Why Is Nodler Backtracking On Stacked Taxes Fix? And For Whom?
The Star reports that Sen. Gary Nodler (R-Joplin) has removed language from a House-passed bill that would clear up ambiguities in the state's rules on "stacked" sales taxes in municipalities. Former state Rep. Tom Burcham -- who happens to be a major fundraiser for Majority Leader Steve Tilley (R-Perryville) and practice law in Sen. Kevin Engler's (R-Farmington) hometown -- has developed quite the racket exploiting the ambiguities, much to the chagrin of local taxpayers.
In December, the News-Leader reported that Tilley, Engler and Burcham had struck a deal to end the lawsuits and pass a legislative fix. The House passed a fix in a bill (HB1442) sponsored by Birther Rep. Tim Jones (R-Eureka) with a "crushing majority." But Nodler has introduced a committee substitute that would keep towns -- including Joplin -- in a bad spot. The Star:
But in the Senate today, Sen. Gary Nolder, a Joplin Republican, introduced a substitute bill completely erasing Jones' language and putting in its place a measure that would require those suing a city to pay the city's legal fees should the court rule in the city's favor.
Informed of the substitute bill, Jones expressed dismay.
"If that is the change, then it avoids fixing the original problem," he said. "It removes the solution to the original problem."
Nodler acknowledged that issue and said he was reluctant to change the bill in a way that left the central ambiguity intact, but had to do so to prevent a filibuster that would risk killing other elements of the bill.
Who is threatening to filibuster the bill to preserve the status quo? And why isn't Engler standing by his promise to address the problem?
The House-passed language is co-sponsored by Speaker Ron Richard, also of Joplin, making his move even more perplexing. The Globe outlined the local implications of the legislation when it was considered by a House committee:
This is an issue that is near and dear to the citizens of Joplin,” City Attorney Brian Head testified before the Special Standing Committee on General Laws at the state Capitol.
A lawsuit aimed at knocking out Joplin’s half-cent public safety sales tax or its 1-cent general fund sales tax was filed in July by a Farmington attorney and former state legislator, alleging that the city had violated state law by imposing more than one general tax...
He said the issue is important to Joplin residents because the public safety tax so far has paid for 30 additional police officers, six additional firefighters, five dispatchers and support personnel, new computers and other equipment for the departments, 1,500 streetlights to combat nighttime crime, and a police substation...
Head told the legislators that with Burcham’s lawsuits and news stories about the topic, the issue has clouded the authority of cities to ask voters whether certain taxes could be enacted. That has put a chill on some public projects, he said.
The Most Powerful Man in Missouri wants this fix. Tilley and Engler promised to make it happen. And Nodler's hometown wants the fix. So what is he doing? And for whom?
There's something rather pungent about this whole matter.
Image credit: The Maneater
