Fair Tax Update

This was just sent to me:

Dear Vince,
As you know, MO HJR 36 has passed the MO house and is headed for the MO Senate this week. The bill is scheduled to be heard Wednesday, April 29 at noon in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. This is a key time for your listeners to participate in the legislative process. We are asking people, if at all possible, to spend the day in Jefferson City lobbying in support of the MO FairTax (MO HJR 36).

Tentative Schedule:
12:00 noon - Senate Ways & Means committee hearing - MO State Capitol - Hearing Room TBA
1:00 - 5:00 pm - BRIEF personal calls of support to your State Senator
5:00 or 6:00 pm - FairTax Rally at the Capitol - Location TBA

People who cannot travel to Jefferson City can help by contacting the following members of the Ways & Means Committee and their personal Senator:

In your listening area, we need special help with:
Gary Nodler R-32 @ (573) 751-2306 or Gary.Nodler@senate.mo.gov
Dan Clemons R-20 @ 573.751.4008 or Dan_Clemons@senate.mo.gov
Norma Champion R-30 @ 573.751.2583 or http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx
Chuck Purgason R-33 @ 573.751.1882 or http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx

W & M Committee members:
Jim Lembke, R-1 (573) 751-2315 or Jim.Lembke@senate.mo.gov
Matt Bartle, R-8 (573) 751-1464 or Matt_Bartle@ senate.mo.gov
Brad Lager, R-12 (573) 751-1415 or Brad.Lager@senate.mo.gov
Chuck Purgason, R-33 (573) 751-1882 or Chuck.Purgason@senate.mo.gov
Eric Schmitt, R-15 (573) 751-2853 or Eric.Schmitt@senate.mo.gov
Joan Bray, D-24 (573) 751-2514 or Joan.Bray@senate.mo.gov
Robin Wright-Jones, D-5 (573) 751-2606 or Robin.Wright-Jones@senate.mo.gov

If you could announce the calls to personal senators on the air and post this information on your web site, it would be greatly appreciated. This situation is fluid and DEVELOPING. It could change on short notice. We will keep you informed...

The bill can be read at:
http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills091/billpdf/perf/HJR0036P.PDF

If you want to talk about the bill's progress on the air, please contact me.

Best Regards,

John Putnam
Co-State Director, MO FairTax.org


Background:
MO HJR 36 has passed the MO House and will be heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee (currently promised for Wed at 12 noon but subject to change at the Chairman's discretion). Opposing groups have misconstrued the facts of the bill claiming it will raise the current MO state sales tax from 4.225% to 9%. In reality, it will raise the sales tax from the current rate TO 5.11% NOT BY 5.11%. Liberal advocates of the progressive income tax are calling for people to show up en mass to protest this bill and prevent its passage in the MO Senate. If passed in the Senate, the MO FairTax (the first state bill modeled after the national FairTax bill [HR-25] including a prebate resulting in a totally untaxed low-wage earner) will go straight to a referendum by the people without need for the Governor's approval. It would be on the ballot in Aug or Nov 2010 (probably Nov) and be effective in 2012 if it passes a vote of the people.

The biggest significance of this issue is that, if passed, MO could be the incubator for proving that the FairTax works and offers to be an economic magnet to business. Once the FairTax's validity is established in time, instead of theory, the path would be paved for other states and eventually the federal government to switch to this economic model.