*JLL040* 11/20/2024 7:42:23 AM JLL040 State of Arkansas 1 95th General Assembly 2 Regular Session, 2025 HCR 1002 3 4 By: Representative Ray 5 By: Senator J. Dotson 6 7 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8 TO URGE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PERMANENTLY 9 EXTEND THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT OF 2017. 10 11 12 Subtitle 13 TO URGE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO 14 PERMANENTLY EXTEND THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS 15 ACT OF 2017. 16 17 WHEREAS, prior to government -mandated economic shutdowns during the 18 coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) pandemic, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 19 spurred steady economic expansion and allowed the spirit of entrepreneurship 20 to flourish, while creating new jobs and opportunities for millions of 21 Americans; and 22 23 WHEREAS, the tax cuts of 2017 resulted in a one trillion five hundred 24 billion dollar ($1,500,000,000,000) net tax cut, and were followed by 25 historically low unemployment rates, an increase in business investment, and 26 a six thousand dollar ($6,000) increase in real median household income over 27 two years, including scores of raises and bonuses for workers immediately 28 after the 2017 tax cuts were adopted; and 29 30 WHEREAS, more than one hundred million (100,000,000) American taxpayers 31 from all income groups, but especially middle and working class American 32 taxpayers, have enjoyed real tax relief due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 33 2017; and 34 35 WHEREAS, twenty-three (23) provisions of the 2017 tax cuts directly 36 HCR1002 2 11/20/2024 7:42:23 AM relating to individual income taxes, such as the reductions in personal 1 income tax rates, the near doubling of the standard deduction, and the 2 substantial reduction of the hated Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), will expire 3 after December 31, 2025; and 4 5 WHEREAS, the 2017 tax cuts reduced federal tax rates for households 6 across every income level, and this relief resulted in a tax cut of more than 7 one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for the average middle -income 8 earner; and 9 10 WHEREAS, prior to the 2017 tax cuts, the top corporate income tax rate 11 in the United States was thirty -five percent (35%), the highest among all 12 nations in the Organization for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD); 13 and 14 15 WHEREAS, the 2017 tax cuts reduced the business tax rate from thirty -16 five percent (35%) to twenty -one percent (21%), bringing the United States 17 back to average among OECD member nations, and dramatically enhancing 18 American competitiveness; and 19 20 WHEREAS, the 2017 tax cuts set an annual cap of ten thousand dollars 21 ($10,000) on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, thereby broadening the 22 tax base at the federal level and in many states, which caused state level 23 budget surpluses and resulted in many states offering substantial tax relief; 24 and 25 26 WHEREAS, if the current ten thousand dollars ($10,000) cap on the SALT 27 deduction is allowed to expire after December 31, 2025, the federal tax base 28 will be narrowed; and 29 30 WHEREAS, returning to an unlimited SALT deduction would be an incentive 31 for many states to once again implement higher taxes and spend at higher 32 levels; and 33 34 WHEREAS, a majority of Americans support making the 2017 tax cuts 35 permanent; and 36 HCR1002 3 11/20/2024 7:42:23 AM 1 WHEREAS, allowing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to expire would 2 result in a massive tax increase on hardworking American taxpayers, a 3 significant decline in American competitiveness, fewer jobs, reduced wage 4 income for workers, and higher prices, 5 6 NOW THEREFORE, 7 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN: 9 10 THAT the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas urges the United 11 States Congress to permanently extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 with 12 commensurate spending cuts to avoid increasing the federal debt burden. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36