A Senate committee is considering whether to send to the full Senate a bill that would follow last year’s Sales Tax Holiday with a permanent back-to-school tax break holiday. Steve Walsh reports. The legislation, which has already cleared the House, would establish the first weekend in August as the Sales Tax Holiday for many articles of clothing, school supplies, and computers. State Representative Mike Sutherland of Warrenton says his bill will mean big bucks for Missouri retailers. And, he bases that on figures from last year’s holiday. But Tom Kruckemeyer, a former Holden Administration budget official who now works with the Missouri Budget Project – an organization representing low-income people – complains the sales tax holiday does not specifically target the poor. State sales tax on all included items would be suspended during the holiday. But cities and counties opposed to the holiday could opt out of the local tax exemption.
