Rep. Christine Johnson stands firm against food tax increase
From the Deseret Morning News..
A plan to reinstate the full state sales tax on food received the endorsement of a tax advisory board Thursday and is on its way to the Legislature and governor’s office.
The idea to repeal tax cuts levied in the 2006 and 2007 legislative sessions that led to the current food tax rate of 1.75 percent has met with mixed reviews from both legislators, who are facing an $850 million budget shortfall in the coming session, and advocates for low-income Utahns who say an unprecedented number of residents are struggling to make ends meet in the dire economy. Raising the tax is estimated to bring some $145 million in new revenue.
Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake, a commission member, is not among the supporters. She voted against the recommendation, saying the increased tax puts an unfair and unnecessary strain on the state’s disadvantaged.
“I find the whole proposal very disconcerting,” Johnson said. “I feel like it’s imperative that we look at other options, instead of targeting a population that will be unfairly bearing the burden.”
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http://www.utdemocrats.org/news/view/142512/?topic=14355
