Nixon Rips Senate’s Border War Tax Cut Plan March 7, 2013

(AP) — Gov. Jay Nixon denounced a new Senate plan to overhaul Missouri’s tax policies Thursday, asserting that a proposed sales tax increase could be especially harmful for seniors and veterans who might not benefit from a corresponding income tax cut.
The Democratic governor voiced his opposition to the Republican-backed plan just a day after it received preliminary approval in the Senate, where supporters touted it as a necessary step to keep pace with recently enacted income tax cuts in Kansas.
The central part of Senate bill would gradually reduce Missouri’s individual and corporate income taxes by three-quarters of a percentage point over five years while also deducting half of the business income that gets reported on individuals’ tax returns. To offset part of that lost tax revenue, the legislation would gradually raise the state sales tax by one-half cent over the same period.
Asked Thursday about the Senate legislation, Nixon focused on the proposed sales tax increase. He said it could especially affect seniors and veterans who rely on Social Security checks or federal benefits and may not gain much an income tax reduction. He also suggested that the sales tax increase could hurt working-class families purchasing baseball gloves or other items for their children.
“The bottom line is when folks go to the store, they’ll be paying more for everything they buy,” Nixon said. “That is a tax increase, and I am not for it.”
Bill sponsor Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, says the legislation would equal a $450 million annual reduction in state tax revenues once fully implemented. The nonprofit Missouri Budget Project, which analyzes financial issues with an emphasis on their effect on the poor, estimates a $700 million annual cost.
Nixon did not address a question Thursday about whether the state could afford the lost tax revenues. Some Democratic senators have denounced the plan “irresponsible” while predicting it could jeopardize future funding for schools and other government services.
The legislation needs another Senate vote before it can move to the House.

KC ‘Poaching’ Bill on the Line. is This D-Day for Special Session? September 23, 2011

The big bill for Kansas City at the troubled special session of the legislature has been a jobs rentetion bill. Now area lawmakers are trying to salvage it it.

The bill, they feel, would help kansas City fight back from the business ‘poaching’ from Kansas.

There is no debate Kansas has better incentives to offer to companies who are near the state line.

the latest example is the move by AMC Theaters to move its corporate offices.

But the Missourinet’s Bob Priddy is reporting the economic development bill is in deep trouble. So is the entire special session.

“We’ll learn in a few hours whether this special session of the legislature makes major changes in the state’s economic development program…..or whether the session will go on longer…

An agreement between the governor and legislative leaders has been crumbling almost from the day it was announced in July, In recent days the House and Senate have been far apart on the economic development bill and have been saying nasty things about one another.

Leaders say this will be the last day, no matter what happens. The senate will be watching the House closely this morning as it considers the senate-passed economic development bill. Senate leaders want six things they say the House has taken out of the Senate version.

If the Senate doesn’t like what it sees, it can come into session this afternoon and adjourn, not only killing any hope for the jobs bill, but killing several other bills in the process, several of which have been approved by the House..

Senate leader Rob Mayer doesn’t see the situation as penalizing backers of other bills because the Hosue and Senate leaders couldn’t find middle ground.

The House is to meet the morning. The senate is to meet at 2 p.m. Members angry about the House’s attitudes almost shut down the special session on Wednesday. Some still want to do it without passing a bill…