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Mo. Senate Softens Stance On Tax Credit

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The Missouri Senate passed two sets of tax credit legislation on Thursday. It appears so far that the Senate may no longer be the place where tax credits go to die.

In years past, proposed incentives for such things as historic preservation or amateur sporting events would have faced a filibuster threat from a group of fiscally conservative Republicans in the Senate.  But the leaders of that group are gone, now, and perhaps that’s why this year’s amateur sports incentives bill was allowed to receive a Senate floor vote.  

Republican Will Kraus of Lee’s Summit says the atmosphere has changed.

“We’re trying to work with the House to get overall reform,” Kraus said. “I understand that Senator Dempsey’s plan is to send this over there as a, ‘hey, this is a new Senate, we’re willing to work with you’…I get that.”

Kraus actually voted against tax breaks for amateur sporting events, but he also says it’s a small-sized bill that didn’t warrant a filibuster.  

GOP Senator Eric Schmitt of St. Louis County sponsored the amateur sporting events bill.

“I think we proved this week that we can operate in a way to start to look at these things differently, and I think that’s a good thing,” Schmitt said. “I think it sends a positive message, not just to the other chamber, but more importantly to the state and to these kinds of people, whether they’re businesses looking to locate here, businesses looking to stay here, or these events that we’re trying to attract.”

Schmitt’s amateur sporting events bill passed the Senate on a 28 to 4 vote.  The Missouri Senate also unanimously passed legislation that would revive the Children in Crisis program and several other benevolent tax breaks.  They expired last year when lawmakers failed to pass any form of tax credit legislation.

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