On Thursday, the Missouri Senate passed a bill that excused guns and ammunition from sales tax, as well as diapers and feminine hygiene items.
Missouri Senate Approves Sales Tax Cut On Guns, Ammo, Diapers, And Feminine Hygiene Products
The Missouri Capitol is moving forward with the measure that approved guns, ammunition, diapers, and feminine hygiene products from sales tax.
The two tax cuts that passed in Missouri Senate come with a deal between political parties to sustain the two tax cuts. Senate Democrats would not filibuster the ruling to excuse firearms and ammunition from sales tax as long as they could obtain a clean tax cut bill on diapers and feminine hygiene items while providing tax credits to grocery shops.
Fox2Now news reported that Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, said that they are fighting for working families, which are trying to make ends meet so that they can buy unlimited rounds with no sales tax. Moreover, the two separate plans in the Missouri Senate that desired in cutting taxes within minutes of each other passed by the upper chamber on Thursday.
Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville sponsored one bill that would drop local and state sales tax on the purchase of guns and ammunition. Senate Bill 131 also provides gun manufacturers a tax credit in hope of obtaining more firearms for the makers in the gun state.
Brattin stated that the imposed taxation from the federal government is an offset that imposes that sort of taxation, and can help offset something that the government is doing to a constitutional right.
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Some GOP Members Against The Bill
Senanot Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, and the other 5 GOP members were united with ten Democrats who are also against the bill. Cierpiot states that he understands the concept of the bill, but he questions the bill that says “Why is the guy buying food for his kids paying taxes and the guy buying the bullets is not? And a guy buys into a store a gallon of milk and a box of cereal for his children and next to him is a guy buying a box of ammunition.”
Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, does not approve of the ruling because according to him, it might soon be just vetoed by the governor. “I don’t like tax credits because tax credits don’t treat everyone fairly,” Moon said.
Some senators attempted to terminate the sales tax on groceries during the debate on the bill. However, the fiscal noted for the amendment that trimming the sales tax on groceries could cost the state approximately $200 million and more than $1.3 billion for local municipalities. Rizzo was surprised at the 19-15 vote tally. In the upper chamber, there are 24 Republicans, when voting comes.
The Missouri Senate brought a vote on Senate Bill 143, in which Sen. Doug Beck, D-Affton sponsored the bill to remove the sales tax on all diapers and feminine hygiene products. A 28-6 vote was obtained by the bipartisan in approving the legislation. Lastly, Both bills are now in the hands of the House and there are less than five weeks left in the session.
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