Letter

Touring the State for Tax Justice

Working in Jefferson City can be frustrating. You can put in 16 hour days, and feel like you haven’t accomplished a thing. You can come up with the greatest plan in the world, and have everyone think your nuts. You can work for years on a compromise, only to see it sunk. But once, every so often, you make a real, lasting difference in the lives of your neighbors and friends. Passing the Senior Tax Justice Act has been one of those times for me.

A few months back, I toured the state, along with Governor Blunt, to promote the Senior Tax Justice Act. I wanted to let everyone know about the plan and to get their help in passing it. This week, I toured the state to thank everyone for their help and to let our seniors know how this plan will help them.

Over the next six years, Missouri will phase out the tax on Social Security benefits as well as the tax on pension incomes for other retirees like teachers, firefighters, military personnel and police officers.

Unfortunately, only seniors who make less than $85,000 per year (or couples who make less than 100,000 per year) will benefits from this tax cut. That was a compromise we had to make to get the bill passed. Despite this change, this reform will help around 220,000 Missouri seniors and retirees.

This trip was a great opportunity not only to educate Missourians about this important achievement, but also to meet and talk with real people whose lives will be changed. It’s easy to get isolated in Jefferson City. Sometimes we forget that our proposals aren’t just a collection of words and paragraphs, they have a real impact on the lives of our friends and family.

It’s been fun to hear what seniors are planning to do with the extra money they will get. I’ve heard from seniors who are looking forward to getting the extra help for everyday expenses, like gas. And there have been more extravagant plans, like one Missourian who is planning to use the money to buy the motorcycle he always wanted.

Maybe these ideas sound trivial. But they mean everything to those seniors. Our seniors fought Nazism and communism. They built the greatest nation the world has ever seen.  They raised us and taught us how to be responsible adults and parents. The least we can do is let them keep the retirement benefits and incomes they have earned.

I also want to thank some of my friends from across the aisle who helped make this work. We had overwhelming support from both parties. Democrats like Rep. Ed Wildeberger out of St. Joseph helped make this reform possible and joined me on the tour this week.

We even had Democrats from the past come to help. Former Speaker Jim Kreider, who now works with the Missouri Retired Teachers Association, was a huge help in drumming up support and educating the public on this bill.

The Senior Tax Justice Act is just one example of what we can accomplish when we forget party lines and work together to improve the everyday lives of Missourians.

As always, if you have any questions on this or any other issue, I can be reached at 573-751-5912 in my Jefferson City office, or through the mail at: Speaker Rod Jetton, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO, 65101.  Also, you can reach me through email at rod.jetton@house.mo.gov.