NJ Politics Digest: Will Murphy’s Tax Plan Drive More Millennials Away?

New Jersey is already seeing the number of residents between the ages of 22 and 34 shrink.

Gov. Phil Murphy wants to tax ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft.
Republicans in the legislature contend that proposals to tax ride sharing services, such as Uber or Lyft, amount to “millennial taxes.” Lyft

New Jersey is already seeing the number of residents between the ages of 22 and 34 shrink, and that trend will only increase if Gov. Phil Murphy enacts several new taxes on products and services popular with younger residents, critics of the governor’s tax plan say.

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Republicans in the legislature contend that proposals to tax ride sharing services, such as Uber or Lyft, home-sharing services and e-cigarettes and related products amount to “millennial taxes,” according to a report by NJ101.5.

The report noted that the group New Jersey Future contends that the number of 22 to 34 year olds in New Jersey fell 2.3 percent between 2000 and 2013. At the same time, the group increase by 6.8 percent nationally, according to the radio station’s report.

Responding to critics, officials in the Murphy administration contend that most of the proposed taxes have already been implemented in other states and New Jersey is just following suit.

Quote of the Day: “These are not just new taxes that adults will pay. Young adults will pay these taxes.” — Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., on Gov. Phil Murphy’s plans to extend state taxes to ride- and rental-sharing services.

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NJ Politics Digest: Will Murphy’s Tax Plan Drive More Millennials Away?