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Motion to bring volunteer firefighter $2,500 tax‑credit bill to the floor fails
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Summary
Assemblyman Angelino moved to discharge Ways & Means to bring a $2,500 state income tax credit for volunteer firefighters and EMS to the floor; supporters said the credit would aid recruitment and retention, but the procedural motion failed on a recorded vote, Ayes 49, Nays 86.
A procedural motion to discharge the Ways & Means Committee and bring Assembly bill 1064 — a proposal to create a $2,500 state income‑tax credit for volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel — failed on the Assembly floor after bipartisan debate.
Assemblyman Angelino moved the motion and explained the bill’s purpose: retain and recruit volunteer fire and EMS personnel by providing a $2,500 tax credit because volunteer ranks have fallen from an estimated 120,000 a decade ago to roughly 80,000, he said. Angelino described local departments that have closed or are at risk and argued a tax credit would be a cost‑effective way to preserve services that many rural communities rely on.
Supporters urged the House to allow a vote on the bill now. Assemblyman Smollett and others said the motion would give voice to constituents and address urgent local public‑safety needs; they warned that losing volunteer capacity would be costly to replace. Opponents and the majority floor manager said the motion is procedural and bypasses the committee process; they urged respect for committee referral and said the motion was not a vote on the merits.
The clerk recorded the result: Ayes 49, Nays 86. The motion was lost and the bill remained in committee.
Why it matters: Supporters said the tax credit would be a targeted incentive to counter volunteer decline in rural areas; opponents defended committee process and regular order. The floor action illustrates tension over using discharge motions to advance minority‑sponsored legislation.
