State Rep. Karl Bohnak on Tuesday backed an effort to make it easier and more affordable to raise a family in the Upper Peninsula and all of Michigan.

The plans meet Michigan affordability’s crisis head on by creating a state child tax credit, exempting infant and toddler items such as diapers from both sales tax and use taxes, and establishing Child Care Savings Accounts that allow parents to deduct money deposited for childcare costs from their taxable income.

“Families are doing all the right things to stay afloat – they pay their taxes, get their kids to school, hold down jobs, keep up the house, and everything else life entails, but that hard work just isn’t always enough anymore,” said Bohnak, R-Deerton. “The harmful cocktail of inflationary conditions and failures by government have created a situation where families can never catch up, let alone manage in times of financial strain. This plan provides a critical reprieve to our most vulnerable residents.”

U.P. residents face a uniquely challenging situation as compared to the rest of the state. A recent investigation by WLUC TV6 outlined how the median income across the Upper Peninsula is far less than the state average while families face the same harmful inflationary conditions.

A report on state poverty released by the University of Michigan examined the cost-of-living challenges faced by U.P. families. Researchers found that a lack of income paired with high transportation costs pushes family budgets to the breaking point.

“Where every family in Michigan is struggling, those in the U.P. have additional expenses people downstate don’t even consider,” Bohnak said. “Our families still pay for daycare, diapers and wipes, and general childhood expenses, but instead of shopping at the store right around the corner, we’re paying for the gas it takes to drive well over an hour one way on top of the cost of the items we purchase. While this plan is important across Michigan, it would be invaluable to the U.P.”

House Bills 4055-59 – introduced by state Reps. Bill G. Schuette, R-Midland; Kathy Schmaltz, R-Jackson; and Nancy DeBoer, R-Holland – will soon be referred to committee for further consideration.

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