TAKE THE SALES TAX OFF GROCERY ITEMS

As Missouri lawmakers prepare to head back to Jefferson City this week, near the top of their agenda will be tax cuts. Some form of refunds are owing to taxpayers this year, due to the fact that Gov. Mel Carnahan has exceeded the constitutional tax lid imposed by voters back in 1980.

With the constitutionally mandated refunds looming, Gov. Carnahan has joined House and Senate Republicans who have been pushing for three years to eliminate the state sales tax on the retail sale of food. Missouri is one of only 19 states that tax sales of groceries. Elimination of this 3-cent tax would result in a reduction of $230 million in the money Missouri taxpayers send to Jefferson City. It is a reduction the state can afford.

Other tax-relief proposals are worthy ones as well. State Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, stresses the need to raise the income-tax dependency exemption. This $400 exemption hasn't been raised in decades. It could reasonably be tripled to give taxpaying families with children still more relief as tax receipts continue their steady growth.

The state is awash in a revenue flow unprecedented in recent history. This year there will be no excuse for lawmakers' not delivering on the often illusory promise of tax cuts.