Georgia Democrats push Constitutional Amendment for progressive tax

A group of Georgia Democrats introduced a resolution in the Georgia House that would fundamentally change taxation in the state.

State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, D-Smyrna, sponsored House Resolution 1504 that would amend the Georgia Constitution to establish a progressive individual income tax system.

“We’ve been having a lot of conversations, as you’re aware, at this session about taxes, but it seems like we’re missing from the conversation what the vast majority of Georgians actually want, which is higher taxes for the wealthy and major corporations,” he said. “If we want to lighten the tax burden on working-class Georgians, then we should be making sure that those at the top pay their fair share.”

Sanchez said this resolution would pave the way for a tax-the-rich act rather than the current flat tax system. 

A progressive tax system would tax wealthier individuals at a higher rate than poorer individuals. The idea is that 10% is a heavier burden on someone who makes $30,000 than on someone who makes millions of dollars, Sanchez said.

“The Republicans are very much focused on cutting taxes for the wealthy. That seems to be their main priority, and so clearly, they don’t have, I think, any appetite for actually giving working Georgians relief,” he said. 

Sanchez said that he recognizes that the resolution will most likely not be passed by the Republican-led House.

“I believe it’s important that even if this bill doesn’t get to the floor, that we have the conversation about an alternative vision for Georgia that actually represents working people in opposition to the Republicans’ fake plan for working people that actually really is just to benefit the wealthy.”

Crossover Day is Friday, and any legislation that doesn’t pass its original chamber will be dead in the water. This means if a bill was introduced in the House, it must pass to the Senate by Friday to still be eligible for passage during the legislative session.

Here are some bills, sponsored by Sanchez, that do not appear to make it past Crossover Day.

• House Bill 1480, or the Georgia Medicare for All Act, would provide free health care to every Georgian.
• House Bill 1479 would extend the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits for sexual abuse from clergymen from four years to 15 years.
• House Bill 1494 would require rideshare companies, such as Uber or Lyft, to have more transparency with their workers.

Sanchez is also working on a piece of legislation with state Rep. Spencer Fry, D-Athens, to get corporate money out of political campaigns. Although the bill will not be introduced before Crossover Day, Sanchez said they will still introduce the bill this legislative session to start the conversation.