The House Ways and Means committee easily passed the governor's state income tax cut plan Wednesday morning, so it now heads to the full House next week. The plan would lower the state's top income tax rate from 7 percent to 4.75 percent over 10 years.

To find out how much the cut would mean to the average person, we went to tax preparer Luanne Curry to run some numbers.

The U.S. Census Bureau says the median household income for the state is around $39,000. The tax cut plan calls for the 7 percent rate to be lowered by .225 percent per year. That would save the average family about $88 a year.

"If it goes down all the way to 4.75 percent," Curry says, "that's going to bring it down about $878." Obviously, your savings would vary based on income and deductions.

Pacolet Rep. Lanny Littlejohn chaired the subcommittee that studied the plan. "It's not a lot of money, but the main thing is it's going to make us more competitive with the Southeastern states and spur the economy, too. And people are going to re-invest that money back in the economy, also, so it's really a win-win for everyone."

The cut would be paid for with growth in the economy. If the state's income does not grow at least 2 percent in any year, there would be no cut that year.

But critics say the state still can't afford the cut, with our needs in education, health care and public safety.

The House is expected to pass the bill, since it did last year. It died in the Senate. Rep. Littlejohn says its chances this year are better in the Senate.