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Whitney Jemison

@whitneyjemison.bsky.social
119 followers 53 following 70 posts

Director of State Fiscal Research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. I want better for us.

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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Wesley Tharpe @wesleytharpe.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Yesterday, Missourians had the final say on one of the most important state policy debates this year: whether to eliminate their personal income tax, which funds two-thirds of their budget, while raising taxes on many working people. They voted it down. missouriindependent.com/2026/08/04/m...
missouriindependent.com
Missouri voters reject income tax phaseout, initiative petition changes • Missouri Independent
Missouri voters resoundingly rejected major Republican priorities on Tuesday as proposals to eliminate the income tax and change the way majorities are counted lost by large margins across the state.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
These former governors are right: the SNAP cost shift is a ticking time bomb for state budgets. States will have to pay 100s of millions annually + had no say in its design or time to prepare. Extending the full 2-year delay to every state is a fair fix. www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releas...
hickenlooper.senate.gov
Hickenlooper Leads Fellow Former Governors Raising Alarm on SNAP Cuts Impact on State Budgets  | Senator John Hickenlooper
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Some states are still out here cutting taxes like the bill isn't coming due. My team at @centeronbudget.bsky.social is restarting our tracker to document the fallout. Sign up on the main page for email updates when new posts go up. www.cbpp.org/blog/some-st...
cbpp.org
Some States Continue Down Tax Cut Path, Compounding Harms of Republican Megabill
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey recently cited an $11 million cost when vetoing a program that would have helped youth transitioning out of foster care to live independently, find work, and...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
It’s time for CA to restore tax justice and make corporations pay their fair share. Fingers crossed AB 1790 doesn’t die in the dark.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
The CA #WWCR bill, AB 1790, is now in the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, where up to a third of bills are quietly shelved without any committee vote. 🫠 www.kqed.org/news/1203588....
kqed.org
California Lawmakers Quietly Sideline Bills in Secretive Suspense Process | KQED
In just 24 minutes and without any debate, the most powerful committee in the state Senate last week moved 33 bills from public view into a secretive process that will decide whether the measures live...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
So now, after four decades of lobbyist pressure to keep open the loophole, the CA Assembly’s Revenue & Taxation Committee has finally passed a #WWCR bill to close it — only the third attempt in all that time. Legislators and the governor should get this across the finish line.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
CA actually adopted #WWCR back in the ‘80s, but UK-based tax avoiders ran a pressure campaign to eliminate the policy in the states with the #WatersEdgeLoophole. Margaret Thatcher & Ronald Reagan’s recently declassified correspondence about it tells all. www.margaretthatcher.org/document/109...
margaretthatcher.org
Economy: Reagan letter to Thatcher (unitary taxation) [declassified 2000] | Margaret Thatcher Foundation
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
It’s not complicated: #WWCR taxes a state’s share of a corporate group’s complete profits. If 2% of the corporation’s global sales are to CA customers, then 2% of its profits are taxable by the state.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
The truth is that most global corporations operate as a single integrated enterprise, regardless of how many subsidiaries are in the org chart or where they’re located. #WWCR is based on that economic reality (the “unitary business principle”).
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
The #WatersEdgeLoophole relies on the fiction that a giant corporate group's subsidiaries compete with each other…pretending that shifting profits from a CA subsidiary to a Bermuda shell company isn’t just moving cash from a company’s right pocket to its left.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
This “water’s edge” loophole costs Californians more than $3 billion a year. But there’s a straightforward, Supreme Court-approved fix: Worldwide Combined Reporting (#WWCR). www.cbpp.org/research/sta...
cbpp.org
It’s Time to End Corporate Tax Avoidance in California by Closing the Water’s Edge Loophole
Testimony of Don Griswold, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, to the California Assembly Standing Committee on Revenue and Taxation in Favor of AB 1790 (Connolly)
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Currently, global corporations can shift taxable profits out of CA to artificial shell companies in offshore tax havens “beyond the water’s edge” — making corporate income tax effectively voluntary for the world’s wealthiest companies. @calbudgetcenter.org calbudgetcenter.org/resources/wa...
calbudgetcenter.org
Water’s Edge: Closing the Largest Corporate Tax Loophole in California
Corporate tax breaks in California largely benefit corporate shareholders, who are disproportionately wealthy and white, widening economic and racial inequality.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Big news! In a historic vote last week, the California Assembly’s Revenue & Taxation committee pushed back against *40 years* of corporate lobbying to advance a bill (AB 1790) that would eliminate CA tax avoidance by the world’s most powerful corporations. connolly.asmdc.org/press-releas...
connolly.asmdc.org
Connolly’s Major Corporate Tax Reform Bill Passes First Committee | Official Website - Assemblymember Damon Connolly Representing the 12th California Assembly District
SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) successfully passed AB 1790 through the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee after a robust debate.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
While you're thinking about what you owe this #TaxDay, spare a minute to consider what your state owes its residents. Taxes are how we take care of each other. Is your state rising to that responsibility or shirking it?
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
In NC, Gov. Stein is all but begging the legislature to pause previous income tax cuts that’ll cripple the state budget & force "exceedingly painful cuts". House leaders agree, but the Senate is blocking efforts — leaving the state still without a budget. ncnewsline.com/2026/04/08/n...
ncnewsline.com
NC governor warns of ‘exceedingly painful cuts’ as legislative tax cuts reduce future revenue • NC Newsline
Two weeks before the 2026 North Carolina General Assembly's short session convenes, Gov. Josh Stein issued a dire warning.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
WV’s FY27 budget slashes income taxes, expands school vouchers, AND makes cuts to Medicaid. The state is projected to face huge budget gaps starting next year, even before accounting for new costs associated with HR1's changes to Medicaid and SNAP. wvpolicy.org/fy-2027-budg...
wvpolicy.org
FY 2027 Budget Recap: School Vouchers and Tax Cuts Continue to Trump State Needs - West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy
The FY 2027 budget enacted during the 2026 West Virginia legislative session continued a trend of past budgets, with tax cuts and the growing cost of the Hope Scholarship once again crowding out new i...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
But many states have taken the opposite approach: cutting basic needs programs and doubling down on regressive tax cuts. SC took major steps to eliminate its income tax, and MO may not be far behind. Roughly 1/3 of states are debating major property tax cuts this year.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Others have taken steps to reject the costly & upside-down federal tax cuts enacted last year. 10+ states have already decoupled from HR1’s tax giveaways, protecting billions in state revenue. Several more are moving to reclaim revenue by closing offshore corporate loopholes.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Some states are meeting this moment by asking more from those who can afford it. ME passed a millionaires tax just last week. WA’s new tax on the wealthy is projected to raise >$3B/year for education & child care. RI is weighing high-earner surcharges too. apnews.com/article/mill...
apnews.com
Some states are reviving a push to tax the rich
Advocates across the U.S. are hoping a growing unhappiness of wage and wealth inequalities that have increased coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic will help more states adopt policies involve the rich...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
That said, many states were already in trouble before congressional Republicans passed HR1. Widespread income tax cuts, costly voucher programs, & a wave of property tax caps have been squeezing state budgets for years now. Now they're caught in a fiscal vise of their own making.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
HR1 handed enormous tax cuts to wealthy households and corporations while gutting health care and food assistance, largely leaving states to pick up the massive tab. Those choices are causing severe harm across the country, and states have to decide whether to try & mitigate it.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Happy #TaxDay! While millions of Americans file their returns today, statehouses across the country are making decisions that will shape who pays, who gains, & who gets left behind for years to come. And right now, states are headed in two VERY different directions. Some context:
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
UPDATE: THEY DELIVERED! Gov. Mills just signed Maine's millionaires tax into law. This is a huge step forward for tax justice and a testament to advocates in Maine (s/o to @mecep.bsky.social!) and across the country for reminding us that taxing the wealthy is both popular and possible.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Congratulations! This is a huge step in the right direction for Maine and a win for tax justice that advocates across the country are celebrating with you!
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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Maine Center for Economic Policy @mecep.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
For too long, our tax code asked the most of those with the least. Today, that changes. In a historic move for tax fairness in Maine, Governor Mills just signed a millionaire tax into law as part of the state's supplemental budget. #mepolitics
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
When we talk about "SNAP cuts," we mean real people — parents stretching every dollar at the grocery store, kids depending on stable meals. Our new tracker puts numbers behind who's being harmed, state by state. Check it. Bookmark it. Share it!
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
The question's never been whether taxing the rich is good policy with broad benefits, but whether lawmakers have the will to do it. They did in MA. Just last month, they did in WA. Now Maine’s ready to get in the game. The best time was yesterday, but today will do just fine.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Wealthy Mainers themselves have been calling for more taxation! Their words: a big tax hike would be "a rounding error" for them, but transformative for everyone else. nationaltoday.com/us/me/portla...
nationaltoday.com
Wealthy Mainers Urge Higher Taxes to Help Working Residents - Portland Today
A group of high-net-worth individuals in Maine are calling on state legislators to significantly raise taxes on the wealthy in order to provide more funding for public services and ease the tax burden...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Most people do not move based on tax rates. IRS migration data shows Maine is actually *gaining* residents from many so-called "low tax" states. The flight narrative is a myth built to protect the status quo, which isn't working for working families. www.mecep.org/blog/irs-dat...
mecep.org
IRS data shows Maine is gaining residents from so-called “low tax” states - MECEP
Maine is gaining residents from lower-tax states, including high earners, while losing relatively few, mostly to warmer climates.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
You might be thinking: "But, tax flight! All the millionaires will leave!" We've heard this in every state with the courage to push for progressive taxation of income & wealth. And I am once again reminding you — the data tells a different story. bsky.app/profile/whit...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
As it stands, the Pine Tree State's tax system is out of whack. A nurse and a millionaire could pay the same effective rate, because Maine relies heavily on sales & excise taxes. Per @mecep.bsky.social: “For too long, Maine’s tax code has asked the most of those with the least.”
Bar chart from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) showing that Mainers in the second 20% of income earners ($24,200 - $47,200 annually) pay an effective tax rate very similar to that of those in the top 1% (earning over $701,100), with effective tax rates of 9.3% and 9.5%, respectively.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
ICYMI: Maine's Approps Committee passed a millionaires tax last week! The 2% surcharge on income over $1M will affect just 0.4% of taxpayers but is projected to generate $96M in FY27 alone. Gov. Mills is on board. Now it’s up to the legislature to deliver. www.mecep.org/news/stateme...
mecep.org
STATEMENT: MECEP responds to millionaire tax inclusion in budget - MECEP
For too long, Maine’s tax code has asked the most of those with the least. Now, we’re on track to change that.
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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Last week, I outlined questions I would be looking to have answered when the President’s budget is released. Now that we have the full proposal, we can now answer them. Hint: It fails to offer affordability solutions to make life more affordable while raising the risk of hasty, harmful cuts. 🧵
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Mikaela Tajo @mtajo.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
The President’s FY27 Budget guts programs that protect the environment, promote health, and reduce energy bills. Some of the most egregious cuts include eliminating LIHEAP, halving the EPA’s budget, and reprogramming billions of funds for renewable energy. More below:
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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Peggy Bailey @peggybaileydc.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
It is amazing! The Admin can propose anything it wants & this hateful, harmful budget is what they throw down. Evicting formally homeless people from their homes, cutting food asst for kids & older adults, reducing utility payment asst, narrowing energy options...etc...etc..
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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
After enacting the deepest SNAP cuts in history last year, President Trump’s 2027 budget would continue to make groceries less affordable for low-income families. It would slash the WIC fruit & vegetable benefit by $1.4 billion & eliminate a food program for low-income seniors.
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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Sharon Parrott @sharonparrott.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
A few initial thoughts on the President’s FY27 budget. Big picture: Today’s budget isn’t a serious plan to address real issues facing families and the nation and isn’t worthy of the American people.
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Reposted by Whitney Jemison
Claire Lane @claireclane.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
I’m so excited to attend WA’s bill signing today for our new #MillionairesTax! WA is a great place to live & work & play - and the millionaires will stay (according to research on MA’s similar tax).
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Taxes on millionaires aren’t a punishment. They’re about preventing a handful of very wealthy people from holding a state’s future hostage at the expense of everyone else. After H.R.1’s tax giveaways & deep cuts to basic needs programs, states can’t afford to lose sight of that.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
States that invest in schools, transit, and housing attract young families who stay, build careers, and start businesses. That's the real economic multiplier. Not tax cuts for the ultra-rich, who are already gaining the lion’s share of benefits from recent *federal* tax changes.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
At CBPP, we've thoroughly studied available migration data and research, and the findings are clear: state tax levels have minimal impact on where people move. Things that *actually* drive migration? Jobs. Family. Housing costs. Community. Not…marginal tax rates. www.cbpp.org/research/sta...
cbpp.org
State Taxes Have a Minimal Impact on People’s Interstate Moves
State tax levels have little effect on whether and where people move — certainly not to a degree that should lead state policymakers to enact unaffordable tax cuts to attract people or avoid...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Case in point: Google's co-founder spent $45M fighting a CA billionaire tax rather than just paying it. That's not someone who’s eager to leave. That's someone trying to rig the rules from *inside* the zip code. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Google co-founder spends $45m in fight against California billionaire tax
Sergey Brin gives $25m on top of $20m he’s already given to Super Pac trying to block state’s proposed 5% wealth tax
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Leading researcher Cristobal Young studied “millionaire tax flight” rigorously for more than a decade and found that millionaires are actually the LEAST mobile segment of the population. Their businesses, networks, and assets are deeply rooted. They don't just up and leave.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Millionaires and billionaires gain preferential tax treatment by pressuring lawmakers into thinking they'll leave a state en masse, but that threat isn’t reflected in the data.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Just last week, the latest IRS migration data confirmed that higher-income households are not leaving the state. In fact, households with incomes above $200k saw a decrease in outmigration compared to the year before MA Fair Share was enacted. massbudget.org/2026/03/19/n...
massbudget.org
New IRS Migration Data Shows No Evidence of Surtax-Driven Outmigration, Highlights Affordability Challenges - Mass. Budget and Policy Center
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) finds no indication that Massachusetts Fair Share Amendment (FSA) surtax is driving households out of the state, according to newly available IR...
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
In MA, taxing the ultra-wealthy has delivered billions for education & transportation investments that are broadly shared. And revenues continue to outpace expectations as high earners: 1) stay put and 2) contribute more based on their rising incomes. www.mass.gov/info-details...
mass.gov
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
In fact, new data from MA – the most recent state to enact a millionaire’s tax – validates what we’ve been saying all along. As of last month, the MA comptroller certified that Fair Share revenue *continues* to grow.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
WA passed a Millionaires Tax. Instead of celebrating the *many* benefits of taxing the ultra-rich, headlines are asking “Will the rich flee?!” 😑 This claim’s been tested. Large-scale tax flight does not happen. And even when a wealthy few leave, gains for everyone else win out.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
While Congress cuts taxes for the ultra-wealthy, many states are heeding the calls of residents and making a different choice: ensuring the rich pay their fair share & investing in affordability for low- and middle-income families. Washington just proved it's possible.
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Whitney Jemison @whitneyjemison.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Oh, and the "millionaire tax flight" opponents predicted? It didn’t happen! Turns out, millionaires want to live in states with great public education, drivable roads, too ─ and scare tactics about tax flight by the opposition were overblown.
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