On Monday, September 24th, the Michigan House, on a party-line vote, passed a package of legislation to raise taxes on Michigan's job providers by nearly $1 billion. These anti-taxpayer and anti-business bills are: House Bills 4882, 5096, 5097, 5252, 5253, 5254, 5255, 5256.

"The Michigan Chamber is strongly opposed to this legislation. We urge Senate lawmakers to reject these extreme proposals because they would undermine efforts to retain and attract employers to Michigan," said Rich Studley, Executive Vice President of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

Here are four examples of how the plan advocated by House Speaker Andy Dillon and House Democrats would damage Michigan's quality of life and our state's economic competitiveness. These bills would:

  -- Hinder efforts to protect the environment by increasing taxes on
     personal property purchased or installed as part of air and water
     pollution control facilities.
  -- Damage Michigan's business climate by unfairly reversing two recent
     Michigan Supreme Court decisions in favor of taxpayers - sending an
     extremely negative message to all job-providers.
  -- Harm consumers by raising taxes on communications and telephone
     service.
  -- Reduce investment by eliminating accelerated depreciation on equipment.

"We urge pro-business Senators on both sides of the aisle to speak out against these job killers," Studley concluded.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business advocacy organization representing over 7,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce.

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SOURCE: Michigan Chamber of Commerce

CONTACT: Betty McNerney of Michigan Chamber of Commerce,
+1-517-371-7663

Web site: http://www.michamber.com/