Our Opinion: Reduce filing fees for businesses

In the waning days of the session, Missouri lawmakers are getting down to business, both figuratively and literally.

The Missouri House has approved and advanced to the Senate a proposal to cut filing fees for businesses.

You might ask: So what? Why wouldn't Republican majorities in the House and Senate favor pro-business legislation?

In this case, a possible answer is the proposal is among the legislative priorities of Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander. And, since the introduction of the bill - by a Republican representative - Kander has announced plans to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt's re-election bid in 2016.

In January in this forum, we urged "elected officials to seek bipartisan opportunities on which to build." Regarding this bill, we added: "Democrats and Republicans must not stumble over this potential building block."

This legislation rises above party lines.

Missouri officials continually are seeking opportunities and incentives to attract businesses to locate here. Tax breaks, however, inevitably reduce revenues and, by extension, government spending and services, including education.

The proposal Kander has championed would establish a $5 processing fee for most filings. The costs of those filings now range from $7 to register a name for a business to $155 for a company based in another state or foreign country to apply to do business in Missouri.

The dual virtues are:

• First, Kander says the $5 fee covers the processing costs for his office. Government is a not-for-profit operation, unlike businesses, which must profit to survive and thrive.

• Second, the reduced, uniform fees create an overall improvement in the business climate. It also is preferable to some other incentives that are tantamount to government picking winners and losers.

Since announcing the proposal, Kander said in a release news release, "my plan received bipartisan support from legislators, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and editorial boards from around the state."

We remain among the proposal's supporters.

The bill was a good idea when it was introduced in winter and it will improve Missouri's business climate if it becomes law this spring.