JEFF CITY – The Missouri governor has called lawmakers back for a special session, pushing them to approve his plan to cut state income taxes.
Governor Mike Parson says his tax cut plan would be 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."
"We've seen this in Kansas, it didn't work, it's exactly the same program, and I'm very hesitant to support it," said state Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore (D-93).
The lawmaker is referring to the 'Great Kansas Tax Cut Experiment', signed into law by then-Governor Sam Brownback in 2012, who called it a "real live experiment." The plan resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, causing budgets for education and roads to be slashed. State lawmakers eventually repealed the plan which was widely considered a failure.
"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," said Walsh Moore.
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 said of the proposed legislation. "This will help low-income, seniors, veterans, single moms, single dads out there."
State Rep. Donna Barringer (D-82) also 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.