Senators clash on tax credit reform

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Intro:	Lawmakers in the state Capitol say Missouri's tax credit system needs changes, but with only weeks to go in the session, there's still disagreement about how it should be done.
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Wrap: A bill moving through the legislature would extend and create tax credits to attract businesses and cut caps on tax credits for historic building renovations and renovations on low-income housing.

The bill also doesn't include a tax credit designed for redevelopment projects in low-income areas.

St. Louis City Democrat Jamilah Nasheed says she supports tax credit reform, but the tax credit package would negatively impact renovation and building projects in her district.

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Description: "I think that they are doing good for the city of St. Louis, we have seen major development as a result of those tax credits and I think we need to leave well enough alone because they're working."

The bill is now headed back to the House.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	Lawmakers from both parties in the state Capitol say they want to clean up the state's tax credit systems. But with weeks to go in the session, they're still butting heads about how to do it.
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Wrap: A bill moving through the General Assembly would cut caps on tax credits for historic building renovations and renovations on low-income housing. It would also extend and create tax credits to attract businesses.

Most Republicans support the measure, saying the tax credit package would promote more economic development.

But St. Louis County Republican John Lamping is against the bill. He says it doesn't do enough to shrink the amount the state spends on tax credits.

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Description: "That's why people's opinion of government is so low. Because they say, well where do you really stand for anything? And the answers well it's just the process it is what it is. Well how's the process going to change? It changes by people saying we aren't going to do this anymore. We are going a different way."

The bill now goes back to the House.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle say Missouri needs tax credit reform, but one Senator says the problem isn't party politics, its different goals in the House and the Senate.
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Wrap: The Senate has passed a bill that seeks to cut caps on some tax credits and elimate others entirely.

Republican Senator John Lamping says the Senate and the governor have been pushing for tax credit reform by making cuts in the program, while the House has only pushed for more tax credits to promote economic development.

Lamping says he doesn't see a compromise between the two chambers this session.

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Description: "We're on different pages of different books. We're trying to do reform, they're trying to do 21st century corporate welfare. They want to keep doing what we've been doing just do more of it. So, we're not really close."

Lamping says tax credit reform should be voted through their individual merits and not put into one broad package.

The bill is now headed back to the House.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.