It’s been a difficult couple of years for everyone. Between the pandemic, and now rising inflation these haven’t been the easiest of times. However, for Missouri’s government business has been booming. After months of record revenues our state has more money than ever before. That is why now is the time for an income tax cut.
Earlier this year, the legislature passed a bill that would have given you a one-time tax refund. Depending on your income it could’ve been up to $500 for individuals and $1000 for married couples filing jointly. I was heavily involved in crafting that legislation and, as always, compromises were made. Predictably, there were disagreements about the final product. The Governor chose to veto that legislation stating that he’d prefer a permanent tax cut and that certainly is his prerogative. I also prefer the idea of permanent tax cuts that are fairly distributed to all working Missourians. I remain committed to returning to taxpayers what is theirs by any means necessary.
I am thankful that the Governor called us in for a special session to pass a real income tax cut. He is pulling us in the same direction, and he has a vision. I believe we are in a position where we can discuss an income tax cut because of his leadership during the pandemic. He kept our economy open, our revenues stayed strong, and now we have more money than at any point in our state’s history.
I want to make it very clear that my priority is to help our working class. Since I was elected to office, we have spent a large amount of time working for people who can’t or simply don’t want to work. I believe that as a society do more for individuals who can work but choose not to than at any point in the history of the world. In recent years, between the expansion of unemployment benefits, the expansion of Medicaid, and the expansion of several other welfare programs, we have done a great deal for people who don’t have any interest in working. To see the harmful effects of these policies we need only look to our state’s current workforce crisis.
I understand that there are people in positions where they can’t work, and I do believe that the Government can play a role in helping the most vulnerable in our society. But we haven’t done enough for the people who actually work and deserve a break. My goal is to help Missourians who work hard, and that is who I believe will benefit the most from these tax cuts.
We now have an opportunity to put more of your hard-earned money back in your pocket and to do so in a way that has a sustainable effect on your wallet. I want to cut taxes, and even though there are many opinions on how best to do that, I believe that we will find a pathway to do so in the coming weeks.
