The state senate joins the House in overwhelmingly rejecting State Tax Commission recommendations that some of Missouri’s farm land has increased in productivity value while other land has decreasted in productivity value.

Missouri farmland is taxed on the basis of its productivity value, not its market value.

The House passed its rejection resolution 140-15 yesterday. The Senate passed its own version of the rejection resolution 30-3 today, with all three “no” votes coming from St. Louis Senators.

Senate resolution sponsor Bill Stouffer of Napton says agricultural finance is in such a volatile condition that any tax increase is unwarranted. Stouffer says there has been no increase in farm land productivity values in more than 12 years.

Although both chambers have passed resolutions disagreeing with the commission, they have not passed the SAME resolution, which is required for the commission recommendations to be blocked. That could happen, however, next week.

Senate debate on the resolution 19:24 mp3