The Missouri Senate voted to put a proposed sales tax hike for transportation funding before Missouri voters

Intro:	The Missouri Senate scaled down a proposed transportation sales tax increase.
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Wrap: Despite the proposed sales tax being reduced from 1 cent to 3/4ths of a cent, it would still raise around 600 million dollars for transportation infrastrucuture.

The bill's sponsor Mike Kehoe says this tax would beef up Missouri's lagging transportation fund.

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Description: "The transporatation system is the seventh largest in the United States and we are 43rd in funding. And as I told the Senator from the 11th yesterday, I'm not a cook, but that's a bad recipe."

Senators expressed concerns over the burden this could put on Missourians, particularly how it might disproportionately affect the poor.

The Senate ultimately voted in favor of putting the Constitutional amendment before voters.

It now goes to the House.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jessica Mensch.

Intro:	The Senate voted to put a proposed transportation sales tax hike before Missouri voters.
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Wrap: The 3/4th cent sales tax increase would go towards improving transportation infrastructure, but at what price?

Senator Nasheed expressed concerns over how it could disproportionately affect low-income residents.

However, she ultimately voted in favor of the bill saying it would create jobs.

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Description: "We're still trying to recover from a deep, deep recession. I mean we were hit extremely hard and we're still trying to recover. And I think it is our job and our duty to create jobs."

The Senate voted in favor of putting the Constitutional amendment before voters.

It now goes back to the House.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jessica Mensch.

Intro:	The Senate voted to let Missouri voters decide whether they want a sales tax hike to fund transportation infrastructure.
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Wrap: Despite concerns over how the tax increase could be disproportionately hard on the poor, the Senate endorsed a 3/4th cent increase.

The tax would go towards funding transportation infrastructure improvements.

The bill's sponsor Mike Kehoe said the bill could also help with job growth.

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Description: "They would be producing an asset that Missourians could touch, feel and see. So this would not be an investment in jobs that we're just doing to do. This would be projects that actually serve our economy and serve our families."

The Senate voted in favor of putting the Constitutional amendment before voters.

It now goes back to the House.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jessica Mensch.