California’s working poor just got a lift

Thank you for The Bee editorial in the June 13 issue supporting the legislative budget agreement to expand the California Earned Income Tax Credit and thank you to Gov. Jerry Brown for announcing the same day that he and legislative leaders have agreed to the expansion just as the editorial urged.

The expansion will do a lot to help lift working Californians out of poverty. By expanding the credit to self-employed workers and increasing the income eligibility threshold to $22,360 as stated in the editorial, more money will be put in the pockets of the poorest working Californians and it will give them an opportunity to invest in their future.

$2 million has also been put into the state budget to support outreach to spread the word about the tax credit’s availability. This is important, since many who qualify for the credit aren’t required to file taxes and can easily miss out on the money entirely.

With so many Californians struggling to get by, it is critical that all working Californians, including the self-employed, benefit from this poverty-fighting program.

This story was originally published June 17, 2017 at 2:01 PM with the headline "California’s working poor just got a lift."