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Lawmakers Consider Tax Increases

The Missouri legislature began its second special session of the year today (Monday).

Missy Shelton reports.

And with that, the special session got underway in the Missouri senate.

Democratic governor Bob Holden called lawmakers into special session to ask them to raise taxes on businesses to fund education.

Senators introduced five bills, two of those reflect the governor's plan to generate 40 million dollars by closing corporate tax loopholes.

Many Republican lawmakers say they oppose the plan...but President Pro Temp Peter Kinder isn't *dismissing* the governor's proposal.

The door may not be slammed shut in the senate but things aren't looking good for the bills in the House.

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway says lawmakers need to study tax policy before changing it.

The chairman of the House tax policy committee has said he won't hold a hearing on the governor's proposals, virtually killing them.

But the Ways and Means committee chairman in the senate says he'll at least hold a hearing.

The governor's proposal for this special session is significantly smaller than the tax increase package he pushed earlier this year...President Pro Temp Peter Kinder says that's progress.

The sponsor of the corporate tax bills is Democratic senator Wayne Goode.

He says he doesn't believe his bills would harm businessed...and he doesn't expect the tax increase to force businesses out of the state.

And there are at least a handful of lawmakers who are undecided...Southwest Missouri senator Doyle Childers is a Republican who has his own tax increase proposals.

But he says he's not sure he totally supports the governor's call to close four corporate tax loopholes.

The special session isn't the only order of business this week in Jefferson City.

On Wednesday, lawmakers begin their annual veto session...HIgh on the list of possible overrides are the mandetory abortion wait period bill and the concealed weapons legislation.

Supporters and opponents of both issues are expected to pour into the capitol for the veto session.

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