MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2005 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) White

Senate Concurrent Resolution 530

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI TO WORK TO ABOLISH THE DEATH TAX PERMANENTLY.

     WHEREAS, under tax relief legislation passed in 2001, the death tax was temporarily phased out but not permanently eliminated; and

     WHEREAS, farmers and other small business owners will face losing their farms and businesses if the federal government resumes the heavy taxation of citizens at death; and

     WHEREAS, this is a tax that is particularly damaging to families who are working their way up the ladder and trying to accumulate wealth for the first time; and

     WHEREAS, employees suffer layoffs when small and medium businesses are liquidated to pay death taxes; and

     WHEREAS, if the death tax had been repealed in 1996, the United States economy would have realized billions of dollars each year extra output and an average of 145,000 additional new jobs would have been created; and

     WHEREAS, having repeatedly passed in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, repeal of the death tax holds wide bipartisan support:

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we hereby request our elected Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress support, work to pass and vote for the immediate and permanent repeal of the death tax.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution shall be sent to the Mississippi congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.