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Some Republican Senators Support Higher Taxes

Yet another Republican has joined the small group of GOP senators that supports raising taxes for education.

Missy Shelton reports.

A St Louis area Republican John Griesheimer is sponsoring a bill that would raise the income tax to generate more money for public schools.

Grieshemier says he's anticipating the courts will throw out the existing formula the state uses to distribute money to school districts.

Griesheimer says he realizes the propsal may be premature since the there hasn't even been a court hearing on the school funding lawsuit.

And he points out that any tax increase plan will face staunch opposition in the House.

Jason Crowell is the Majority Floor Leader in the House.

He says he's not surprised to see the Republican wall of opposition to tax increases crumbling in the senate.

Crowell says he's not heard anything from the Republican Caucus in the House that would indicate a they're ready to support higher taxes.

With this latest proposal from John Griesheimer, exactly one third of senate republicans have endorsed some tax increase proposal.

It's something the senate leadership is aware of...Mike Gibbons is the Senate Majority Floor Leader.

Some senate Republicans began voicing support for tax increase proposals as early as last year.

Republican Senator Doyle Childers of Southwest Missouri says he doesn't agree with the majority of Republicans who say the state has a spending problem.

Childers says he's not suprised to see more of his colleagues endorsing tax increases.

He says as lawmakers see the impact of budget cuts, they're likely to see the need for more revenue.

If you add the six republicans who have endorsed higher taxes to the senate democrats who favor raising taxes, there are enough votes to pass a tax increase in the senate.

But opposition to higher taes remains strong from the majority party in the House, making it difficult for lawmakers to get a tax increase package to the governor's desk this session.

SOC