News

MO governor pushes for ag tax support

Missouri’s governor is calling for tax cuts and ag tax credits to be approved during an expected upcoming special legislative session in the state.

Governor Mike Parson said agriculture got the short end of the stick when biofuel, small meat processor, and beginning farmer tax credits expired at the start of the year.

After vetoing a two-year extension to the Missouri Agriculture and Small Business Development Authority tax credits in July, Parson tells Brownfield he’s aiming for a full six-year extension in a likely special legislative session.

“You can’t even implement the programs in two years,” he said. “So, that’s problematic to start off. And this was really a deal done by special interests and lobbyists and people outside the normal arena, by non-farmers. And it’s just time for us as a legislature and me as the governor to put a package together.”

Parson is also pushing for what he calls the ‘largest’ tax cut in Missouri history by proposing a nearly five percent state income tax cut.

“Fertilizer prices are high this year, fuel prices, cost of doing business – whether that’s parts, equipment, or machinery – feed’s going up; if there’s ever a time to help farmers out, it’s this year. We did that before in the past and, all of a sudden, this year it didn’t get treated the same as other businesses – agriculture should be treated the same as any business in the state of Missouri.”

He said dates for the special session will be announced next week.

Brownfield interviewed Parson at the Missouri State Fair on Thursday.