Read Jim Lembke's lips: No new taxes. The St. Louis Republican issued the following news release this week after the conclusion of the special session:
State Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis, announced that work completed by lawmakers during the 2010 special session resulted in changes that could save taxpayers $660 million over the next 10 years.
Lawmakers were called back to Jefferson City for special session by the governor in June to work on two measures: the Manufacturing Jobs Act and state employee pension reform. In order to offset the cost of keeping and bringing new, good-paying jobs with benefits to Missouri, legislators passed a retirement system reform measure for new state employees.
Missouri spent $163 million this year from General Revenue to fund employee pensions. The cost to the state and its taxpayers continues to increase year after year. These pension reform efforts will help retain thousands of state jobs, which would have been in jeopardy next year, as well as protect the future of Missouri’s employee retirement system.
Senator Lembke will continue to uphold his position on protecting taxpayers throughout his term in the Senate. “Until the federal government gets its house in order and gives the American people a government they can afford, and as long as I’m in the Senate, there will not be a tax increase passed through this body.”
Both measures were passed by the General Assembly and delivered to the governor. Upon his signature, the two bills will take effect Oct. 12, 2010.
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