back in working families’ pockets. Additionally, the U.S. Conference of Mayors indicates that every $1 returned to taxpayers through the Earned Income Tax Credit generates between $1.50 and $2 in economic activity, helping local businesses grow.

The measure is a key element of an economic reform agenda recently introduced by House Democrats this year. Harper and her colleagues are pushing for reforms that grow the economy while also strengthening the middle class. Rather than padding the profits of corporations by reducing middle-class wages and slashing the rights of Illinois’ workers, Harper and the House Democrats are working to level the playing field for small and medium-sized employers, raise the minimum wage, invest in education at all levels and outlaw taxpayer-funded incentives for businesses that outsource local jobs.

“We need to make sure that we do everything we can to put working families first,” said Harper. “I will continue to fight for local families and businesses by supporting policies that lift up the middle class and provides them with meaningful tax relief.”