Missouri Republicans are considering veto override action - or redrafting legislation to provide increases in court costs placed on those who face tickets or court charges. While the
Department of Justice Report had singled out issues of the over use of citations - something they were ordered to correct, Missouri Republicans are looking for another way around the problem. That method? Raising providing significant increases in court cost.
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The bills would allow new fees to be collected in circuit courts for Jasper, Howell, Cape Girardeau, Clay, Cole, Platte and Greene counties, along with any other circuit that serves a single, non-charter county. Most of those courts would be allowed to charge a fee of up to $10 for civil and criminal cases, although there are exceptions and wide variances from county-to-county.
Nixon has slammed the additional fees, saying they fly in the face of legislation passed this session to cut down on court fines and fees in response to complaints about aggressive law enforcement designed to generate revenue from residents who sometimes struggle to pay. The issue gained traction following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in August 2014, which sparked protests and broader criticism of excessive fines in Ferguson and other communities.
Missouri Republicans have argued that it seems "unfair" that law abiding citizens pay for a courthouse, when the ones who use it most often are criminals.
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Senate bill sponsor Sen. Mike Cunningham, R-Rogersville, says it's unfair to raise taxes for everyone if only a minority regularly use the courts.
"Instead of taxing the people to build a new one or repair it, I think the people who use it ought to pay for it," Cunningham said.
Missouri Republicans, who are faced with an anti-tax sugar daddy in the form of Rex Sinquefield, are looking for ways to be creative on state finance. Providing for a tax revenue source from the wealthiest Missouri citizens is of course out of the question; but a surcharge on using the courthouse? That's a tax Missouri Republicans can buy into, right away.