Gubernatorial campaign websites: on Tax Reform


Ashley Kalus: Will fight for Rhode Islanders by lowering their tax burden

My life has been dedicated to education and community service, and I will bring that same passion to Rhode Island. I will fight to ensure that parents can send their children to the best schools possible, I will fight to keep more money in Rhode Islander's pockets by lowering their tax burden, I will fight for pro-job policies to spur economic growth, and most importantly, I will fight for the people of this great state.
Source: 2022 Rhode Island Governor campaign website AshleyKalus.com Sep 14, 2022

Bob Stefanowski: Immediately cut the sales tax, eliminate new restaurant tax

Did you know that of the 340 taxes the state collects, the bottom 200 only generate 0.22% of the state budget, some even cost more to collect than they generate in revenue? I'm going to eliminate these taxes on day one, directing my Tax Commissioner to stop collecting them.

I'm calling on the legislature and the Governor to immediately cut the sales tax, the gross receipts tax on gas and eliminate Ned Lamont's new tax on restaurants and prepared foods to address soaring inflation.

Source: 2022 Connecticut BobForGovernor.com campaign website Apr 21, 2022

Brian Dahle: Repeal the gas tax and roll back excessive regulations

Source: 2022 California Governor campaign website BrianDahle.com Feb 21, 2022

Christine Drazan: I will veto new taxes & repeal costly regulations

Inflation is a tax on working families. It is compounded by a regulatory and tax environment that has led to additional price increases for many of the goods and services Oregonians rely on. As governor, I will lead by vetoing new taxes, repealing costly regulations, and by supporting policies that allow Oregonians to keep more of their money in their own pockets.
Source: 2022 Oregon Governor campaign website ChristineForOregon.com Mar 3, 2022

Deirdre Gilbert: One-sided power makes tax cuts for the wealthy permanent

We have had a one-sided plan that benefits those in power but forgets about WE THE PEOPLE. We've seen back door legislation that makes it easier for corporations to get a judge to dismiss an injured American's case before it gets to trial, bar cases by saying the injured assumed the risk, alter rules, deter lawsuits by punishing injured Americans by requiring them to pay corporate attorneys' fees if jury award a significantly lower settlement, and bar injured Americans from getting any damages from corporations whose products injure them.

Back door legislation makes tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, makes it easier of tax cheaters to get away with ripping off the public by removing incentives for investigating and prosecuting tax cheats, allowing a small amount of legislators to thwart tax increases by amending state constitutions.

Source: 2022 Texas Gubernatorial campaign website gilbert4gov.com Sep 22, 2022

Doug Gansler: Employer tax credits for businesses hiring military spouses

We will pass legislation that allows occupational licensing reciprocity and waivers for military spouses. We can trust our sister states enough to allow military spouses to rely on out of state licenses across industries, provided they do the same for us. We will also extend employer tax credits to businesses that hire military spouses and family members.
Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website DougGansler.com Dec 29, 2021

Garrett Soldano: Would reverse Whitmer's higher taxes on businesses, gasoline

Even before her lockdowns, Governor Whitmer's policies were crushing our economy. Her agenda of higher taxes--on businesses, on gasoline (her 45 cent tax would be the highest in the nation), of red tape and regulations, is the opposite of what Michiganders want and need.
Source: 2022 MI Governor campaign website GarrettForMichigan.com Dec 22, 2021

Jim Pillen: Limit the growth in spending by local taxing entities

We have to fix our broken property tax system. Governor Ricketts has made good on his promise to address property taxes every year he has been in office, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund. And yet property taxes are still too high and remain a top concern for families and ag producers everywhere. We need to limit the growth in spending by local taxing entities and modernize our tax structure to address property taxes once and for all.
Source: 2022 Nebraska Gubernatorial campaign website JimPillen.com May 12, 2022

Josh Green: Increase taxes on luxury units; eliminate taxes on food

Make housing for Hawaii residents our top priority by aggressively enforcing existing laws to shut down the 25,000 illegal vacation rentals across the state, taxing the 35,000 vacant investor units, and limiting permits and increasing taxes on new luxury developments by out of state investors.

By 2026, my administration will shut down more than 10,000 illegal vacation rentals and seek to make nonresident investment properties more expensive, so we can return needed housing to Hawaii residents and lower prices by increasing supply.

We will also address the overall cost of living in our state by eliminating taxes on food, medicine and other essentials to help make Hawaii more affordable for residents.

Source: 2022 Hawaii Governor campaign website JoshGreenForHawaii.com Aug 17, 2022

Josh Shapiro: Eliminate the state cell phone tax, expand property rebates

He'll eliminate the state cell phone tax--specifically, the gross receipt and sales tax on cell phone service. By eliminating this 11% state tax, we can reduce Pennsylvanians' tax burden by $317 million and save folks money on their monthly cell phone bill. Lastly, Josh will lower household costs by expanding the Property Tax and Rent Rebate program, increasing the maximum rebate to $1,000 and making the program available to over 275,000 more eligible people.
Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website JoshShapiro.org May 18, 2022

Kai Kahele: Increase property tax rates for non-resident owners

The governor should work with the counties to dramatically increase property tax rates for non-resident owners, crack down on illegal vacation rentals, and de-incentivize short-term rentals in our local neighborhoods.
Source: 2022 Hawaii Gubernatorial campaign website KaiKahele.com May 12, 2022

Kathy Hochul: Tax cuts for low/middle incomes, not for billionaires

Kathy maintained true to her labor roots and consistently voted to support the working men and women of America. She was a frequent critic of tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires and called for tax cuts for low and middle-income earners.
Source: 2022 New York gubernatorial campaign website KathyHochul.com Mar 3, 2021

Kirk Caldwell: We have to reduce taxes to attract businesses and jobs

Government is not an entrepreneur. It can't start and grow new businesses. But we can do a dramatically better job to foster and attract them. Hawai'i has some of the highest income tax brackets in the US and difficult regulatory burdens. We're at an all-time low in business rankings. We must make our state a better place for innovators and entrepreneurs to do business. If we want to attract more industries and jobs beyond tourism, we have to reduce taxes, bureaucracy, and over-regulation.
Source: 2022 Hawaii Gubernatorial campaign website KirkCaldwell.org Feb 11, 2022

Michelle Benson: Get Minnesota out of the top 10 in taxes

It is Your Money. You Should Keep It.

Years of state government budget surpluses make it clear that Minnesotans are overtaxed. Your budget should come before state surpluses. Minnesota is one of the top 5 highest tax states in the U.S. Protecting your family budget and attracting employers means getting Minnesota out of the top 10 in taxes.

Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website Michelle4MN.com Dec 23, 2021

Paul Gazelka: Stop over-taxing, over-regulating small businesses

Everyone in Minnesota deserves to prosper with a robust economy that offers jobs with dignity, personal fulfillment, and the opportunity for all people to support themselves and their families. If we are going to get there, we need to stop over-taxing, over-regulating, and over-burdening our entrepreneurs and small businesses. We need to return budget surpluses to our taxpayers. And we need to encourage the creation of jobs in the private sector instead of expanding the role of government.
Source: 2022 MN Governor campaign website GazelkaForGovernor.com Dec 23, 2021

Peter Franchot: Supported online retailers collecting state sales tax

Peter supported the Supreme Court's ruling on South Dakota v. Wayfair that requires online retailers to collect and remit sales tax, just like brick-and-mortar businesses that choose to locate, hire employees, and invest in the State of Maryland. Before the Court's landmark ruling in 2018, Peter was a strong proponent of legislation at the state and federal level that would have imposed this mandate.

Within his own agency, Peter has taken steps to reduce paper use. Thanks to his leadership and investments in technology, more than 90% of Marylanders file their state tax returns through the agency's secure online portal. That means the agency not only saves money through printing and labor costs, but the agency is no longer using more than 160 million sheets of paper to print paper return booklets annually.

Source: 2022 Maryland gubernatorial campaign website franchot.com Feb 18, 2021

Peter Franchot: Ease filing for those with simple tax obligations

Politicians rarely discuss the stress and cost associated with filing taxes. The Franchot administration will alleviate this stress by introducing and championing legislation that requires the state to provide a proposed tax bill to taxpayers who have simple tax obligations, so as to eliminate the cost, time, and anxiety associated with filing personal income taxes. Further, this will reduce the instances of predatory tax preparers who commit fraud using the personal information of others.
Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website TK.com Jul 19, 2021

Richard Irvin: Will fight to cut taxes, get property tax relief

As Mayor of Aurora, Richard eliminated wasteful spending and balanced the city budget every year. He stopped tax hikes, delivered tax relief and sparked economic growth, while bringing new businesses, jobs, and more opportunities to Aurora. As Governor, Richard will turn around Illinois' economy by reining in government spending, fighting to cut taxes, balancing the budget, and fighting for property tax relief.
Source: 2022 Illinois Gubernatorial campaign website IrvinBourne.com Jun 2, 2022

Scott Jensen: We're some of the most over-taxed people in America

Minnesotans are some of the most over-taxed people in America. We are losing businesses and Minnesotans are flocking to other states due to our high tax structure. It starts with shrinking the government and not answering every question with another government agency or program. We know Minnesotans want to invest in themselves and their families and not in the vast bureaucracy that years of Democratic leadership have given us. More government is not the answer; it is the problem.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website DrScottJensen.com Dec 30, 2021

Stacy Lee George: I will REPEAL the gas tax of 2019 immediately

TAXES: Change the Re-appraisal of property from every year to every FOUR years.

I will REPEAL the gas tax of 2019 immediately.

Source: 2022 AL Gubernatorial campaign website StacyLeeGeorge.com Dec 20, 2021

Tim James: Repeal 2019 gas tax, eliminate grocery sales tax

We will work to repeal the gas tax passed in 2019 and to eliminate the sales tax on essential groceries. We must never tolerate misuse of hard-earned taxpayer money, nor tolerate under-performance by any office or division of the State of Alabama. We need to make state government leaner and more efficient from top to bottom and to deliver tax relief for the working families of Alabama.
Source: 2022 Alabama Governor campaign website TimJamesGovernor.com Feb 24, 2022

Tudor Dixon: Phase out Michigan's personal income tax

Reduce Personal Income Tax: Develop and enact a plan to phase out Michigan's personal income tax over time so families have more control over their finances. Make Michigan more competitive with fast-growing states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee--all of which have zero personal income taxes.
Source: 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website TudorDixon.com Aug 3, 2022

William McSwain: Lower tax burden on working families; cut red tape

It's been a rough seven years for the pocketbooks of Pennsylvania families. Already rated one of the worst business climates in the U.S., we live under a Governor who, at every opportunity, has repeatedly raised the specter of massive tax increases on income and energy. As if all of this weren't enough, as a result of Tom Wolf's rule-by-executive-order approach to governing during the pandemic, 1.5 years of crippling lockdowns have shuttered once thriving small businesses and destroyed livelihoods. We deserve better.

Families from Erie to Philadelphia watch as their kids leave for jobs outside the state every day. This needs to change. As Governor, Bill will work to get our economy thriving again. He'll lower Pennsylvania's tax burden on working families, cut unnecessary and costly red tape that increases the cost of operating a small business, empower small businesses to grow and create more jobs, and rein in out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website BillMcSwain.com Feb 25, 2022

Betsy Johnson: Reduce some taxes, say no to new taxes

I will work to reduce some taxes and tap the breaks [sic] on runaway state spending. I will say no to new taxes, and I will lead to reduce and reform the CAT tax and the estate/death tax. I will dedicate more to the state's rainy-day fund, so we can ride out inevitable fluctuations in the economy without drastic services cuts or tax increases, and, where appropriate, I will exercise my line-item budget veto authority to stop inappropriate spending by the legislature.
Source: 2022 Oregon Gubernatorial campaign website RunBetsyRun.com Oct 6, 2022

Helena Foulkes: $500 tax cut for anyone earning less than $100,000

As Rhode Islanders feel increasingly priced out of our state due to record inflation and the rising costs of childcare, housing and gas, Helena has called on Governor McKee to use a portion of the state's budget surplus to give a $500 tax cut to anyone earning less than $100,000. The tax credit would benefit more than 400,000 Rhode Island earners.
Source: 2022 R.I. Gubernatorial campaign website HelenaFoulkes.com Oct 3, 2022

  • The above quotations are from Survey of 2022 Gubernatorial campaign websites.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Tax Reform.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Jared Polis on Tax Reform.
  • Click here for more quotes by Charlie Baker on Tax Reform.
Candidates and political leaders on Tax Reform:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Aug 18, 2024