Missouri lawmakers are set to reconvene on Sept. 6 for a special session centered on taxes at the request of Gov. Mike Parson. The governor wants the legislature to pass one bill containing both a permanent income tax cut and a series of agricultural tax credits.
But just because Parson has called a special session, that doesn’t mean his goals will be accomplished.
Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, current vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the passage of both of those measures could be a heavy lift, especially since lawmakers passed versions of both this past session before Parson vetoed them.
Hough joined the Politically Speaking podcast to talk about the upcoming special session, the Missouri Senate and the 2022 election cycle.
Here are some of the things Hough talked about on the show:
- What he would like the income-tax language to look like. Hough said it’s easy to say the state should cut income taxes now when Missouri has an unprecedented surplus, but he’s concerned about what happens when the state isn’t receiving billions in federal funding.
- The agriculture tax credits, which the legislature did pass this year, but with a shorter expiration date than Parson wants. Hough said the longer sunset of six years as opposed to two will be more difficult to find consensus on with lawmakers.
- How he feels Eric Schmitt will fare in the November U.S. Senate election, as well as his feelings on independent candidate John Wood dropping out of the race.
- Whether or not he believes the dissolution of the Conservative Caucus will have any impact on the dynamics of the Missouri Senate.
Hough currently represents the 30th District in the Senate, where he was first elected in 2018. He is running for reelection, facing Democrat Raymond Lampert in November.
Before his Senate term, Hough served in the House. He was first elected there in 2010 and served three terms.
Hough is a graduate of Missouri State University with a bachelor’s in political science. He owns and operates a cattle ranch.
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