The 2002 DON'T TAX FOOD! PROPOSAL[Updated Jan. 1, 2003]
The 2002 DON'T TAX FOOD! PROPOSALSee the information about House Bill 441 filed for the
2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The "DON'T TAX FOOD!" bills died in the 2002 legislative session.
The Don't Tax Food! proposal: This legislation would exempt food purchases from local sales tax and replace the resulting lost revenue to local governments. It was filed in the Missouri Senate by Senator Mary Bland (SB 780) and in the House by Rep. Betty Thompson (HB 1251).
Neither bill was updated with needed changes to raise enough replacement revenue before being filed. (Replacement revenue is raised through a change in the state income tax.) Significant errors were made in the fiscal note prepared for the bill. Attempts to update the proposal were not successful during this session. A hearing was held on SB 780 on March 19 by the Senate Ways and Means Committee. There were no questions and no comments about the bill. This indicated a total lack of interest by committee members.
It is obvious that legislators and the governor do not consider this an important issue. They do not believe there are any repercussions for ignoring it.
While this proposal was unsuccessful in the 2002 legislative session, Missourians for Tax Justice will continue to work for the elimination of the local sales tax on food.
While the Don't Tax Food! proposal was ignored in the Legislature, Governor Bob Holden and the leadership of both major parties continued to push for a package of regressive tax increases for transportation funding, and for squandering state revenue on professional sports facilities. Both of these efforts failed.
Citizens must work harder to convince legislators and Governor Holden that FOOD SHOULD NOT BE TAXED!
Read the summary and text of Senate Bill 780: http://www.senate.state.mo.us/02info/bills/SB780.htm
Read the summary and text of HB 1251: http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills02/bills02/HB1251.htm