JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri House members passed a 1-cent sales tax increase for transportation funding Wednesday, but the issue that has divided the majority Republicans is still a long way from becoming law.
The House voted 96-53 to send the proposed constitutional amendment to the Senate. If passed there, Missouri voters would need to approve the tax at the November ballot.
The measure needed help from minority Democrats to win House approval because only 63 of the chamber's 108 Republicans voted in favor. It takes 82 votes to pass legislation in the House.
Republicans supporting the measure said funding roads, bridges and other transportation needs are a core function of state government that should be through taxes. They argued the estimated $800 million in annual revenue from the sales tax would help the cash-strapped road construction budget. State transportation officials estimate that budget will shrink to $325 million in 2017 at current funding levels.
"We are not going to be able to do the basic road maintenance," said sponsoring Rep. Dave Hinson, R-St. Clair. "It's only going to get more dramatic from here."
But other Republicans said voting on a tax increase runs contrary to the party's small government values. That philosophy led a group of GOP senators to block a final vote during the closing days of last year's legislative session on a similar penny sales tax hike.
The leader of that effort said after the House vote Wednesday that his feelings about the sales tax increase haven't changed since last year, but that negotiations were ongoing with the measure's backers. Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, said "all things are possible," when asked if the bill could win Senate approval this year.
"This is the single largest tax increase in state history," he said. "From that perspective, it's easy for me to oppose."
Even if the bill's supporters could overcome the objections of Lamping and other conservative senators, the tax increase could have a difficult time on the ballot. Missourians have frequently rejected tax increases, including a 2012 attempt to raise the state's cigarette tax.
"Forty percent of Missourians would still oppose this if it was being used to construct the landing pad for the second coming of Christ," said Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia.
Supporters said voters would likely go along with a sales tax to fund the roads that many people use in their daily lives.
Under the legislation, the sales tax would need to be reauthorized by voters every 10 years, starting in 2024. Ten percent of funds raised by the sales tax would also go toward local transportation projects. Cities could earmark a portion of those local funds to other forms of transportation, including air, rail, bicycle and pedestrian projects.
The tax increase would not apply to purchases of food and the constitutional amendment would require a subsequent vote of the people to change the gas tax rate or place tolls on existing roads and bridges.
Transportation is HJR68
Online:
Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov
Mo. House roll call on transportation sales tax
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The 96-53 roll call Wednesday by which the Missouri House voted to send the Senate legislation that would, upon voter approval, impose a 1-cent sales tax increase for transportation funding.
Voting "yes" were 63 Republicans and 33 Democrats.
Voting "no" were 38 Republicans and 15 Democrats.
Noting voting were 7 Republicans and 3 Democrats.
REPUBLICANS VOTING YES
Sue Allen, Town and Country
Sonya Anderson, Springfield
Kevin Austin, Springfield
Jay Barnes, Jefferson City
Mike Bernskoetter, Jefferson City
Wanda Brown, Cole Camp
Kathie Conway, St. Charles
Gary Cross, Lee's Summit
Charlie Davis, Webb City
John Diehl, Town and Country
Dean Dohrman, LaMonte
Kevin Elmer, Nixa
Sue Entlicher, Bolivar
Paul Fitzwater, Potosi
Tom Flanigan, Carthage
Lyndall Fraker, Marshfield
Diane Franklin, Camdenton
Elaine Gannon, De Soto
Chuck Gatschenberger, Lake St. Louis
Don Gosen, Ballwin
Casey Guernsey, Bethany
Kent Hampton, Malden
Jim Hansen, Frankford
Ron Hicks, St. Peters
Dave Hinson, St. Clair
Denny Hoskins, Warrensburg
Lincoln Hough, Springfield
Jay Houghton, Martinsburg
Tom Hurst, Meta
Jeffery Justus, Branson
Mike Kelley, Lamar
Glen Kolkmeyer, Wellington
Bart Korman, High Hill
Mike Lair, Chillicothe
Bill Lant, Pineville
Jeanie Lauer, Blue Springs
Donna Lichtenegger, Jackson
Warren Love, Osceola
Steve Lynch, Waynesville
John McCaherty, High Ridge
Joe Don McGaugh, Carrollton
Jeffrey Messenger, Republic
Rocky Miller, Osage Beach
Chris Molendorp, Belton
Lynn Morris, Ozark
Dave Muntzel, Boonville
Myron Neth, Liberty
Don Phillips, Kimberling City
Randy Pike, Adrian
Craig Redmon, Canton
Bill Rieboldt, Neosho
Jeanie Riddle, Mokane
Dave Schatz, Sullivan
Noel Shull, Kansas City
Lindell Shumake, Hannibal
Sheila Solon, Blue Springs
Chrissy Sommer, St. Charles
Rick Stream, Kirkwood
Kathy Swan, Cape Girardeau
Mike Thomson, Maryville
Nate Walker, Kirksville
Bill White, Joplin
David Wood, Versailles
DEMOCRATS VOTING YES
Linda Black, Desloge
Bob Burns, Affton
Mike Colona, St. Louis
Pat Conway, St. Joseph
Courtney Curtis, Berkeley
Keith English, Florissant
Vicki Englund, St. Louis County
Michael Frame, Eureka
Ben Harris, Hillsboro
Penny Hubbard, St. Louis
Jacob Hummel, St. Louis
Chris Kelly, Columbia
Michele Kratky, St. Louis
Gail McCann Beatty, Kansas City
Tom McDonald, Raytown
TJ McKenna, Festus
Kevin McManus, Kansas City
Margo McNeil, Hazelwood
Sue Meredith, St. Louis County
Bonnaye Mims, Kansas City
Genise Montecillo, St. Louis County
Judy Morgan, Kansas City
Stacey Newman, Richmond Heights
Mary Nichols, Maryland Heights
Charlie Norr, Springfield
Bill Otto, Maryland Heights
Sharon Pace, Northwoods
Tommie Pierson, Bellefontaine Neighbors
John Rizzo, Kansas City
Joe Runions, Grandview
Ed Schieffer, Troy
Jay Swearingen, North Kansas City
Stephen Webber, Columbia
REPUBLICANS VOTING NO
Kurt Bahr, O'Fallon
T.J. Berry, Kearney
Rick Brattin, Harrisonville
Eric Burlison, Springfield
Mike Cierpiot, Lee's Summit
Steve Cookson, Poplar Bluff
Stanley Cox, Sedalia
Sandy Crawford, Buffalo
Paul Curtman, Pacific
Tony Dugger, Hartville
Kevin Engler, Farmington
Scott Fitzpatrick, Shell Knob
Keith Frederick, Rolla
Doug Funderburk, St. Peters
Elijah Haahr, Springfield
Delus Johnson, St. Joseph
Caleb Jones, Columbia
Tim Jones, Eureka
Shelley Keeney, Marble Hill
Andrew Koenig, Manchester
Mike Leara, St. Louis County
Nick Marshall, Parkville
Mike Moon, Ash Grove
Jim Neely, Cameron
Mark Parkinson, St. Charles
Jeff Pogue, Salem
Holly Rehder, Sikeston
Tim Remole, Excello
Shawn Rhoads, West Plains
Todd Richardson, Poplar Bluff
Robert Ross, Yukon
Lyle Rowland, Cedarcreek
Dwight Scharnhorst, Valley Park
Ron Schieber, Kansas City
Bryan Spencer, Wentzville
Noel Torpey, Independence
Kenneth Wilson, Smithville
Anne Zerr, St. Charles
DEMOCRATS VOTING NO
Ira Anders, Independence
Michael Butler, St. Louis
Jon Carpenter, Gladstone
Randy Dunn, Kansas City
Brandon Ellington, Kansas City
Kimberly Gardner, St. Louis
Jeanne Kirkton, Webster Groves
Karla May, St. Louis
John Mayfield, Independence
Gina Mitten, Richmond Heights
Josh Peters, St. Louis
Jill Schupp, Creve Coeur
Clem Smith, Velda Village Hills
Rochelle Walton Gray, Black Jack
John Wright, Rocheport
REPUBLICANS NOT VOTING
Robert Cornejo, St. Peters
Jeff Grisamore, Lee's Summit
Marsha Haefner, Oakville
Galen Higdon, St. Joseph
Donna Pfautsch, Harrisonville
Caleb Rowden, Columbia
Paul Wieland, Imperial
DEMOCRATS NOT VOTING
Steve Hodges, East Prairie
Jeremy LaFaver, Kansas City
Jeff Roorda, Barnhart