Despite overall higher income taxes in New York than Connecticut, some families face a higher tax burden in Connecticut.
That math works out because of New York’s child tax credit, something Connecticut Voices for Children proposes the state adopt. The nonprofit’s Research and Policy Director Lauren Ruth and Research and Policy Fellow Patrick O’Brien joined WNHH FM’s “The Municipal Voice” to discuss their support for the tax credit and more.
The Municipal Voice is produced by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.
CT Voices supports the $600 per child tax credit in the revenue package that recently passed the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding.
According to O’Brien, this will bring Connecticut “more in line with the vast majority of states,” rather than treading new ground. Only four states that have a personal income tax on wage income do not have some form of child tax credit – Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Admitting it gets a bit wonky, O’Brien noted that contrary to popular belief, most Connecticut residents are not entirely moving to tax havens like Florida. Most move to similar states with high tax burdens like New York.
They argue that the child tax credit will mitigate some of the outmigration. It also produces “economic output equal to more than $1.00” for every dollar lost through the tax cut, they said.
Connecticut overall has a regressive tax system, placing an undue amount of burden on the middle class to support and fund programs. CT Voices argues the state needs to turn that equation around and make this a progressive tax system.
This isn’t surprising considering that CT Voices counts equity as one of its major platforms.
Ruth voiced support for House Bill 661 and Senate Bill 1024, both of which support the development of affordable housing around the state.
“80% of Connecticut’s low-income, subsidized housing stock is located in only 15 of 169 towns,” Ruth said. “Of the available 473 available units, over 55% of them were located in 12 towns […] and 12 is not a lot to carry the weight.”
As the nonprofit’s name implies, CT Voices focuses on what is best for the children of Connecticut – issues such as the child tax credits and affordable housing, as well as issues like universal child care and criminal justice reform.
That doesn’t mean they only get support from one side of the aisle.
“Because our mission is to make Connecticut thriving and equitable for children, we often work with lawmakers from both of Connecticut’s major political parties,” Ruth said, “Children are overwhelmingly a nonpartisan topic.”
