Friend,

As we near the end of a whirlwind state legislative season, we’re grateful for the generous support that lets our phenomenal state policy team fight for tax justice from coast to coast, whether it’s fending off bad proposals or advancing good ones. 
Our favorite win was in Washington state, where a capital gains tax that was first introduced in 2012, passed by the legislature in 2021, and survived a recall attempt in 2022, was found to be constitutional in 2023 by the state Supreme Court – which cited our work in their opinion! Patience is a virtue, and capital gains exceeding $250,000 will now be taxed in Washington to support public schools and childcare. We were proud to back up our stellar state partners every step of the way.
Our favorite conversational reset was in Minnesota where the House and Senate both passed a pioneering reform to prevent offshore tax avoidance. Of course, the corporations and tax planners who exploit these loopholes lobbied shamelessly, got the The Wall Street Journal to editorialize against it, and got it removed in conference committee. Still, this is the closest any state has come to this change in decades and gives this excellent policy reform new legs. With your support, we’ll keep this on the front burner for state leaders who want to fight corporate power through the tax code.
 
And our favorite defensive victory was in Kansas where the legislature passed regressive tax cuts that would permanently knee-cap revenue needed for schools, health care, and communities. The governor vetoed the tax cuts, and the legislature tried (twice!) – and failed (by one vote!) - to override the veto, with partners and the media citing our data through months of debate. Who doesn’t love a one-vote win?
We've done intensive tracking in every state this year and provided modeling support or strategic guidance in 45 states. We were thrilled to help 16 (and counting!) states improve tax credits for low-income working families or families with children. These targeted credits will raise incomes, help kids, and reduce poverty in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington.
 
Although there are never enough revenue wins, we were happy to help advocates advance policies to raise more from wealthy people and corporations to pay for the many things states provide. In Minnesota, for example, partners on the ground got lawmakers, after rejecting taxing multinational corporate income earned in tax havens, to pass a different, also excellent, corporate tax change and to pass some smaller positive changes.
 
And we were proud to help allies fight off regressive tax cuts that reward the richest in the states. Our state team supported researchers, policymakers, and journalists in more than 30 states by showing how proposed tax cuts would make their tax codes less equitable and drain resources from schools and communities.
 
 
This year’s state fights aren’t over. We’re still backing up partners in states where lawmakers aren’t done debating tax changes. And we’re setting the stage for exciting wins next year. Through it all, one thing is clear: anti-tax lawmakers and lobbyists are hell-bent on making state tax codes less adequate, less fair and less sustainable. Our data and guidance are essential in the pushback against this “cut now, reckon later” mentality.
 
Our shared push for tax justice is also never over. Your help today builds the movement for progressive, sustainable, and equitable tax codes. With you on our side, we’ll get ‘em next year.  
Sincerely,
Amy and the ITEP team
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Informing tax policy debate nationwide | itep.org