Committee Formed to Support Let Voters Decide Initiative

Jefferson City, Jan. 20, 2010 – Papers were filed today with the Missouri Ethics Commission to establish a ballot measure committee in support of a statewide voter initiative dealing with local earnings taxes in Missouri.

The group, named Let Voters Decide, will soon start gathering the roughly 100,000 voter signatures needed to place the initiative on the November 2010 statewide ballot.

Attorney Marc Ellinger, a spokesman for the new group, explained that various versions of an earnings tax measure had previously been submitted for review by the Secretary of State, but only one of them is to be circulated and ultimately headed to the ballot.

“The statutory initiative measure we will pursue does not automatically repeal the existing earnings taxes in St. Louis and Kansas City,” said Ellinger. “It’s designed to give voters in those cities the right to decide for themselves, in local elections, whether they want to continue the earnings tax in their city or phase it out gradually over a period of ten years. The initiative also prohibits any new local earnings taxes in communities that don’t currently have one, so it protects people in the rest of the state from having a local earnings tax imposed in their city or town.”

With regard to St. Louis and Kansas City, Ellinger explained that the initiative requires local “sunset” votes on the existing 1% earnings tax in each city every five years starting in 2011. The tax would continue as long as the majority of voters continue to approve it in those local votes. If, in a future local election, the majority of local voters in St. Louis or Kansas City vote against continuing the earnings tax, it would be phased out in their city gradually, over a period of ten years, at the rate of one-tenth of a percent per year.

Ellinger said the primary initial funding for the Let Voters Decide campaign has been provided by retired Missouri businessman and philanthropist Rex Sinquefield. Travis H. Brown, who heads up the Pelopidas L.L.C., a consulting firm that represents Sinquefield, will serve as Chairman of Let Voters Decide.

Real Economic Growth for Missouri

As Governor Jay Nixon unveils his State of the State speech on January 20th before the Missouri General Assembly, it is expected that job growth and economic recovery ideas will be front and center.

The drive toward dynamic economic growth for the Show-ME State economy is an important one to institute. That’s why we were fortunate to have Dr. Art Laffer of Laffer & Associates present his views on how Missouri’s economy can grow by replacing our state income tax with a broad-based sales tax system.

Below is a complete list of the 2010 Missouri General Assembly roster of State Representatives and Senators that are likely to be discussing this legislative issue. As citizens, taxpayers, small business leaders, and professionals, it is our hope that your voices will be heard this legislative session on this important debate.

HOUSE MEMBERS

Sue Allen, Bert Atkins, Joe Aull, Kenny Biermann, Walt Bivins, Ellen Brandom, Rachel Bringer, Dan Brown, Jason Brown, Michael Brown, Mark Bruns, Eric Burlison, John Burnett, Don Calloway, Chris Carter, Ron Casey, Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Mike Colona, Robert Cooper, Michael Corcoran, Stanley Cox, Mike Cunningham, Shalonn Curls, Cynthia Davis, David Day, Bill Deeken, Charlie Denison, Mike Dethrow, Scott Dieckhaus, John Diehl, Bob Dixon, Curt Dougherty, Tony Dugger, Gary Dusenberg, Ed Emery, Vicki Englund, Doug Ervin, Sally Faith, Joe Fallert, Linda Fischer, Barney Fisher, Tom Flanigan, Tim Flook, Michael Frame, Ward Franz, Doug Funderburk, Chuck Gatschenberger, Jason Grill, Jeff Grisamore, Casey Guernsey, Jim Guest, Belinda Harris, Steve Hobbs, Steve Hodges, Jason Holsman, Denny Hoskins, Theodore Hoskins, Leonard Hughes IV, Jacob Hummel, Allen Icet, Kenny Jones, Timothy Jones, Tishaura Jones, Jason Kander, Shelley Keeney, Chris Kelly, Gayle Kingery, Jeanne Kirkton, Andrew Koenig, Sam Komo, Michele Kratky, Will Kraus, J C Kuessner, Mike Lair, Sara Lampe, Scott Largent, Mike Leara, Roman Lee LeBlanc, Paul LeVota, Albert Liese, Scott Lipke, Tom Loehner, Beth Low, Rebecca McClanahan, Tom McDonald, Mike McGhee, Cole McNary, Margo McNeil, Tim Meadows, Kate Meiners, Chris Molendorp, James Morris, Brian Munzlinger, Bob Nance, Jamilah Nasheed, Stacey Newman, Brian Nieves, Jerry Nolte, Charlie Norr, Jeanette Oxford, Mark Parkinson, Mike Parson, Darrell Pollock, Bryan Pratt, Paul Quinn, Ron Richard, Jeanie Riddle, Jeff Roorda, Martin Rucker, Marilyn Ruestman, Don Ruzicka, Ray Salva, Therese Sander, David Sater, Luke Scavuzzo, Rob Schaaf, Rodney Schad, Dwight Scharnhorst, Ed Schieffer, Charles Schlottach, Shane Schoeller, Sue Schoemehl, Jill Schupp, Tom Self, Tom Shively, Ryan Silvey, Trent Skaggs, Jason Smith, Joe Smith, Michael Spreng, Bryan Stevenson, Mary Still, Rachel Storch, Rick Stream, Mike Sutherland, Terry Swinger, Mike Talboy, Mike Thomson, Steven Tilley, Tom Todd, Clint Tracy, James Viebrock, Michael Vogt, Maynard Wallace, Gina Walsh, Rochelle Walton Gray, Jay Wasson, Steve Webb, Stephen Webber, Don Wells, Ray Weter, Kevin Wilson, Larry Wilson, Terry Witte, Billy Pat Wright, Patricia Yaeger, Anne Zerr, Jake Zimmerman

Senators

Frank Barnitz, Matt Bartle, Joan Bray, Victor Callahan, Norma Champion, Dan Clemens, Jason Crowell, Jane Cunningham, Rita Heard Days, Tom Dempsey, Kevin Engler, Jack Goodman, Timothy P. Green, John Griesheimer, Jolie Justus, Joseph Keaveny, Brad Lager, Jim Lembke, Rob Mayer, Ryan McKenna, Gary Nodler, David Pearce, Chuck Purgason, Luann Ridgeway, Scott Rupp, Kurt Schaefer, Eric Schmitt, Delbert Scott, Charlie Shields, Wes Shoemyer, Bill Stouffer, Carl Vogel, Yvonne Wilson, Robin Wright-Jones