Full Legislature - Child Tax Credit
Urge the Tax Committees to make families the prime beneficiaries of the tax bill
Special interests are staking claim to the economic relief that is owed to families. It is urgent that you encourage your legislators to fully fund a new Minnesota Child Tax Credit.
Legislative leaders and Gov. Walz have reached a budget agreement about how to spend the state's historic budget surplus. The Minnesota House and Senate Tax Committees are preparing to decide how three billion dollars of economic relief will be allocated. Legislative leaders must seize this opportunity to craft a state budget that leads the nation in the number of families that benefit from the state’s fiscal abundance.
Economic relief is much needed. Last year, Minnesota families endured what was effectively a surprise $5200 bill due to inflation. And the pain has not subsided. The most recent Consumer Price Index reveals that the year-over-year cost of energy in our area is up by seven percent, and food prices are up by over twelve percent. Overall, consumer prices are up by over five percent over the past 12 months.
In his encyclical letter Centesimus Annus, Pope Saint John Paul II reminds us, “The family too can be called a community of work and solidarity. It can happen, however, that when a family does decide to live up fully to its vocation, it finds itself without the necessary support from the State and without sufficient resources. It is urgent therefore to promote...policies which assist the family by providing adequate resources and efficient means of support.” Unfortunately, too many families are finding themselves in a precarious financial position.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference believes the time has come to put families first!
Families are the most important contributors to society. The family plays a unique role as the first economic unit, the first classroom, and the first community that each of us experiences.
Families need to be supported in their role, not have their responsibilities subsumed by government programs. Parents raising children pay a disproportionate share of taxes relative to their cost of living, and especially relative to their benefit to society. It is in every Minnesotan’s best interest for the state to pursue an agenda that directly benefits the working-class families who are covering the costs of raising the next generation.
Fully refundable child tax credits have proven themselves as effective mechanisms to bolster family wellbeing. A similar federal child tax credit (now expired) raised thousands of children out of poverty and provided policymakers with an excellent case study. Far from being a handout, this form of tax relief simply lowers the overall cost of government for a group of people who are making an essential contribution to our state.
A new fully refundable state child tax credit would empower both mothers and fathers to choose the best childcare arrangement for their families, whether they want to return to work, work part-time, or stay at home full-time. Income thresholds should be set high enough to cover children of first responders, children of teachers, children of nurses, and children of tradespeople.
But family finance is not the only concern. Minnesota’s economic system is based on population growth. Yet, the state demographer has forecast "almost no growth" in our population in the years to come. Minnesota needs more families. If we don’t get them, the state will eventually have more people who are receiving government services than paying for them. The best way to recruit new families is to send a bold policy message that their contribution is seen, valued, and supported. A nation-leading child tax credit would send this message. It would send a clear signal to aspiring parents that they will be supported when they bring children into the world.
Legislators must seize this opportunity to craft a state budget that leads the nation in the number households and children that benefit from the state’s fiscal abundance. Although it is certainly the case that promoting greater economic security is not a lone silver bullet to cure what ails the family or society, it is certainly an important start. Healthy families lead to healthier children who develop into more responsible adults. A new nation-leading Minnesota Child Tax credit is the type of budget policy that will make Minnesota the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise families.
Act Now:
If you have...
One Minute: Send a message to legislators asking them to put families first by allocating at least 650 million dollars per year towards a new Minnesota Child Tax Credit. We must provide the lion’s share of economic relief to those who need it most––parents raising minor children.
Three Minutes: After sending your elected official a quick email, take another minute to call his or her office. A suggested script and talking points will show up on your device. Legislators do not often get calls from their constituents, so a follow-up call will greatly increase your impact and further build your relationship.
More Time: Please visit our Families First Project website where you can find more details about the Child Tax Credit as well as other policies that would make families it easier for Minnesotans to get married, stay married, have children, and raise their children in economically stable households. https://www.familiesfirstproject.com/