GOP Pushes Sales Tax Plan

House Majority Leader Tom McGillvray today had a hearing on his bill that seeks to replace our state’s income tax system with a state-wide sales tax. McGillvray’s plan would add additional costs to nearly everything purchased in the state–adding a considerable burden on low and middle income people in the state.

The timing of today’s hearing was interesting, as Lee Newspapers released a poll just yesterday showing that 64 percent of Montanans oppose a sales tax replacing our state’s income tax.

Interestingly, during the hearing, McGillvray admitted that this switch wouldn’t significantly improve our state’s fiscal situation. Proponents of the bill claim the bill would streamline tax collections in the state, however the noticeable did not mention the cost of building a system to ensure sales tax compliance in the state.

This isn’t the first radical piece of legislation that the Republican leader has pushed. Earlier this session, McGillvray’s pet legislation died. It would require that people seeking a divorce would be required to undergo several hours of mandatory marriage counseling. It’s ironic that McGillvray, who ran on a platform of getting government out of people’s lives would push a policy that delves so deep into a family’s personal decision.