Missouri House GOP pitches $500 tax breaks for individuals

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri residents who file income taxes would be eligible for a $500 tax credit under a new Republican proposal Democrats panned on Tuesday.

The proposal by the Republican House budget leader would set aside $1 billion in state funding for the tax credits. Married couples filing jointly would get $1,000 under the plan.

Top House Republicans said passing the tax break will be a main priority as lawmakers near their mid-May deadline to finalize legislation.

The House speaker and other top House members in a statement said Republicans "do not support the idea of spending every available dollar to increase the size of government, but instead believe individual Missourians are the best decision makers for how to spend their tax dollars."

House Democrats on Tuesday criticized the measure as a tax break that wouldn't help the state's poorest.

Democrats had proposed setting aside $100 million to give $1,000 checks to poor families who have struggled with housing or food insecurity. Republicans voted that measure down.

St. Louis Democratic Rep. Kevin Windham said the Republican proposal is similar to his previous pitch for stimulus checks "but has the inverse impact."

"Missourians know the difference between a stimulus check and a tax break so House Republicans should be ashamed of this proposal," he said in a statement.