Legislation I Will Introduce As Your State Representative
Bring Missouri Department of Economic Development Websites Up to Current Search Engine Compliance
Over 18,000 people are searching Google every month for the best state for small business. Unfortunately, they will never find Missouri because the obsolete websites we rely upon to attract new business to the Show Me State were designed with outdated technology, are nowhere near today's search engine standards, and are invisible to Google, Yahoo, and Bing. I will introduce legislation that will allow private companies to bring Missouri's main economic development websites up to current search engine compliance at no cost to the State. Click here to learn more.
Simplify Missouri's Complicated Corporations Process
In the last three years I have trained over one thousand seven hundred small Missouri business owners. Developing a business in Missouri usually requires costly legal advice because our State has some of the most complicated corporation laws in the country. The Missouri Secretary of State's Schedule of Fees and Charges is Missouri's official corporation instructions document which contains 68 confusing corporations classifications and upgrade regulations. I will introduce legislation that will reduce the number of Missouri Corporations classifications to 5 business categories instead of 68. Simplifying the Secretary of States Fees and Charges will make it much easier start, expand, or relocate a business in Missouri. Click here to learn more.
Expand Missouri's Online Distance Learning Programs
The advances in online educational programs in the last few years are phenomenal. However, some Missouri educational institutes do not have the resources to develop efficient online training courses. I will introduce legislation that will offer financial incentives for any public, private, for-profit, or not-for-profit Missouri educational institute to expand their online distance learning programs in an effort to modernize and drive down the costs of higher education. This legislation will allow every Missouri resident the opportunity to participate in distance learning at their homes for a fraction of the normal cost.
Reduce Missouri's Cost Prohibitive Business Bonding Requirement
To start a new business in Missouri you may be required to provide a very large and cost prohibitive surety bond. A surety bond can be purchased from an insurance agent, must be renewed every year, and the price of your bond is dependent on your credit score. If your credit rating is less than 700, Missouri's restrictive bonding requirement could add several thousands of dollars to your startup costs and your yearly operating expenses. I will introduce legislation that will decrease the cost of starting a business in Missouri by reducing Missouri surety bond requirements. Click here to learn more.
Include Andrew County in Missouri's Enhanced Enterprise Zone
Missouri offers several tax advantages to certain businesses that are located in one of Missouri's many Enhanced Enterprise Zones. St. Joseph is already an Enhanced Enterprise Zone but Savannah and Andrew County are not. As your Missouri State Representative I will lead the effort to include Andrew County in Missouri's Enhanced Enterprise Zone to motivate businesses to expand or relocate to Savannah and the rest of Andrew County. Click here to learn more about Missouri's Enhanced Enterprise Zones
Increase Advertising to Attract New Businesses to Missouri
To create Missouri jobs it is imperative that we immediately inform companies all over the world that Missouri is "Open for Business". We must launch an aggressive internet marketing campaign on Google, Bing, and Yahoo, along with overseas search engines such as Yandex, Baidu, and Attaka-Navi, that will deliver Missouri's business message to foreign owned companies. It is essential that we also advertise our low tax status in business start up publications like Inc, Entrepreneur, and Investors Business Daily. As your Missouri State Representative, the legislation I introduce to allow private companies to maintain Missouri's business websites will contain provisions to divert the money saved into an aggressive business marketing campaign at no additional costs to the State. Click here to learn more details about my plan for Missouri's internet advertising campaign.
Allow Every Missouri Business to Remain Open On Sundays
Missouri is one of only eleven states that prohibit certain businesses, such as motor vehicle dealers, from operating on Sundays. You can buy alcohol on a Sunday, you can buy a gun on Sunday, but it is against the law to purchase a vehicle from a Missouri automobile dealer on a Sunday. This restrictive law leads thousands of Sunday car buyers to purchase vehicles in border states instead of Missouri. Prohibiting any Missouri business from operating on Sunday is absolutely unacceptable. As your Missouri State Representative I will introduce legislation that will allow every business in Missouri to remain open on one of the biggest retail selling days of the week, Sunday.
Phase Out Missouri Corporation Income Tax in Five Years
I believe we can completely phase out the Missouri Corporation Income Tax in 5 years if specific fiscal objectives have been met. States that have eliminated their Corporation Income Tax have seen a huge influx of new businesses relocating from high tax states. I would love to eliminate the Missouri Corporation Income Tax immediately but it's complete elimination at this time could spell financial disaster for Missouri because of our current budget crisis. We can, however, gradually reduce the Corporation Income Tax each year and phase it out completely in five years if certain financial conditions have been met. Click here to learn more.
Immediately Reduce Missouri Corporation Income Tax for Any Business that Creates New Missouri Jobs
Reducing taxes for companies based on the number of jobs created has been used to stimulate economies many times in the past, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I believe using this method in association with other practical tax reductions will stimulate Missouri's economy and actually lead to higher sales tax revenues. Permanently lowering the Corporation Income Tax for companies that create new Missouri jobs will invite current Missouri businesses to expand, will motivate businesses from all over the country to relocate to Missouri, and will eventually lead to it's complete elimination when pre-determined economic goals are achieved. The legislation I introduce will offer much more aggressive job creation tax credits than the current Missouri Quality Jobs Program. Click here to learn more
Assist Andrew and Buchanan County Businesses in Obtaining Missouri Action Fund Loans
A Missouri Action Fund Loan is a low interest loan provided by the Missouri Department of Economic Development to for-profit companies in Missouri cities with less than 50,000 residents or counties with less than 200,000 residents. A Missouri Action Fund Loan will assist Northwest Missouri businesses in the acquisition of real estate, the purchase of new equipment, or provide additional operating capital. As your State Representative I will assist businesses located in Andrew and Buchanan counties with the application process for a Missouri Action Fund Loan. Click here to learn more about the Missouri Action Fund Loan Program
Abolish the Missouri Franchise Tax
Missouri charges an unnecessary Franchise Tax to most corporations that do business in the State. The Missouri Franchise Tax is based on the value of a corporation's assets, generates little revenue for the State, and punishes a Missouri business that wants to grow or expand. The Missouri Franchise Tax also makes Missouri especially unattractive to out of state companies searching for the best state for business. The Franchise Tax is the most common reason out of state companies refuse to relocate to Missouri. We must eliminate the Franchise Tax to encourage Missouri based businesses to expand and motivate out of state entrepreneurs to establish their corporations in business friendly Missouri. Click here to learn more.
Increase Family Farm Tax Credit
My family has farmed the same ground in Northwest Missouri continuously for over 100 years and I know the importance of agricultural lending. Any Missouri lending institution that makes loans to Missouri Farmers may only deduct up to $300,000 of interest on these loans a year. I will introduce legislation that will increase the Family Farm Tax Credit to $1,000,000 per year. By giving Missouri lenders additional financial incentives to provide loans to farmers we will ensure the continued support of Missouri's largest industry, agriculture. Learn more about the Missouri Family Farm Tax Credit by clicking here. Learn about Family Farm Tax Guidelines here.
Raise Special Needs Adoption Tax Credit and Establish Additional Adoption Tax Credits
Missouri currently provides an Adoption Tax Credit of only $10,000 when adopting a special needs child. I want to raise the Special Needs Adoption Tax Credit to $25,000 and establish a new Adoption Tax Credit for any parent that adopts a non-special needs child in the amount of $10,000. Adopting a child is very expensive and I believe good parents should receive extensive tax breaks for providing good homes to Missouri's foster children.
Reduce the Amount Of Signatures Required by an Independent Candidate to Run in Missouri Elections
To file for a statewide office in Missouri as an Independent candidate, you will be required to collect 10,000 signatures from qualified voters. Independent candidates in any district or county elections must also gather thousands of signatures before being included on any election ballot. I will introduce legislation that will reduce the number of required signatures to run as an Independent candidate in Missouri elections.
Eliminate Sales Tax Charged by Farmers at Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets allow fresh produce to be purchased directly from the grower and any farmer selling at a Farmers Market is required to charge sales tax on every transaction. As your Missouri State Representative I will introduce legislation that will remove the requirement for Farmers to charge sales tax at Farmers Markets. This will allow Farmers to sell goods directly to customers without going through the extensive Missouri Sales Tax Application process, which should lead to lower food costs for consumers.
Increase Broadband Access in Rural Andrew and Buchanan Counties
I live in rural Andrew county. The broadband access in my home at times can be very slow and sometimes is completely unavailable. I believe every Missourian, no matter where they choose to live, should have dependable broadband internet access. I will introduce legislation that will provide a tax credit to internet providers equal to 75% of the purchase price of new broadband equipment and low interest loans to any company that can provide increased telecommunications infrastructure to rural Missouri. By granting broadband providers the financial incentives necessary to increase rural broadband access we can bring dependable, high speed internet access to every home, not only in Andrew and Buchanan counties, but throughout Missouri. Click here to learn more about increasing broadband access.
Enhance Property Tax Credits for Missouri Seniors
The current Property Tax Credit allows most Missouri Seniors a $750 tax credit if they rent their home and a $1,000 tax credit if they own their home. To qualify for this tax credit you must be 65 years of age or 60 if you are a surviving spouse. I will introduce legislation that will raise the Property Tax Credit to $2,500 for renters and $3,500 for home owners while lowering the qualifying age to 60 or to 55 for surviving spouses. Learn how tax cuts will increase sales tax revenue.
Prohibit the Reintroduction of the Fairness Doctrine in Missouri
The Fairness Doctrine was a Federal law enacted in 1949 that formerly allowed the government to control the information broadcast by local media and was a blatant violation of the First Amendment. In 2009 several attempts were made in Washington to reintroduce this law in an effort to silence talk radio. The Federal government has taken control over businesses, has complete jurisdiction over health care, and is now making attempts to control the media. It can happen. I will introduce legislation that will prohibit any type of Federal government control of Missouri media and will fight endlessly to ensure your Freedom of Speech.
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