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Committee backs bill to align poll-worker pay tax rules with federal treatment
Summary
House Bill 35 51, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Newton, would exempt a portion of poll-worker pay from FICA and federal income tax to increase take-home pay; the committee adopted the measure by a 22-0 roll-call vote with an estimated annual state cost of $190,000.
Representative Brandon Newton described House Bill 35 51 as a measure to align state tax treatment of poll-worker pay with existing federal allowances, exempting a specified amount from FICA and federal income tax so poll workers receive slightly higher net pay.
Newton said the change was requested by SCARE (the acronym appears in the transcript but is not defined there) and that the Association of Counties testified in favor. He told members the estimated state cost is about $190,000 annually and characterized the paperwork and administrative hassle of collecting state taxes on small poll-worker checks as not worth the revenue.
No amendments were offered in committee. The clerk conducted the required roll-call vote and the chair announced a vote of 22 to nothing, giving House Bill 35 51 a favorable report. The committee then concluded its agenda and adjourned.
The bill’s favorable report advances it out of committee for later consideration in the legislative process; the transcript does not record further committee conditions or the bill’s next scheduled chamber action.
