Editor, Atchison County Mail

It’s a tax scam, folks. The Missouri House passed HJR 173-174, a constitutional amendment swapping state income tax for expanded sales taxes. If passed in the Senate, voters will see this on the 2026 ballot. Sounds like a good idea to not pay income tax – right? NO, it’s a tax scam! “Let the people decide” is what the legislature wants. They choose to mislead voters. The loss of income tax revenues will create a $5 billion hole in Missouri’s budget, leading to $1.4 BILLION cuts to public education. An interactive map identifying the loss of revenue to each of Missouri’s public schools is available at: https://mobudget.org/schools-face-18-cut-under-tax-scheme/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQk9StleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe4QwqU9c1jl3uuyXn1yFrNN9JPk-ctigb1LXQHDjVqNy27L5VGQF8YVFWeLI_aem_ZbWFgZCBPdinNElI2XPgDQ

Decreased state revenues will cut services to seniors, childcare, and infrastructure. When income tax supports almost 2/3 of the state’s general revenue budget, what else will replace revenue? SALES TAXES ON EVERYTHING – on services such as haircuts, auto repairs, home repairs, rent, streaming services, EVERYTHING! The state legislature would decide the additional services that will be taxed. Sales tax rates may not increase, but sales taxes will be affixed to more goods and services.

The Missouri Budget Project indicates that a household earning $65,000 annually would see an increase in tax expense of $585. Only the wealthiest Missourians with incomes of $300,000 or more would see a decrease in taxes. Eliminating the state income tax is a generational change and will be PERMANENT.

Rep. Jeff Farnan wrote to a constituent that sales tax and service taxes “will hit retired folks and low-income Missourians the hardest.” Yet, he voted YES. In a presentation on March 20, Sen. Rusty Black stated his support of the bill. Call Rep. Farnan at 573-751-9465 to discuss his decision to support a bill he knows will hurt his constituents. More importantly, call Sen. Black at 573-751-1415 to vote NO on HJR 173-174.

Remember: No income tax = SALES TAXES ON EVERYTHING.

Nancy Zeliff, Atchison County Resident, Skidmore, MO