AJR111: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-4898/2

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1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE

1997 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 111

February 25, 1998 - Introduced by Representatives Green, Plale, Seratti, Wasserman, Turner, Ladwig, Walker, Dobyns, Hahn, Duff, Sykora, Lazich, Huebsch, Porter, Freese, Ward, Jeskewitz, F. Lasee, Goetsch, Spillner, Gunderson, Zukowski, Handrick, Underheim, Ziegelbauer, Lorge, Schafer, Springer, Klusman and Kedzie, cosponsored by Senators Darling, Farrow, Drzewiecki, Welch and Schultz. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AJR111,1,3 Relating to: memorializing the Congress of the United States to enact legislation that will sunset the Internal Revenue Code by December 31, 2000, and to enact a replacement tax code for the American people.

AJR111,1,6 Whereas, the current Internal Revenue Code contains 7,000,000 words, compared to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, of 269, and the Declaration of Independence, of 1,337 words; and

AJR111,1,8 Whereas, the Internal Revenue Service's "simplest" return, the EZform 1040, has 33 pages of instructions, and form 1040 has 76 pages of instructions; and

AJR111,1,12 Whereas, individual taxpayers will spend 1.7 billion hours, and American businesses will spend 3.4 billion hours, each year trying to comply with the tax code, which is equivalent to a staff of 3,000,000 people working full-time, year-round, just on taxes; and

AJR111,2,2 Whereas, taxes are too high, but any steps to lower taxes by modifying the existing tax code could make it even longer and more confusing, as demonstrated by the recent balanced budget act, which added 80-plus pages to the Internal Revenue Code; and

AJR111,2,5 Whereas, it is prudent to replace the Internal Revenue Code with a new tax code, and December 31, 2000, is a reasonable deadline for that project; now, therefore, be it

AJR111,2,14 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature request the Congress of the United States to enact legislation that will abolish the Internal Revenue Code by December 31, 2000, and replace it with a new method of taxation that will lower taxes to create job opportunities, foster growth by encouraging work and savings, be fair to all taxpayers, be simple enough for all taxpayers to understand, be neutral, without social engineering, allowing people, not government, to make choices, be visible, without hidden taxes, so that people will know the cost of government and be stable so that people can plan for the future; and, be it further

AJR111,2,18 Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide copies of this joint resolution to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives of the United States and to each of the senators and representatives from Wisconsin.

AJR111,2,19 (End)