WHEREAS, under tax relief legislation passed by Congress 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, employees suffer layoffs when small and medium-sized businesses are liquidated to pay death taxes; and

WHEREAS, had the death tax been repealed in 1996, the United States economy would have realized billions of dollars each year in extra output and the creation of 145,000 additional jobs; and

WHEREAS, having repeatedly passed the United States House of Representatives and Senate, separately, repeal of the death tax holds wide bipartisan support; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that this body requests our elected Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress support the permanent repeal of the death tax; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Congressional Delegation of the State of Hawaii, and the Governor.

Report Title:

Death tax; request repeal