Parson signs senior tax relief bill, all area lawmakers supported

This story is updated.

Gov. Mike Parson signed Senate Bill 190 on Thursday, July 6, nearly two months after the tax relief for seniors legislation easily cleared both houses of the state legislature.

All local lawmakers -- Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City (District 27); Rep. John Voss of Cape Girardeau (District 147); Rep. Jamie Burger of Benton (District 148); Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater (District 146); Rep. Rick Francis of Perryville (District 145); and Rep. Eugene Morse of Dexter (District 151), whose constituency includes southwestern Cape Girardeau County -- voted "yes" on the bill.

With Parson's signature, the Show Me State joins 39 other states in exempting Social Security benefit payments from state income tax.

SB 190, submitted by Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville, Missouri, also provides property tax relief if individual counties pass an authorizing ordinance or if a referendum meets with voter approval.

John Voss

John Voss

Quoting the bill specifically, taxpayers eligible for relief are defined as residents who meet the following criteria:

* are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits.

* are the owner of record of or have a legal or equitable interest in a homestead.

* are liable for the payment of real property taxes on such homestead.

The amount of the property tax credit, the legislation reads, shall be equal to the difference between the real property tax liability on the homestead in a given year minus the real property tax liability on such homestead in the year in which the taxpayer became an "eligible" taxpayer.

Voss, a freshman legislator who completed his first General Assembly session in May, told Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce in June the approved legislation has generated considerable comment.

"We're hearing from many of our county officials on this legislation and have heard quite a bit of feedback," said Voss, a former Cape Girardeau City Council member and Procter & Gamble retiree. "The bill would freeze property taxes on a primary residence for a person 65 years or older. A lot of seniors in parts of the state have been in their homes for decades, now on fixed incomes, who have seen their property value rise dramatically and associated taxes have gone up as well. The worry is that there are senior citizens unable to pay real estate taxes on houses they paid off a long time before. (The bill) has some problems. We've heard a lot of details are not clear in the statute's language, and a lot of folks see the measure as problematic."

Additionally, Voss said at the time local taxing authorities need guidance on how to implement Senate Bill 190's provisions.

Parson signed 31 bills into law Thursday previously passed by the General Assembly and vetoed a public safety bill, Senate Bill 189, which had been approved by area lawmakers Thompson Rehder, Burger, Hovis, Francis and Morse. Voss was absent with leave when the vote was taken.

According to the Missouri Independent online newspaper, Missouri took in $13.2 billion in general revenue in the year ending June 30, 2023, with the state already holding surplus funds of nearly $8 billion.