Michigan Sen. Aric Nesbitt proposes bill to do away with state income tax

MATTAWAN, Mich. — A West Michigan senator wants to do away with income tax in Michigan.

Michigan Senator Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, has a proposal that would zero out the 4.25% income tax by reducing it by a tenth of a percent over the course of several decades.

"Nine other states don't have a state income tax. Michigan didn’t have one for the first 130 years of us being a state. It was first developed 50 years ago and I think it has run its course. You look at states without an income tax, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Washington State, Nevada, just to name a few and they all have a faster population growth, a faster income growth. And this is something we want, jobs coming into the state,” Nesbitt said.

The proposed bill would also end local income taxes starting Jan. 1, 2020, which would end income tax paid in Albion, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights and Walker.

“I think too much of the time people are talking about increasing taxes, instead I’d like to talk about cutting taxes and making government live within its means, and trying to make us more competitive as a state,” Nesbitt said.

Nesbitt said he would rather see taxes come from something like taxes from consumption to generate revenue for the state.

Nesbitt introduced the same legislation when he was in the Michigan House, which was not passed.