Missouri shows again that the craziest conservative ideologues are in the statehouses
by David Atkins
Missouri Republicans really, really hate the government, and they’re willing to bankrupt the state and override vetoes to let you know just how deep their hatred goes:
The Missouri House acted quickly Tuesday to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a tax-cut bill that is estimated to cut the state’s revenue by about $620 million a year when fully implemented.
The House obtained the exact number of votes needed — 109 — with the help of one Democrat, Rep. Keith English of Florissant. He joined all of the chamber’s 108 Republicans.
The House joined the Senate, which voted 23-8 on Monday to override the governor’s veto, which he issued last week.
House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, was jubilant. “Today, we showed Missourians why they elected a Republican supermajority to the Missouri legislature: we pass important, conservative policies,” he said in a statement after the vote. “Updating our tax laws is an essential, pro-growth reform which will improve our economy by allowing small businesses, farmers, and families across our state to keep more of their own money. Our high tax rate has been harming our economy, making our state less competitive and resulting in thousands of Missourians leaving our state for low-tax states like Florida and Kansas.”
Nixon swiftly condemned the General Assembly’s action, along with education groups, while business groups lauded legislators’s decision.
The wingnuts ascendant in Missouri are dragging the state into the same failed death vortex as the rest of red America. And in case you thought the GOP national fever was about to subside any time soon, remember that the statehouses are the farm team for the Congress and Senate. If you want to see the future of a political party, look to its statehouses and you’ll get a pretty good idea. Democratic state legislators are leaning more and more progressive as grassroots activists take a greater role in the local selection processes. The Republicans, meanwhile, are doubling down on the nuttery.
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