Republican calls Democrats' proposed tax credit expansion 'political tool' in election year

[February 17, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel

(The Center Square) – Illinois state lawmakers are debating a bill the sponsor says will help more families who struggled during the pandemic. Some question whether the effort is genuine, however.

House Bill 4920 was filed by state Rep. Carrol Ammons, D-Champaign, and would expand the earned income tax credit eligibility, including a new state child tax credit, and increase the amount of credit available to each low-income applicant.

Ammons said many Illinoisans could potentially get tax breaks with this bill.

"This bill would impact 4.8 million hardworking Illinoisans in our districts in every zip code across the state permanently," Ammons said.

Illinois' current EIC applies only to workers making less than $56,000 annually, but HB4920 would expand that to childless workers between 18 and 24 and workers over 65.

Illinois state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana

Greg Bishop | The Center Square

The measure would allow over a million new Illinoisans to be eligible for the EIC, Ammons said.

"It would increase the amount of credit we offer to over 3.6 million current recipients," Ammons said. "It would make 1.2 million Illinoisans newly eligible for the tax relief."

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, questioned the legitimacy of Ammons' bill.

"This is a political tool during an election year that has no intention of moving," Niemerg said. "Yet another example of Democrats acting like they are for tax cuts, but their record shows otherwise".

The bill is currently still with the House Revenue and Finance Committee, but has been put in the Income Tax Subcommittee. It could be heard before the committee again on Thursday.