Brakeyshia Samms
State Policy Analyst
Brakeyshia researches and writes about tax policies to inform the public and supports advocates and policymakers with analyses to help secure equitable tax policies, sound fiscal practices, and policy solutions that remedy historical injustices.
Prior to joining ITEP in August 2021, she was a senior associate with Pew’s Fiscal Federalism Initiative. At Pew, she researched tax policies and public programs at the intersection of the federal-state fiscal relationship. Her research products included analyses of the student loan interest deduction, the geographic distribution of federal tax policies, and the state and local tax deduction, among others.
Before Pew, she was a state policy fellow with Every Texan in Austin, Texas, through the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ postgraduate fellowship program. At Every Texan, she conducted research, published reports, op-eds, and blog posts, and presented legislative testimony on budget and tax policies in Texas. In addition, she was the lead organizer for Texas Forward, a coalition of over 70 organizations that advocated for fair budget and tax policies.
Her publications and work have garnered the attention of the public, other researchers, and the media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University. She is a proud native of Carrollton, Texas.
brakeyshia at itep.orgRecent Publications and Posts view more
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States are Talking About the Wrong Kind of Property Tax Cuts
Concerns over property tax affordability have been at the forefront this year as housing prices have climbed and property tax bills have often increased along with them. As lawmakers mull a range of property tax cuts, circuit breakers are the best possible approach—and these policies are receiving far too little attention in the states.
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Preventing an Overload: How Property Tax Circuit Breakers Promote Housing Affordability
Circuit breaker credits are the most effective tool available to promote property tax affordability. These policies prevent a property tax “overload” by crediting back property taxes that go beyond a certain share of income. Circuit breakers intervene to ensure that property taxes do not swallow up an unreasonable portion of qualifying households’ budgets.