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Nixon Slams Lawmakers Who Want To Abolish Earnings Tax

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Kansas City Wednesday to talk to students who are attending community college on A  scholarships.
Elle Moxley
/
KCUR 89.3
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Kansas City Wednesday to talk to students who are attending community college on A scholarships.

Gov. Jay Nixon didn’t mince words when asked about the earnings tax during a stop at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley Wednesday.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Kansas City Wednesday to talk to students who are attending community college on A  scholarships.
Credit Elle Moxley / KCUR 89.3
/
KCUR 89.3
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Kansas City Wednesday to talk to students who are attending community college on A scholarships.

“It is wrong for the legislature to say to local communities who’ve voted on how they’re going to fund their services to take away after the people have voted the option for them to fund their services that way,” Nixon said.

In 2011, an overwhelming majority of voters in Kansas City and St. Louis supported the earnings tax. State law requires a renewal vote this spring. Meanwhile, mid-Missouri Republican Kurt Schaefer wants to do away with the 1 percent tax.

“It is the wrong policy for the state for these guys to be messing in this area, and they need to quit doing it,” Nixon said.

St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield is considered largely responsible for the anti-earnings tax sentiment. Nixon added that while Sinquefield could support any candidate he wanted, it’s about time Missouri lawmakers limited the amount any person can contribute to a single campaign.

“We have the weakest and worst ethics and campaign finance laws in the country, bar none,” the governor said.

Elle Moxley is a reporter for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.

Copyright 2021 KCUR 89.3. To see more, visit KCUR 89.3.

Elle covers education for KCUR. The best part of her job is talking to students. Before coming to KCUR in 2014, Elle covered Indiana education policy for NPR’s StateImpact project. Her work covering Indiana’s exit from the Common Core was nationally recognized with an Edward R. Murrow award. Her work at KCUR has been recognized by the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Kansas City Press Club. She is a graduate of the University Of Missouri School Of Journalism. Elle regularly tweets photos of her dog, Kingsley. There is a wounded Dr. Ian Malcolm bobblehead on her desk.