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Highlands Today

State Teachers Union Continues Push For Penny Tax

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: April 6, 2009

SEBRING - Citing recent funding cuts and likely further reductions in school funding, the state teachers union continues to call for a 1-cent sales tax increase to be used exclusively to help fund education.

Florida Education Association Spokesman Mark Pudlow said Friday that with so many budget cuts to education over the last two years and likely more cuts, a three-year penny sales tax to fund all levels of education would help stabilize funding for schools and colleges.

Along with offsetting the funding cuts, the penny tax would give the Legislature time during that three-year period to look for revenue sources that are not as dependent on the boom and bust of the development/real-estate market, he said.

"While Florida is not a huge tax state, it is one that has a certain amount of unfairness in its tax situation and the Legislature really needs to address that," Pudlow said.

Pudlow said two legislators in particular back the penny increase - Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami and Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Delray Beach.

The legislators have co-introduced a bill that calls for a penny increase in sales taxes - Senate Bill 2582 and House Bill 0731.

"There has been talk of combining class size with the penny sales tax," Pudlow said. There are a lot of proposals floating around right now, but it has not been decided yet.

The issue of the penny sales tax is getting a lot of attention and the Florida PTA has been linked with the FEA, according to a press release from the Florida PTA.

The Florida PTA currently does not have a position that specifically addresses sales tax proposals for individuals, the press release states. "Therefore we are not supporting or opposing the current proposal to raise sales taxes for three years.

"We continue to ask the Legislature to close existing loopholes and review all tax exemptions and retain only those exemptions that are proven necessary and meet an overriding public policy interest."

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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