John Lamping

Mo. Senate Passes 1-Cent Sales Tax For Transportation Needs

Marshall Griffin — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:21:30 +0000

A proposed constitutional amendment that would create a temporary one-cent sales tax to fund transportation needs has passed the Missouri Senate.

Senate Joint Resolution 16 is estimated to raise nearly $8 billion, one-tenth of which would go to cities and counties for local transportation needs. In addition, around $1 billion would go towards expanding Interstate 70 to six lanes between Wentzville and Blue Springs. It would also r

State, Fed. Lawmakers And Gov. Nixon Push To Name New Bridge For Musial

Marshall Griffin and Julie Bierach — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 04:16:25 +0000

Updated at 4:27 p.m.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D) has sent a letter to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) asking him to join in the effort to name the under-construction Mississippi River Bridge north of downtown St. Louis after Stan Musial. A section of the letter reads:

Immigrant Advocates Ask Mo. Lawmakers To Resist Negative Rhetoric And Immigrant-Unfriendly Bills

Marshall Griffin — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:15:30 +0000

A State Senate panel assigned to study immigration issues in Missouri held its final meeting today in Jefferson City.

Some of the discussion focused on so-called “anti-immigrant” comments made on the House and Senate floors in recent years. Vanessa Crawford Aragon is Executive Director of Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates. She told committee chair Senator John Lamping (R, Ladue) that inflammatory speeches by some lawmakers have made life harder for immigrants in Missouri and they need to tone it down.

Mo. Tax Reform Proposal Includes Another Cigarette Tax Hike, Flat Income Tax

Marshall Griffin — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:27:10 +0000

Despite being rejected by voters last month, there’s a new proposal to raise Missouri’s cigarette tax.

5th bill filed in Mo. Gen. Assembly to raise cigarette tax

Marshall Griffin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:47:45 +0000

Yet another bill has been filed in the General Assembly this year that would raise Missouri’s cigarette tax, currently the lowest in the nation.

This one would raise it to 75 percent of the current national average – in other words, from 17 cents per pack to $1.09-1/2 cents per pack. Missouri’s tax per pack would also rise or fall as the national average changes, and it would require a referendum by Missouri voters to take effect. The bill was filed by State Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford (D, St. Louis), who spoke in favor of raising the cigarette tax during budget debates on Thursday.