A new bill in the state Legislature aims to make school supplies more affordable.
The legislation would give taxpayers a credit of up to $1,000 for qualified purchases of school supplies.
Materials that qualify for the credit would be things like books, computer programs, and science equipment.
State Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint, introduced the bill.
He says it's worth the investment.
"People are obviously going to take care of essentials first, but this could help them make a little investment for their kid's future," Ananick said. "I think it's good for the school, it's good for the family, it's good for our local companies that the stuff will be bought from. It seems like a sensible solution to help with some of the struggles people are going through."
He also says the need for different supplies is growing, while Michigan continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
"Education's getting more complex," Ananich said. "There's more things you need now than was needed a generation, two generations or three generations ago. And parents are now forced to pay for more of that and you want to make sure kids have every tool that they can to succeed."
Minnesota and Illinois are other states that offer tax credits for school supplies.
– Alyse Guenther, Michigan Radio Newsroom
