In Pennsylvania, millionaires and billionaires pay the same personal income tax rate as working people like firefighters, teachers, nurses, and families scraping by on minimum wage. That is because, under our state Constitution, all personal income taxes are rigidly imposed at the same rate regardless of income. However, this stipulation has resulted in an income tax system that unfairly places a larger burden on low-income earners. Pennsylvania is currently ranked as the fourth-most regressive state for our tax policies.
 
Pennsylvanians deserve a system where the wealthy pay their fair share and that provides our commonwealth with the resources it requires to pay for the services we all use and depend on. The federal government uses a graduated marginal rate to ensure higher-income earners pay more on income above certain dollar amounts. If this system is good enough to pay for the greatest military in the world, we should emulate it in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of our nation. Thirty-three other states use a graduated income tax of some kind.
 
We will introduce legislation to propose an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution to allow an additional tax on income exceeding $1 million. A similar measure enacted in Massachusetts brought in over $2.2 billion for their commonwealth in the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year, providing a model of the financial benefits that could come from increasing the fairness of our income tax system. And, according to MoneyWatch, policymakers should not be concerned about wealthy individuals leaving the state due to such an initiative, citing research that “the specter of millionaire flight is largely a myth.”
 
Please join us in supporting this effort to provide fairer income taxes to working families in Pennsylvania and ensure the economic well-being of our Commonwealth.