Gunn stated Friday that six proposals were made to the Senate in order to abolish the income tax. We collect more money than we spend from our citizens. Lt. Governor. Delbert Hosemann, who preside over the Senate, stated, “I have lost count of their plans.” They were at one time raising sales taxes by 2.5%. They then raised them 1.5%. They stopped raising taxes. We now spend $100 million per year. Now, we are doing what the governor said… There is a reasonable approach to this: cutting taxes. We don’t want taxpayers to be disappointed in two to three years. Friday’s joint meeting to approve an estimate of how much money lawmakers must spend was dominated by the long-running tax cuts battle between Senate and Republican House leadership. The deadline for them to reach an agreement on the state budget for the new fiscal years that begins July 1st is Saturday night. Gunn has been pushing to eliminate the state personal income tax since last year, even though it may take years to get rid of it. Hosemann and his Senate leadership have proposed cuts to income taxes and other taxes for this year. However, they say that it is not prudent to eliminate one third of the state’s revenues and to increase tax structure in uncertain economic times. Hosemann stated, “We are in the Senate to eliminate all taxes.” “… But I remember Jimmy Carter. I can recall the ’70s, ’80s, and 20% interest rates. We also remember recessions. We asked (the state economist) where he would be in two years. He doesn’t know. With all due respect, it’s obvious to me that no one but God knows. He also admitted there’s a 35% chance for a recession. We must get through the next three to four years and then see where we are. “… There are schools that need to be repaired,” Hosemann stated. Hosemann said that there are roads, bridges, water and sewer work needed. Gunn stated that he and House leaders tried to resolve all concerns regarding income tax elimination. They sent out multiple proposals last year and this. Gunn stated that the state economy is growing and government coffers have been filled and that he expects this to continue. Gunn stated, “I’d love to bring up an additional number: zero.” “That’s how many reasons we have left to not eliminate income tax.” READ MORE: Governor Tate Reeves gets into a bitter Capitol Income Tax fight Gunn stated that House leaders were sending another proposal to Gov. Tate Reeves — to Senate It would reduce the state’s marginal personal tax rate to 3.5% from 5% to 3.5% over the next year and then phase out the tax for the next seven years. Reeves declared: “We are going out to eliminate the Mississippi income tax.” Gunn responded on Thursday after Reeves had announced his tax elimination plan. “Here we go, two days before the deadline, and we have the first proposal of the governor. I have a question: where are his votes? “The Senate has been resistive to any proposal.” Gunn stated that on Friday, House tax negotiators were working to draft a proposal that contained the governor’s plan and then signing it and sending it back to the Senate. The Senate was sent a reduced proposal by the House leaders on Wednesday that would have eliminated income tax for 18-20 years. Hosemann, Gunn, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee met on Friday. After much discussion and questioning of the state economist about whether the national or state economies are on solid ground, the revised revenue estimates were approved for the current state budget year, which ends in June, and the one that will follow. The current fiscal year estimate was increased by the committee from $5.9 to almost $6.9 billion. The budget estimate for the next year was increased to $6.9billion, an increase of about $112m from the previous estimate. Gunn stated that next year’s estimated was low-balled and that the state would receive much more money. Hosemann stated, “I would feel more comfortable with just a little less.”