Missouri House Speaker lays out agenda during Cape visit

Missouri House of Representatives Speaker Tim Jones on Friday in Cape Girardeau touted a "broad-based agenda" for the current state legislative session.

Jones, a Republican from Eureka, Mo., appeared at Holiday Inn Express before a crowd of about 30 people to outline what he has dubbed his "4G" legislative agenda. "4G" represents, according to Jones, support for "growth and opportunity, guaranteeing access to a great education, guarding and protecting Missouri values and generating affordable and abundant energy."

On the top of Jones' list is the legislature should revisit a tax reform bill that saw early success during last year's regular session in the spring but was vetoed by the governor.

A later session in the fall did not accomplish a veto override of House Bill 253, which supporters said would provide tax relief for individuals and businesses and make Missouri more business-friendly. Opponents of the bill said it would cut too much money from the Missouri government's budget and hurt the state's ability to adequately fund education.

Now since the start of the new session Jan. 8, many lawmakers are looking at how to pass similar legislation.

Jones on Friday chose to highlight that effort when speaking on the section of his agenda titled "Growth and Opportunity."

"We're surrounded by eight competitive border states," he said. "They compete against us every single day, for economic growth, for job creation. If we look around us, all of the other states around us that are experiencing job growth and economic growth, are looking at their tax codes, and generally, they are reforming and reducing taxation across the board."

Jones said he believes businesses looking to relocate have "a very simple checklist to get through first."

"What they look at is your policies on taxation, regulation and litigation," he said.

Another change Jones said Friday he would like to see is to make the state right-to-work because he and other Republicans also believe that would improve the business environment. The right-to-work bill would prohibit the payment of union fees from being a condition of employment.

eragan@semissourian.com

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