FLORHAM PARK – Mikie Sherrill used a Monday address to the Morris County Chamber of Commerce to again say federal tax reform “really penalizes people in New Jersey.”

The reference was to the 2017 tax bill that caps the deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT, at $10,000.

It’s not a new issue. In fact, it’s an issue that helped Sherrill win her seat last November over Republican Jay Webber who embraced the tax plan, insisting that it actually benefited many households in the district.  That was a dubious assertion and voters seemed to agree.

More importantly, Sherrill said she plans to introduce a bill to raise the cap. Her proposal would increase the now $10,000 deduction cap to $12,000 for single filers, $18,000 for heads of household and $24,000 for those filing jointly.

She said many from the most impacted states – notably the northeast and California – favor outright appeal of the cap, but that raising it would be a step in the right direction.

During the campaign, Sherrill said the average SALT deduction in District 11 had been about $20,000, meaning that those households were able to deduct only about half of that, $10,000, when they filed federal income taxes this spring. On Monday, she said the average deduction in Morris County alone was more than $23,000. The district also covers parts of Essex, Passaic and Sussex counties.

Sherrill said she hopes to have co-sponsors for her bill by the end of the week. Passage in the Democratic-controlled House  is not the issue.

The GOP Senate is another story. Besides simple politics, there are virtually no Republican senators from any of the states most impacted by the $10,000 cap.

Sherrill’s appearance drew more than 100 people. While the chamber traditionally leans right, Sherrill got a glowing introduction and was well received.

During the question and answer section, she was asked about border security.

Sherrill spoke about the need for comprehensive immigration reform and said border security also means keeping tabs on U.S. ports and not just the border with Mexico. She also said she has learned of a change in the people arriving at the southern border seeking asylum. Years ago they were generally single men, but now many are families fleeing violence in Honduras and Guatemala. This observation tends to clash with the president’s view that many of those coming to the border are marauding banditos.

Sherrill’s first vote in Congress was a significant one – opposing Nancy Pelosi for Speaker.

Notwithstanding that, she told the chamber that relations are good between her and Pelosi, noting that she was able to get a spot on the Armed Services Committee, a key posting for a representative whose district includes Picatinny Arsenal. The speaker certainly could have stopped that if she wanted.