Missouri lawmakers have acted to keep Kansans who work in Missouri from paying extra taxes, so the Kansas legislature won’t take revenge on Missourians who work in their state.

This isn’t MU vs. KU, but close and perhaps even more hotly contested, since this involves taxes.

Missouri lawmakers created the problem a year ago, trying to take revenge on Illinois. They eliminated a provision that allowed out-of-state workers to deduct their property taxes when paying Missouri income taxes. The indiscriminate shot hit Kansans working in Missouri in the pocket book.

Rep. Brian Yates (R-Lee’s Summit) asks House sponsor Paul LeVota (D-Independence) if passage will head off a retaliatory strike from the Kansas legislature, "Do you know where this is in the state of Kansas? I’ve heard there is some retribution legislation that was moving, but I don’t know whatever happened (to it)."

LeVota says Kansas is concerned if the Missouri legislature is actually going to approve the fix, "They’ll move their legislation if we can’t get this done," LeVota tells Yates, adding, "I’m actually surprised they haven’t"

Rep. Michael Brown (D-Kansas City) says many of his constituents cross the border to go to work each day and don’t need an added tax burden. He says there doesn’t need to be an escalation between the two states, using taxes.

SB 748 , now heading to the governor, adjusts to each state. Illinois doesn’t provide the deduction, so Missouri won’t give it to Illinois residents. Kansas does, so Missouri will.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)