This panel features opening remarks from CRSJ Economic Justice Committee Co-Chair Marilyn Harbur and Senator Ron Wyden. Wyden's remarks underscore the great need to build political will on both sides of the aisle to achieve economic justice.
Ending the cycle of poverty and debt for low- and no-income households is key to achieving economic justice and closing the racial wealth gap. This panel explores hot topics and action steps lawyers and civil rights advocates can advance to reforming the tax system to ensure the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share, lift people out of poverty through tax policies like the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, combat the abuses and inequities in the student loan debt crisis, and confront the harms of high-cost debt traps, including the inability of tribes to protect the economic activity on reservations and fight against dual taxation.