EITC Awareness Day Highlights Important Anti-Poverty Program
The Maryland Catholic Conference joined with advocates across the state on Jan. 25, 2019 to spread awareness of the state's recently-expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The EITC is a federal and state program that provides qualifying working individuals and families with a credit on their federal and state taxes. In Maryland, it provides qualifying individuals with a credit on their state taxes of up to 50 percent of their federal tax credit.
"EITC is one of the anti-poverty programs that we know works," said Anne Zmuda Wallerstedt, associate director of Social and Economic Justice for the Conference. "The program puts money — and for some, a significant amount — directly back into the pockets of hard-working Marylanders."
The Conference has been a long-time supporter of efforts to expand the EITC to enable more Marylanders to qualify. In the 2018 legislative session, Maryland's General Assembly voted to expand the credit to an estimated additional 40,000 individuals by lowering the age to qualify from 21 to 18. The change took effect on July 1, 2018.
As a founding member of the Maryland Alliance for the Poor, the Conference continues to support in the current legislative session efforts to further expand the EITC. Limitations that remain in the current state program prevent many single adults from qualifying for the credit. Advocates have been working on legislation to expand the state EITC to match 100 percent of the federal credit and increase the maximum income allowed for single individuals to qualify.
To learn more about the EITC and if you might qualify CLICK HERE.
2019 testimony available online
During the upcoming legislative session, the Maryland Catholic Conference will weigh in on dozens of issues and take positions on issues of importance to Maryland Catholics.
All Conference testimony submitted in the 2019 session in support or opposition of a bill, as well as testimony offered in neutrality, will be available on the Conference’s website.
To access the latest testimony, visit www.mdcatholic.org/2019testimony
The page is updated on an ongoing basis as testimony is submitted. Be sure to check the 2019 Testimony page often throughout the session for the latest updates.
To stay up-to-date and get engaged on key issues, be sure to join the Catholic Advocacy Network. Click HERE to join.
Maryland General Assembly Session Begins
The 439th session of the Maryland General Assembly got underway on Wednesday, January 9. The session will last for 90 days, concluding on April 8.
The Maryland Catholic Conference staff will pursue numerous issues during the next 90 days, including issues of life, education, justice, and human rights.
Nearly 1/3 of the legislators who took the oath of office on Wednesday are new and the Conference has been working diligently to meet with and get to know the new members and leadership.
"We expect this to be an extremely busy legislative session for Maryland," said Jennifer Briemann, executive director for the Conference. "We welcome each legislator to Annapolis and look forward to a productive 90 days as we work to protect the vulnerable in our state: the poor, the unborn, immigrant communities, the elderly, persons with disability, the incarcerated, the sick, and victims of violence and trafficking."
To read more about the Conference's top priorities heading into the session, visit the Catholic Review and the Catholic Standard.
To stay up-to-date on the Conference's work throughout the session, be sure to register for the Catholic Advocacy Network.