An overwhelming majority of Alabamians support doing away with the sales tax on food, according to new polling released by the state’s Republican Party.
Of those with an opinion on the grocery tax, 83% wanted to see it eliminated, compared to 15% who don’t support the idea and 14% who were unsure. The proposal was popular across party lines – 70% of both Republicans and Democrats and 69% of independents said they backed eliminating the state’s sales tax on food.
When asked if they prefer doing away with the food sales tax vs. a proposed $800 taxpayer rebate, the majority – 82% overall – said they preferred a grocery tax cut.
The polling reflects a growing push towards doing away with the tax on food. Bills are coming from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including one from Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, that would roll back food sales taxes by 1 percentage point per year for basic foods like eggs, bread, milk, fresh fruit, vegetables and infant formula.
Alabama is one of only three states, along with Mississippi and South Dakota, that collects the full state sales tax on food.
The GOP poll included responses from 1,610 registered voters across the state. It has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.2%.
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