State Rep. Jamie Thompson, of Brownstown, this week reiterated the urgent need for legislative action on plans she’s sponsored that will help make life more affordable for people in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Thompson has co-sponsored legislation to establish an annual sales tax holiday on back-to-school products during the third weekend of August, but it has yet to receive a hearing in the House.

“As a mother and grandparent, I know how expensive back-to-school shopping can be,” Thompson said. “I also represent many families and hardworking teachers who are feeling the immense strain of high costs on their budgets every single day and could use this tax relief. These are good plans that will help make our communities and our state a more affordable and desirable place to live and work. But we need to see action on them in order to get them to the governor’s desk so people can start putting more money back in their pockets.

“A one-year exemption plan was already proposed by Democrats during the current legislative term and the governor proposed suspending Michigan’s sales tax on school supplies in 2022. This should have been a priority again for our parents and teachers, and I’m disappointed that we haven’t seen movement with these bills.”

House Bills 5805 and 5809 would waive the state’s 6% sales tax on a wide range of school-related items, including clothing, computers, and other essential supplies. Similar tax holidays have been successfully implemented in other states, offering families much-needed financial relief during one of the most expensive times of the year.

Estimates from a National Retail Federation study show that this year, back-to-school shopping budgets for households with K-12 students will rise to an average of $918, which is a $28 increase from last year. From 2018 to this year, the average cost has risen by almost $250 per household, and by 2027 the study found that households with K-12 students will be paying more than $1,000 on average for supplies.

Other corresponding bills include Thompson’s plan, HB 5810, that will provide for more accessible and affordable child-care for working families by increasing the capacity of minor children that can receive care and supervision within family childcare homes or group childcare homes, along with new, effective ways to help more people buy or stay in their homes with tax credits for home purchase downpayments and certain qualified home improvements.

“The cost of everyday expenditures is one of the top things I hear about from people in our area,” Thompson said. “I will continue pushing for ways to make life more affordable, and these reforms are a needed step in that direction.”