House Pushes Through China Hub Legislation

Intro:	The Missouri house adopts China hub and adds on a lower tax rate for corporations.
RunTime:	0:52
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: Nine more amendments for the already dense China hub bill is what the House wanted. It was highlighted by lowering taxes for Missouri corporations.

And that brought heat from Democrats like Representative Mary Still.

She argues Missouri's tax rate for businesses are already some of the lowest.

Actuality:	STILL01.WAV
Run Time:	00:11
Description: "We are one of the highest corporate taxes in the world." "No that is not true gentleman, right now when we look at the state of Missouri we are one of the lowest corporate taxes in the country."

Although Still and other Democrats fought against the amendment, most of them ended up voting for the bill in it's entirety.

Leadership from both parties acknowledged they weren't sure how much the lower tax rate would cost the state, but they estimated around $40 million.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 98 to 48 and heads back to the Senate Tuesday.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans.

Intro:	The Missouri house pushes through the China hub bill after putting in nine amendments and leaving out tax credit sunsets.
RunTime:	0:37
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: Senate leadership says a tax bill with no sunsets doesn't stand a chance, but the House passed China hub anyway.

Speaker of the House Steve Tilley says he hopes the Senate is willing to compromise.

Actuality:	TILLEY01.WAV
Run Time:	00:12
Description: "They can just take up the bill and pass it and we can all save a day or two, but if at the end of the day they feel like that there's a few things in there that they can't accomplish or can't deal with, then clearly the House has always been willing to work with the Senate."

Also added to the bill was a lower tax rate for every Missouri corporation and expansions for real estate development tax credits.

The Senate will take the issue up when they resume Tuesday.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans.

Intro:	Less taxes for Missouri corporations and more tax breaks for others is what the House wants according to the newly passed China hub bill.
RunTime:	0:45
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: Missouri's corporate tax rate will decrease if the House gets their way. That and eight other amendments.

Actuality:	PIERSON1.WAV
Run Time:	00:13
Description: "Give it to the corporations that may not necessarily create one job or we may not attract a job. They may just fatten their pockets and pay it off in profit sharing or stock options or something like that. That's a possibility, right sir?"

Democrats like Representative Tommie Pierson fought against the corporate tax amendment, but eventually voted for the whole bill even with disdain for the corporate tax amendment.

The Senate will take up the bill when they come back Tuesday. One thing Senate leadership says the bill needs - sunsets for certain tax credits - which was overwhelmingly shot down by the House by a vote of 98-48.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans.

Intro:	The House sends back to the Senate the China hub bill - adding nine amendments and removing sunsets on tax credits.
RunTime:	0:38
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: One of the nine new amendments lowers taxes to all Missouri corporations - from six and a quarter percent to five and a half percent, costing the state somewhere around $40 million. Speaker of the House Steve Tilley says the decrease would attract more jobs to the state.

Actuality:	TILLEY02.WAV
Run Time:	00:06
Description: "The philosophy is if corporate tax rate is less and the businesses have more money they can hire more people."

Left out of the bill - sunsets on tax credits - something Senate leadership says the bill needs if it's going to have a shot of passing in the Senate.

The Senate is back in session Tuesday to look at the House bill that passed 98-48.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans.