Missouri’s Tax Reform Journey Has Only Just Begun

For Missouri’s tax reformers, this was one big week. Sure, the legislature passed the state’s first individual income tax reduction in nearly a century. But Tuesday’s override vote also signaled that the sands in the Missouri capitol are finally shifting toward sound, market-oriented, and growth-promoting tax policies, and away from Jefferson City’s business-as-usual tax policies.

As an organization that has helped lead tax reform efforts in Missouri for many years, the Show-Me Institute is pleased to see the legislature take this baby step of reform. Make no mistake — this is a very modest tax cut, and smaller than we preferred. But to be clear, this tax cut serves as a mile-marker on the path of greater reforms.

Thanks to the hard work of countless supporters of the free market, that pathway of reform is now opening wide. Policymakers are finally recognizing that the words “free market” actually mean something . . . and that free markets actually matter.

When we at the Show-Me Institute say that we believe in free markets, what we’re really saying is that we believe in people. We believe in people to invest in themselves and their families and to make this state a better place to live. We believe in that bottom-up solution which puts its faith in our people, not a top-down plan that puts its faith in the government. We believe in you.

And we believe this week’s tax cut is just the first step on the road to enduring, people-empowering tax reform in this great state. We look forward to the future, and we hope you’ll join us on our journey to make our state even better.