Studies outline equities for Floridians
Photo by Marcelo Moura from FreeImages
The good news: Florida is tied for having the most business-friendly income tax system in the country. The bad news: we’re among the worst in providing baby & toddler services. Those are the conclusions of respective reports out this past week that underlie the competing funding challenges and priorities facing Florida’s state and local governments.
The Tax Foundation in Washington has issued its 2019 State Business Tax Climate Index showing Florida with a four-way tie for first as the state with the most business-friendly income tax structure. It shares the top spot this year with Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Florida is one of seven states that don’t levy individual income taxes. States that scored well in the index were those with no income tax or had a flat tax with low rates.
Looking at its overall tax system – including income tax, property tax, unemployment tax and others – Florida ranked fourth best in the nation overall, behind Wyoming (#1), Alaska (#2), and South Dakota (#3). Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Indiana rounded out the top ten best tax states overall. The bottom five worst states overall were Arkansas, Connecticut, New York, California, and in last place, New Jersey.
Conversely, Florida has ranked in the bottom 25% nationally in a new study on how well states are providing services for infants and toddlers. The State of Babies Yearbook 2019 is published by Zero to Three, a national nonprofit that is producing this report for the first time. The report noted Florida’s higher than average infant mortality rate (6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births), babies with low birth weight (8.7%), and uninsured low-income babies (7.1%).
About 50% of 0-3 year-olds in Florida live in households with incomes less than twice the federal poverty level, which is about $50,000 for a family of four. The report notes this is a common metric for measuring the number of households living from paycheck to paycheck. Florida also has twice the national average of 0-3 year-olds with development delays, coming in at 2% versus the national average of 1%. Just 20% of children here receive developmental screenings, compared to 30% nationally.
Bottom 25% states also included Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. Top-ranked states included Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The report has other interesting statistics, which Zero to Three is using with state legislatures across the land to promote a broad array of policies and services it says are required to ensure that all children have an equitable start in life.
LMA Newsletter of 3-11-19
