In fact, through the committee process and on the floor we heard that there are over 100,000 small businesses in the Show Me state and employees in those businesses account for 60% of employment. Those numbers just go to show how important entrepreneurs and everyday Missourians are to our economy.
The primary function of this bill was to offer incentives to small businesses to hire new people and grow their businesses. This bill gives a tax deduction for small businesses if they hire new employees at the average annual county wage, and doubled it if they also offer to pay for 50% of the new employee’s healthcare benefits. In total the value of the deduction is $10,000 per new employee hired or
$20,000 per new employee if they offer the benefits.
I believe this overall philosophy in creating a stronger business climate is key to turning our state around and getting back on our feet economically.
We understand there are a lot of difficult decisions to make in state government and the Governor is at the forefront. We were happy to hear that he joined our call in the Show Me Initiatives to live within our means by keeping spending and taxes under control for Missouri families.
My colleagues and I in the House are willing to make bold decisions and lead by example; that’s why we were elected. This week we started off with a great bill to encourage entrepreneurs to hire new employees and create a more stable and fair business climate for the state. These are the kind of decisions we will continue to make through the rest of the legislative session.
In other news, our Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder has asked for nominations for his Senior Service Awards. Individuals should be 60 years of age and older, who have demonstrated exceptional volunteerism in our district. These people volunteer at any number of venues, contributing at least 40 hours per year of their time.
I would like to invite each of you to nominate someone you believe is worthy of this recognition. For more information regarding the Lieutenant Governor’s Senior Service Awards, please contact Elizabeth Peters at 751-5400. The next deadline is March 15.
On a personal note, I wanted to thank everyone who visited my office during this past session. It is always a pleasure to have friends, neighbors, and constituents visit.
Pictured is Kathy L. Duncan presenting the Missouri Association of Realtors Certificate of Appreciation to Representative Ellen Brandom on January 19th.
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