TAX-LIMIT AMENDMENT OK EXPECTED

Lt. Gov. Roger Wilson predicted Wednesday that state lawmakers next year will give voters more say in approving tax increases.

Wilson and Gov. Mel Carnahan were among state officials who worked last month for defeat of Amendment 7, which was placed on the ballot by supporters of U.S. Rep. Mel Hancock.

"Hancock II was overkill, but when you boil it down to giving the people the right to vote on any major tax increase, I think that should make it through the legislature easily," Wilson said during a Southeast Missouri tour.

He predicted Carnahan would make the limit part of his annual State of the State address in January.

Wilson said Missouri has been "frugal" in spending tax dollars and if the federal government followed Missouri's example it would be a lot better off.

Wilson said he supported spending limits since 1979 when he served as a senator from Boone County. He said an inability of the House and Senate to agree on what the limit should be led to the drive for Hancock I.

In the State of the State address Wilson said he expects the governor to also talk about implementing some of the 50 recommendations of the Commission on Management and Productivity. Wilson, and Commissioner of Administration Dick Hansen co-chaired the group of business and civic leaders from around the state.

"The recommendations won't catch much publicity, but it is an earnest look at how to do things better in state government," Wilson said.