WATCH: Mayer Says Senate Will Not Pass Sinquefield Sales Tax Hike This Year
Speaking Wednesday night at a Webster University forum hosted by former Governor Bob Holden, Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer (R-Dexter) told audience members that he has "a lot of concerns" about Rex Sinquefield's plan to hike sales taxes while inflicting huge damage to the state budget, and said that he does not expect a legislative version of Sinquefield's proposal will pass this session.
Here's video of the relevant exchange from Show Me Progress. Mayer is on the left, Holden is in the middle and Missouri State Budget Director Linda Luebbering is on the right.
A partial transcript:
MAYER: There's a lot of things that I have concerns about that, that 'fair tax.' And I probably shouldn't be this frank and candid with you, but I can't see us passing that 'fair tax' in this session. Now, I'm just one Senator and I probably shouldn't make that kind of statement, but there's a lot of details in that tax, in that proposal, that concern me. And you make a good, you ask a good question-- how much does the sales tax have to be? You know, they talked about seven and a half percent or eight percent. But just, what, this last year, the realtors I guess, passed, wasn't it some time of petition that would exclude them from that. And then, you know, then you start taxing attorneys and CPA services. And you know, then you get into this issue, well, certain ones want to be exempted out. And then everybody else wants to be exempted out. And before long, you're talking about ten, twelve, thirteen percent. So, I mean, the concept intrigues me, but for me, there's got be be a lot -- I've got to have a lot of answers.
Mayer's concerns are similar to those we heard last year from then-Speaker Ron Richard (R-Joplin), who said that promoters of the plan had not provided enough evidence to justify their radical plan, had not addresses the impact the proposal would have on commerce near state borders, and had not put forward a sales tax rate that made him "comfortable."
While Mayer's honest assessment is good news, my fear is that resistance in the General Assembly will do nothing to deter Sinquefield from pursuing his horrible ideas with an initiative petition.
h/t Dave Drebes
