Governor Nixon’s credibility with legislative Republicans threatens to derail a tax cut bill.
Senator Will Kraus of Lee’s Summit has been negotiating tax cut legislation with Governor Nixon and his staff and he thinks they’ve agreed on a bill that would cut income taxes if the elementary and secondary education fund is fully funded and if state general income goes up by 200-million dollars.
But he’s getting opposition from both Democrats and fellow Republicans. Some of his critics think the triggers put into the bill to please Governor Nixon mean any tax cuts are a long ways off if they happen at all. Some question cutting taxes at the same time other proposals are being debated that would put the state $400-million in debt to build a new mental hospital and repair dilapidated state buildings.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer of Columbia doubts Nixon has agreed to sign the bill. He says Nixon and his staff are careful with their words and Kraus might have heard some things that were not really said.
The state has about 400-million dollars more than expected and tahe legislature widely different ideas about what to do with it. Kraus has not been able to get a vote on his bill.
　
