Missouri income taxes would be cut by $700 million under a plan that Governor Mike Parson is asking the legislature to pass in special session.
During a stop in Bridgeton, the Governor touted his tax break as the biggest in state history, saying it would cut income tax by 4.8%, and do away with state income tax for some people altogether.
"If you make $16,000 or less, you're not gonna have any state tax obligation," Parson said. "If you're a senior and you're maybe working part time, you're not gonna have any tax obligation to the state of Missouri."
Parson said he also wants to extend special tax breaks to Missouri farmers to offset the rising costs for fuel, fertilizer and seeds. He said all of thsi can be done and still leave the state with a "healthy" surplus.
"We want to give that money back to the people that are people paying it in, and this is an opportunity to do it," Parson told KMOX of the proposed legislation. "This will help low-income, seniors, veterans, single moms, single dads out there."
State Representative Donna Barringer of St. Louis said she's not sold on the plan yet.
"I'm here because I wanted to hear what the Governor had to say. I'm sitting down and I'm gonna go over it with a fine-tooth comb, because I sit on Fiscal Review and everyone knows my number-one thing is numbers," she said. "At a glance, it looks great, but I need to go over it and make sure it is everything it is."
She said one concern she has is whether the new gas tax is raising enough money to fund the state highway department as promised.
Parson said MODOT has enough money for now from the gasoline taxes. Addressing another concern, he added that schools should have some local funding, and they shouldn't be entirely reliant on state funding.
State Representative Walsh Moore was also skeptical.
"We've seen this in Kansas, it didn't work, it's exactly the same program, and I'm very hesitant to support it," Moore said. "I don't believe that it does what it says it does, I think it's still going to only affect the top 1% and I don't believe that enough money will get back to the working people of Missouri."
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