Carpenter To Introduce Bill to Assist Unemployed Workers

(MADISON) - Today, State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) announced he is introducing legislation that would exempt the first $10,200 in unemployment insurance benefits from Wisconsin’s state income tax. In announcing his legislation, Carpenter cited the many invariables associated with COVID-19:

“Workers in many sectors of our state’s economy have been hard hit by the effects of COVID-19 through no fault of their own.  There are tens of thousands of Wisconsin workers struggling daily just to make ends meet and in paying their monthly bills.”

“I am introducing a bill and an amendment to the upcoming state budget. I sincerely hope that the Republicans will reconsider their decisions from earlier this session and take up this bill that will exempt the first $10,200 any worker receives in unemployment benefits from the Wisconsin state income tax. This would federalize Wisconsin’s income tax treatment with the measures that are expected to be included in the COVID-19 relief bill to be signed into law later this month.”

“Republican legislators have already voted three times to keep the tax on unemployment benefits for the 2020 tax year. It is too late this year to provide essential income tax relief to struggling unemployed workers, but what we can do is assist them next year.”

“When people are sitting down to do their state income taxes, many are going to get a big shock when they find out they owe a much larger amount in state taxes. It’s been an extremely stressful and uncertain time for those workers who lost their jobs during this pandemic. It’s about time these workers catch a break during COVID.”

“Moving forward, I sincerely hope both Republicans and Democrats can put partisan differences aside. My bill will mirror the imminent federal legislation that provides tax relief to unemployed workers in Wisconsin who are struggling due to no fault of their own.”

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