“The most sensitive nerve in the body is the pocketbook nerve." – President Harry S. Truman
MONEE – William "Billy" Morgan, Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 79th Representative District of Illinois, today proposed a refundable state-level child tax credit for Illinois families.
“It’s time for Illinois to take up the slack,” said Morgan. "Twelve states across the United States provide a state-level child tax credit to their residents, and it’s time that the people of Illinois are provided much-needed relief from the skyrocketing costs of raising a family.”
An expanded federal child tax credit, a temporary provision of the American Rescue Plan Act, expired at the end of 2021 after reducing child poverty by roughly 30%. Child poverty sharply rose following the sunset of the program.
In 2019, a state-level child tax credit was passed by the Illinois General Assembly, but it did not become law as a result of the failure of the 2020 Fair Tax amendment. Twelve other states have a child tax credit: California, Colorado, Idaho, Oklahoma, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Utah, and Vermont.
The Illinois Child Tax Credit would be fully refundable and apply to all children under the age of 18. Like the earlier proposal which passed the General Assembly, it would reduce the taxable income by $5 for each $2,000 that the net income exceeds $60,000 in the case of a joint return or exceeds $40,000 in the case of any other form of return. The maximum Child Tax Credit would be $1,500 per child.
Illinois currently offers an Earned Income Tax Credit at 18% of the federal EITC. The Earned Income Tax Credit, and others like it, have proven to be successful at reducing poverty, promoting work, and increasing a child’s educational attainment.