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Tax breaks may come for low-income senior citizens

April 4, 2003
By: Megan Murphy
State Capital Bureau

Low income senior citizens could be getting a tax break if a bill that passed in the House makes it through the Senate.

The bill puts a cap on senior citizen's property and home assessments. So, they would only have to pay up to 5% of the increase if it should happen. Sponsor of the bill, Representative Jim Lembke from St. Louis County, says he believes these senior citizens deserve a break after supporting their area schools for such a long time. He also says he hopes the benefits of this bill will entice senior citizens to stick around Missouri and not move away.

Actuality:LEMBKE1.WAV
RunTime: 8
OutCue: "to our state"


Contents: "We need to do things to attract seniors into our community because they are a value to our state...they are an asset to our state."

In opposition, Representative Vicki Riback-Wilson says it is completely irresponsible to give a tax break to a group solely based on their age.

The House adopted an emergency clause in conjunction with this bill. This means, if the bill passes in the Senate and is signed by the governor, it will be put into effect immediately.

In Jefferson City, Megan Murphy, KMOX News

Low-income senior citizens could be getting tax breaks on property assessments and generic drugs.

The House passed a bill onto the Senate that caps elderly home and property assessment increases at 5%. In opposition to the bill, Representative Vicki Riback-Wilson from Boone County says it is irresponsible to give a tax break to a group solely on the basis of age. Wilson also says that giving tax breaks when so much of the state's budget is being cut makes no sense.

Actuality:WILSON1.WAV
RunTime: 13
OutCue: "public policy"


Contents: "To grant tax breaks to those who can well-afford to pay while shorting our educational system and cutting our other services appears to me to be short-sighted and poor public policy."

Sponsor of the bill, Representative Jim Lembke, says the purpose of the bill is to give relief to those seniors who need it, and to keep Missouri attractive to those coming in.

In Jefferson City, Megan Murphy, KMOX News