As Missouri legislators begin the 2014 legislative session, Americans for Tax Reform will be tracking and issuing “key votes” on important bills up for consideration. Voters in search of a legislator’s record on taxes, spending, and regulatory matters will be well equipped to judge elected officials on their records instead of their rhetoric.
The first factor considered on ATR’s 2014 Missouri Scorecard will be whether or not a legislator has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The Pledge is a written commitment to voters to “oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes.”
ATR offers the Pledge to all candidates for elective office. To date, fourteen governors and over 1,000 state legislators have signed the Pledge, including 29 in the State of Missouri. Additionally, 39 U.S. Senators and 219 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge.
“Last year, a few Republicans broke with the majority of their party and aided Do Nothing Democrats in preventing the House from overriding HB 253 – a step in the right direction for tax reform in Missouri. With neighboring states looking to reduce and reform their state tax codes, Missouri must continue to make a serious effort to do the same,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.
“Our 2014 scorecard will track legislators’ willingness to put their name on and vote for legislation that begins to rein in state spending, cut taxes, and help small businesses thrive. Voters deserve easy access to a politician’s record on these issues and to know whether their legislative record matches their campaign rhetoric,” continued Norquist.