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Senate advances bill expanding survivor benefits tax deduction, with unrelated educator expense amendment
Summary
The Missouri Senate took up and passed a bill expanding income tax deductions for military survivor benefits; the measure also carries an amendment adding an educator expenses deduction that some members said was unrelated to the underlying change.
Senator from Newton County moved and the Senate advanced Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 59, a measure expanding income tax deductions to include survivor benefits related to armed forces service and carrying an amendment that adds an educator expenses tax deduction.
The measure's sponsor, identified in the record as the senator from Newton County, told the chamber the bill "expands the veteran survivor benefits tax deduction" and that the change is "essentially ... one sentence." The sponsor said the act would extend deductions beyond retirement benefits received on account of service to "all survivor benefits for those who have served in the armed forces." The sponsor renewed the motion for third reading and final passage.
During floor debate the senator from Lawrence said he supported the underlying expansion but said he could not support the bill as amended. He said he had expected the amendment adding first responder survivors and an unrelated educator expenses tax deduction would be reconsidered before final passage and that he could not support the package "the way it is." He also said constituents had contacted him in favor of the underlying bill but he planned to vote no because of how the amendment was added.
After debate the chair directed the clerk to read the bill for third reading and a roll call was held. The clerk announced that the third-reading motion had received the constitutional majority and was declared passed.
The record shows the bill was presented, debated on the floor and declared passed. The transcript does not contain a full, unambiguous roll-call tally for the final passage printed in the hearing excerpt; the clerk declared the third-reading motion passed.
The bill package combines a change to the statute on income tax deductions for survivor benefits with at least two floor amendments that some senators described as unrelated to the underlying subject. No implementing dates or effective dates were discussed on the floor in the portion of the record provided.
