U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) voted last week in support of the Tax Extenders Act of 2009 that continues many current tax breaks through 2010. The bill extends research and development tax credits used by nearly 11,000 corporations, property tax relief for up to 30 million homeowners and college tuition tax deductions for about 4.5 million families, says Shuler. It also extends tax breaks for classroom materials purchased by teachers.