Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Contact: Spence Jackson, (573) 751-0290
Blunt Signs Sales Tax Holiday and Economic Development Bills
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt today signed House Bill 64 making the popular Sales Tax Holiday an annual event. The holiday will be the first full weekend in August and will exempt certain clothing, school supplies, computers, and related items.
"The bill I signed today will make preparing students for back to school easier on Missouri’s hard working families," Blunt said. "Not only can families take advantage of the immediate savings, but also holding a Sales Tax Holiday every year will give families the opportunity to plan purchases in advance knowing the tax break will be available."
Rep. Mike Sutherland sponsored House Bill 64. The bill exempts certain school supplies and related items from state and local sales tax for three days in August. Provisions in the bill allow local governments to opt out of the holiday.
Blunt also signed the following bills regarding economic development.
House Bill 500 helps ensure businesses are responsible for their true unemployment tax liabilities. The legislation prevents State Unemployment Tax Act dumping and, by bringing our state into compliance with a federal mandate, protects Missouri employers’ access to more than $990 million in Federal Unemployment Tax Act credits. Rep. Todd Smith sponsored the bill.
House Bill 576, sponsored by Rep. Timothy Flook, ensures agencies consider the impact of their rulemaking actions on small businesses. The bill strengthens the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board and requires agencies to write more detailed impact statements as part of the rulemaking process. The bill also allows small businesses to petition agencies if the actual impact is not accurately reflected in the impact statement.
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