AFT on GOP State and Local Tax Deduction Deal

WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on the GOP’s state and local tax deduction deal:

“While it’s dysfunctional that secret deals effecting 44 million taxpayers are negotiated behind closed doors and disclosed in last-minute press conferences—instead of writing a tax bill in a public way, based upon the needs of Americans—preserving the property tax deduction is a step in the right direction. 

“However, this is a political compromise, not a functional one. This ‘deal’ will still hurt local public schools and services while likely also causing unintended consequences by breaking the coherence between state, local and property taxes. 

“Middle-class families, their local schools and other essential services won’t be protected unless Congress also preserves the deduction for state and local taxes. As long as this bill eliminates this vital deduction in favor of tax cuts for the rich and big corporations, those tax cuts will be paid for twice by taxing middle-class families as well as cutting their local public schools and services. 

“This so-called deal is certainly not the last word on this issue, and our members will be working tirelessly to stand up for middle-class families and their local public schools and other essential services throughout the upcoming debate.”