Better Solutions

One of the hottest topics so far this session has been and will continue to be Healthcare Reform. I think the voters made their message loud and clear during the last election that they do not want any new taxes and they do not support drastically expanding the already broken program that is Medicaid. The Governor has promised not to raise any of Missouri’s taxes, yet concedes that the state will be liable for hundreds of millions in new spending through his Medicaid expansion. He has not offered a plan of how to pay for the expansion so we are left to conclude he plans to take money from places like corrections, mental health or education (his target last year). Medicaid was designed to help the neediest, such as children and those with special needs. It should not be diluted.

We will not ignore the needs of our less-fortunate citizens and will be working diligently to offer and pass the best solutions for Missouri. One such plan to assist Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens was passed in the House this week with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. House Bill 87 sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Springfield) re-establishes or extends the sunset date on many Benevolent Tax Credits to December 31, 2019. The tax credits impacted by this legislation include the income tax credit for the surviving spouse of a public safety officer who has not remarried, the children in crisis tax credit, the disability access residential renovations tax credit, the pregnancy resource center tax credit, and the income tax credit for a donation to a food pantry.

These tax credits encourage investments, from private citizens, in programs that benefit many of our most needy citizens. HB 87 will help many of our charitable organizations gather resources to provide much needed assistance to low-income families. These benevolent tax credits are a fiscally responsible way of assisting Missourians who are in need.

Times are tough in Missouri and all across our Nation. However, encouraging private citizens to support the many charitable organizations who are providing much needed resources to pregnant women and hungry children is good public policy.  It is not just the smart thing to do; it is the right thing to do.