Missourians for Tax Justice
Projects
Projects
An important part of the work for tax justice in Missouri is educational. Citizens need to learn more about our present tax system and the changes that can make it more equitable.
Missourians for Tax Justice Education Project, Inc. and MTJ conduct educational activities such as workshops, forums and discussions at meetings with citizens across the state.
A new workshop, prepared with United for a Fair Economy, is offered as part of the "Tax Justice for a Healthy Missouri" campaign. The workshop is a project of this campaign, and many organizations and individuals are involved. The new workshop, "Missouri's Tax System: Inadequate, Inequitable, Outdated" was first presented in November, 2003 and in many other places over the state since then. If your organization is interested in this approximately one and one-half hour workshop, please contact Missourians for Tax Justice. People attending the workshop report they not only learn a lot, but have fun, too.A shorter presentation about our state tax system, its problems and solutions is also available. Contact MTJ for more information.
Other examples of MTJ's educational activities include a November 1995 workshop in collaboration with the Public Policy Research Centers of the University of Missouri-St. Louis on The Sales Tax in Missouri: How Do We Make It More Fair?
This workshop stimulated interest in the work that began in 1996 and 1997 for reducing the sales tax on food.
Surveys of candidates for state office on tax issues have been conducted in many election years. Responses are publicized prior to the election.
In 1996, Missourians for Tax Justice Education Project, Inc. challenged two provisions of the so-called "Hancock Amendment" to our state constitution - the state revenue limit and the "refund" provision - in a lawsuit.The Hancock Amendment provides that only income tax payers receive a refund from the state when the state's revenue exceeds the state revenue limit. Persons who pay sales tax, gas tax, and other taxes but have no income tax liability, receive nothing. MTJ believes this violates the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Missouri constitution. Unfortunately, the suit was not successful.
The state budget crisis since 2002 has made it necessary to make work against budget cuts for basic human needs programs and restructuring our outdated, inadequate, inequitable state tax system the major legislative priority.
The elimination of ALL sales tax on food in Missouri is a long-time legislative goal for MTJ. We were much involved in the successful effort to eliminate the state's general sales tax on food in 1997. Following that, ending the local sales tax on food was adopted as MTJ's #1 legislative priority. As the first step, professional research was done to obtain analysis and fiscal data on ways to replace revenue lost by local governments when sales tax on food is ended. Since the 1999 legislative session, MTJ has worked for legislation that would exempt food from local sales tax, and elimination of the food tax remains as an important goal. Go to the MTJ Home Page for links to more information on this issue.
An interactive workshop that highlights the food tax issue was developed with the help of a 1997 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award. This award is a project of World Hunger Year. Contact MTJ to find out how to schedule this workshop in your community. The workshop is called "Just Taxes ... and how do we get them?"MTJ is also working to achieve better outreach to citizens and groups throughout the state. The success of any effort for a fairer tax system depends on the involvement and support of ordinary citizens and community groups.
MTJ takes a position on important tax issues as they arise -- as either legislative issues or ballot issues. To achieve a just tax system, controversial issues must be tackled.
All of MTJ's efforts are financed by contributions from member groups and individuals and from modest grants.
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