Alabama Grocery Tax Meeting

When Alabama lawmakers meet in January, the issue of eliminating the state grocery tax is expected to resurface. Democrats say the measure will help the people of Alabama in a tough economy.
 
The proposed food tax bill would get rid of the state’s four percent sales tax on food. The measure failed earlier this year.

To make up the $4,000,000 loss, Democrats propose eliminating the federal income tax deduction. That’s where Democrats and Republicans disagree. “So in essence what you would be requiring people to do is to pay tax on the federal tax that they pay, so you’d be paying a tax on a tax and we think it’s wrong,“ says State Representative Mike Hubbard, a Republican from Lee County.

Democrat Marcel Black who represents Alabama’s 3rd District says “No actually in eliminating the income tax deduction is a graduated type thing over a period of time. Obviously we have to pay for and replace the funds in removing the grocery tax but its balancing what’s fair.“ 
Voters must approve the Constitutional amendment. Some of them gathered at the Shoney’s Restaurant this evening on the 280 Bypass in Phenix City to learn more.