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AFP-MO Troubled By Audit Of Tax Credit Programs

Jefferson City, MO – Following the release of the audit of Missouri’s tax credit programs by the Office of Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Americans for Prosperity-Missouri criticized the programs and urged the legislature to address its overlooked burden on the state. Galloway’s study found some of the tax credits create inefficiencies, which “result in a low return on the state’s investment,” and “significant tax credit liabilities to the state” totaling approximately $3 billion according to data from the Department of Economic Development (DED). Ultimately, the program found 73 percent of the credits redeemed were for programs that costed the state more than it’s economic benefit.

Nicole Galloway, a registered Democrat, was appointed State Auditor by Governor Jay Nixon in 2015.

You can view the report here.

State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement:

“The findings of inefficiencies and the billions of dollars in liabilities to the state in this report are very troubling. We were sold the idea these tax credits were meant to spur economic growth however this report proves otherwise. This report clearly outlines our tax credit program is inefficient and an increasing burden on Missouri taxpayers. We urge the legislature to address this continued problem during the next legislative session.

“We thank the Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway for her hard work compiling this report.”

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Americans For Prosperity Calls on Sen. McCaskill to Seize Opportunity for Tax Reform

Jefferson City, MO – Americans For Prosperity (AFP) – MO announced today that it is launching a digital ad campaign to encourage MO taxpayers to contact Sen. McCaskill and tell her to support congressional efforts to fix our nation’s broken and overly intrusive tax code.

The Missouri campaign is part of a nationwide effort that AFP hopes will harness the American taxpayers’ frustrations with the nation’s tax laws into a grassroots movement supporting broad, pro-growth tax reform that is based on AFP’s 5 Principles: Simplicity, Efficiency, Equitability, Predictability, and No New Burdens on Taxpayers. The ad encourages activists in Missouri to contact Sen. McCaskill and tell her “it’s time to fix our broken tax code.”

Missouri State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement:

“It is time to fix our broken tax code. We encourage Sen. McCaskill to use her position on the Senate Finance Committee to take a leadership role and work in a bipartisan way to pass pro-growth tax reform based on AFP’s 5 Principles of simplicity, efficiency, equitability, predictability, and no new burden on taxpayers. We call on Sen. McCaskill to ignore the special interests who benefit from a confusing and complex tax code and listen to the people who want change.” 

Last month AFP announced a vision for tax reform that includes:

  1. SIMPLICITY: Lower rates, fewer brackets, and the elimination of special loopholes, deductions, and exemptions will make tax compliance easier and more affordable.
  2. EFFICIENCY: A broad-based, low-rate tax system is the most efficient way for the government to collect revenue – causing as little disruption to the economy as possible.
  3. EQUITABILITY: Corporate welfare and special-interest handouts in the current tax code create an unfair, two-tiered tax system and should be eliminated.
  4. PREDICTABILITY: Tax certainty is essential to a pro-growth tax system.
  5. NO BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS: Comprehensive tax reform should be done without placing new burdens on the American people, whether in the form of a BAT, VAT, carbon tax, or otherwise.

Click here to learn more about AFP’s five principles of tax reform.

Tax Facts:

  • Since 1986, the last time Congress significantly reformed our tax laws, “the code has grown more complex by the year, as evidenced by the fact that Congress has made more than 5,900 changes to the code—an average of more than one a day—just since 2001,” according to IRS Taxpayer Advocate.
  • The U.S. Tax Code is 4 million words long.
  • Individuals and businesses waste billions of dollars and billions of hours complying with the code’s complex and convoluted requirements. In 2016, tax code complexity cost American taxpayers and businesses $409 billion dollars, and over 8.9 billion hours in compliance time—time and money that could be put to more productive use.
  • America’s byzantine tax policy, with the highest corporate statutory rates in the developed world, deters American business investments, stifles economic growth, and caused America to lose as many as 3 million jobs.
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AFP-MO Delivers Letter To Senate Leadership Supporting Union Recertification

AFP-MO Delivers Letter With Other Groups Supporting Extraordinary Session on Union Recertification

Jefferson City, MO – Americans for Prosperity – Missouri (AFP-MO) today delivered a letter, signed by multiple outside groups, urging Senate leadership to ask Gov. Eric Greitens to call for an extraordinary session to take up union recertification. The legislation would give workers the opportunity to hold recertification elections on a regular basis. Many major outside groups have signed on to the letter including the Competitive Enterprise Institute, 60 Plus Association, Frontiers of Freedom, Institute for Liberty, Taxpayer Protection Alliance, National Taxpayers Union, and Less Government.

You can view the letter here.

AFP-MO State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement:

“Missouri made great strides this year by enacting right-to-work legislation. However, the legislature must go further and pass union recertification, critical legislation that will increase union accountability. We have an opportunity to build on the progress we’ve already made – the legislature must seize this opportunity. We call on the Senate Leadership to urge the Governor to call an extraordinary session and pass union recertfication.”

Seeking to build on labor reforms from earlier in the year, a coalition of conservative organizations wants top Missouri Republican senators to push for yet another special legislative session.

Date: June 14, 2017
Appearance: Conservative coalition asks for a special session on labor
Outlet: News-Leader
Location: Springfield, MO
Format: Newspaper
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How Some State Politicians Are Using Government to Threaten Free Speech

co-written with Dan Caldwell, Director of Policy of Concerned Veterans for America

When it comes to threatening the free speech rights of American citizens, progressives have largely been the culprits at the federal level.

Yet increasingly, Republican state legislators have taken up this crusade.

Last month, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez rightly vetoed a Republican-supported bill that would have forced nonprofits to disclose their supporters’ personal information, saying it would “likely discourage charities and other groups that are primarily non-political from advocating for their cause.”

Now, New Mexico’s Democratic secretary of state might impose the same disclosure requirements through campaign finance rules she plans to unveil later this year.

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Americans for Prosperity Foundation Announces Six-Figure Right-To-Work Issue Education Effort

St. Louis, MO – Today, the Missouri chapter of Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFP-Foundation) announced a six-figure issue education effort to inform Missourians about the benefits of the recently-passed right-to-work legislation. AFP-Foundation will use digital ads, door-to-door canvassing, volunteer phone calls, and mailers to educate residents of how right-to-work affects Missouri workers.

The first mailer will land in residents’ mailboxes this week, which can be viewed here. The campaign also features a video:

You can learn more about the education campaign at showmeworkerfreedom.com.

AFP-Foundation Missouri State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement on the right-to-work education campaign:

“We want to make sure all Missourians understand the facts about how right-to-work protects the freedom of every worker to decide whether to join a union or pay union dues. Passing this law was a major victory for worker freedom and we must make sure all Missourians hear the facts on how this law affects them.

“This campaign also solidifies the Foundation’s grassroots commitment and our mission to make sure every resident is armed with the knowledge to make informed decisions.”

The It’s Working effort is a project of Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFP Foundation), a nonpartisan organization committed to educating citizens about the value of limited government and a free market economy. AFP Foundation’s educational programs and analyses help the public at large understand why the American free enterprise system is the best method to ensuring prosperity for all Americans. For more information, please visit itsworking.AmericansForProsperityFoundation.org.

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Americans For Prosperity Calls on Rep. Smith to Seize Opportunity for Tax Reform

Free Market Group Launches Major Grassroots Ad Effort

Jefferson City, MO – Americans for Prosperity today launched its first ads as part of a major grassroots campaign urging dozens of Members of Congress to “un-rig” the economy by seizing the opportunity to enact pro-growth tax reform. The heavy six-figure investment on digital platforms is the beginning of a summer long, comprehensive effort by AFP to push for broad, pro-growth tax reform that is based on AFP’s 5 Principles: Simplicity, Efficiency, Equitability, Predictability, and No New Burdens on Taxpayers. The group will spend several hundred thousand dollars on digital advertising, and follow it with more investments, direct mail, door-to-door visits, and other grassroots action around the country.

Included in the first round of ads is one encouraging activists in Missouri to contact Rep. Jason Smith and tell him to “support AFP’s plan to un-rig the economy.”

Rep. Smith is an important member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which will write the tax reform bill the House will consider later this year. State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement:

“Missourians believe the tax system is rigged and want a new one that is not only honest and fair, but will spur economic growth. We hope Rep. Smith will take a leadership role in passing pro-growth tax reform based on AFP’s 5 Principles of simplicity, efficiency, equitability, predictability, and no new burden on taxpayers. That also includes opposing a border adjustment tax – a trillion-dollar tax on consumers masquerading as a tax on imports.”

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Americans for Prosperity Opposes Special Handout

Jefferson City, MO – Americans for Prosperity-Missouri opposes HB 1 in the current special session. This legislation would grant Missouri’s electric utility ability to offer a special rate “not based on the cost of service” to aluminum smelting and steel work facilities. And to cover their potential losses in profit, the utility may increase its rate on other customers to “ensure the net operating income of the electrical corporation”.

State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement on the pending legislation:

“This bill is classic cronyism at work. It is wrong for the Legislature to create special utility rates for corporate customers at the expense of every other customer, especially our least fortunate and those living on a fixed income.”

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New Evidence Shows Obamacare Crushing Missourians

Jefferson City, MO – Americans for Prosperity – Missouri reacted to two new data points showing Obamacare continues to debilitate healthcare in Missouri. First, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services release a report late yesterday comparing premium costs for individual market plans purchased by consumers in 2013 to Obamacare exchange plans purchased in 2017.  Covering the 39 states using the Healthcare.gov platform, the report found that in Missouri, the average monthly premium increased from $197 in 2013 to $483 in 2017, an increase of 145 percent!

Then today Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas City announced it would be leaving the Obamacare exchanges in Missouri, citing “unsustainable” losses of $100 million through 2016.

State Director Jeremy Cady issued the following statement:

“This official government report and the decision by Blue Cross-Blue Shield show that Obamacare is the costly disaster that continues to doom Missouri. Our worst fears about this law are coming true – more expensive healthcare and fewer options than before. Congress should not delay any longer in repealing this harmful law.”

BACKGROUND

In a letter issued earlier this week, Freedom Partners and Americans for Prosperity urged Senate lawmakers to repeal Obamacare and pass additional reforms that will reduce prices and create more affordable options for patients across the country. The two organizations offered to work with Senators who are working on health care legislation to build on the House’s recent efforts by repealing as much of Obamacare as possible. The groups also encouraged lawmakers to consider four key elements that would “drive down costs, create more affordable options, and expand access to quality care for everyone – especially those most in need.” Click here to read the full letter.