Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (R) has appointed a veteran lawmaker to the State Tax Commission.

former State Sen. Will Kraus (photo courtesy of the  Missouri Senate)

Greitens has appointed Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, to the Missouri Tax Commission.

Kraus served three terms in the Missouri House, from 2005 to January 2011. He served seven sessions in the Senate, after being elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.

Kraus resigned from the Senate on Monday.

“I’m very excited to get the ability to continue my service to Missourians in this new role,” Kraus says.

Kraus tells Missourinet he’ll advocate for taxpayers.

“There’s several things the Commission does,” says Kraus. “There’s a number of entities that are assessed at the State Tax Commission level. Telecommunications is one that I can think of.”

The Commission hears taxpayers’ appeals from local Boards of Equalization, and also handles the statewide assessment of the property of railroads, airlines and pipelines.

Kraus served 13 years in the Legislature and would have been forced out by term limits next year.

He enjoyed serving in the General Assembly.

“In particular my time in the Missouri Senate, I believe that we’ve been able to accomplish many great things including the very first income tax rate cut in almost 100 years,” Kraus says.

That was Senate Bill 509, which lowered the state’s income tax rate from six to five-point-five percent. The Legislature approved it over the veto of former Governor Jay Nixon (D).

In 2013, Kraus sponsored a bill authorizing Missouri’s circuit courts to create veterans treatment courts. Nixon signed that legislation.

And Kraus also sponsored a photo ID bill, which the GOP-controlled Legislature approved in September 2016 over Governor Nixon’s veto. Missourians then approved a photo ID constitutional amendment last November.

Kraus ran for Secretary of State last year and was defeated in the August Republican primary by Jay Ashcroft.

Kraus served in the U-S Army as a Platoon leader in Iraq and still serves in the Missouri National Guard.

His appointment will have to be confirmed by the Senate. A special election for Kraus’ former Senate seat will be held in November.

 

Click here to listen to Missourinet news director Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with former State Senator Will Kraus, which was recorded on July 31, 2017: