It is important for FairTax-ers to be informed about setbacks as well as accomplishments. In that spirit, I am disappointed to have to pass on a report from Missouri State Representative and constitutional amendment sponsor, Ed Emery, that the Fair Taxation Resolution did not pass this year.
Former Lieutenant Governor and FairTax-er, Bill Phelps, gave me the following comments:
"The proposed constitutional amendment was assigned by the Speaker to a committee which delayed it so it would not have time to be considered. The Speaker is term limited but will be in the Senate next year.
"The Senate Bill was passed out of committee, and when the Sponsor tried to bring it up on the floor in the last week of the session, the Democrat Minority Leader announced that he had 47 amendments, so that was in effect a filibuster, and ended the opportunity to have a vote. A group of former bureaucrats had opposed it with a number of misrepresentations.
"We believe that we made progress. The legislative process is a matter of educating the public to build the grassroots support to which the legislators respond. We willl have more support next year."
House Sponsor Ed Emery will not be returning to the Missouri Legislature. Andrew Koenig will take his place in introducing the constitutional amendment in the House. The Senate sponsor will probably be Chuck Purgason.
Without the push from our Missouri FairTax-ers, the measure never would have made it through the door of the Capitol in Jefferson City. This reversal is not a wall but merely a speed bump. Let's help our Missouri friends push the measure again next year.
~Jim Bennett
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Summit NJ 07901-1728
USA
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