The Missouri General Assembly has passed and sent to Governor Nixon a bill that would repeal the renters' portion of the Circuit Breaker Tax Credit for Missouri seniors and people with disabilities. Read this alert and then contract Governor Nixon. Urge him to veto SB 350.

Over 104,000 seniors on fixed incomes and people with disabilities from all corners of Missouri rely on the low-income renters' credit to help them with basic necessities, such as paying for medications and catching up on bill payments.

Currently this credit is available to renters who are elderly (65 or older) or disabled and who have household incomes of $27,500 or less if single, or $29,500 or less if married. The average credit received is $534 annually.

People who work with the poor (such as Catholic Charities agencies and the Jefferson City Samaritan Center) know how important the low-income renters' credit is. They have many stories of people coming for help, such as the war veteran with the badly disfigured face, who are grateful for the assistance offered by this credit.

Governor Nixon has the constitutional authority to veto bills. In this case, if he vetoes SB 350, his veto is likely to stand unchallenged. The Missouri House, for example, failed to pass the bill with a veto-proof majority. The governor's veto, therefore, can save the renters' credit for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.