Take Action: State Child Tax Credit

ACTION REQUIRED

Ask your state representative and state senator to support a Child Tax Credit in Illinois. Find your legislators’ contact info.

Creating a $300 per child Child Tax Credit (CTC) is an immediate, meaningful way to directly support half of Illinois’ kids.

BACKGROUND

Families are feeling the strain of rising costs, from groceries to rent, and more. If passed, a CTC would offer $300 for each child whose parent earns less than the median income, benefitting 1.4 million kids, which is half of all the children in the state.

A CTC would increase children’s economic and educational outcomes, improve healthcare outcomes, and increase public safety — all critical to reducing strain on State resources.

The CTC’s long-term effects are built on the foundation of immediate returns through increasing local economic activity. Federal data shows up to 80% of the CTC is spent immediately and locally to buy goods and services. Research shows that spending on a CTC results in a 2.5x multiplier for local spending. All told, for our $300 million proposal, that’s $750 million in local stimulus, something main streets need across the state as we face more uncertain economic conditions.

A systematic review of cost benefit analyses conducted on the nation’s CTC programs shows the long-term impact of a CTC on the State’s bottom line: every $1 spent on a refundable credit would save Illinois taxpayers $10 in State costs.

Check out the fact sheet from the Illinois Cost-of-Living Refund Coalition.

LEAGUE POSITION

In 2015, the LWVUS Board voted to interpret the Meeting Basic Human Needs Position to include support for a living wage. After considerable program debate at the 2014 LWVUS convention, the Advocacy Committee took up the issue and agreed to call attention of Leagues to the Meeting Basic Human Needs position to suggest that the position can be used in communities in “working toward an income that meets basic human needs.” Additionally, the Committee agreed that specific issues in relation to a living wage and income levels should be decided by Leagues working in their communities.