– A spokesman for Gov. Jay Nixon said Texas Gov. Rick Perry is making “misleading attacks” ahead of his planned visit to the state next week.
In a statement, Nixon press secretary Scott Holste said the Missouri Democrat was particularly troubled by the fact that advertisements backed by Perry ahead of his trip are supporting income tax legislation backed by some Missouri Republicans that Nixon says “would raise sales taxes on prescription drugs by $200 million a year.”
“But Governor Nixon is always happy to welcome a fellow Governor to the Show-Me State. While he is here, Gov. Perry may want to go shopping, as Missouri’s sales tax rate is a full two percentage points lower than Texas’. We also have a more competitive corporate tax structure, lower property taxes and higher student test scores,” Holste said. “Indeed, Governor Perry’s ad is right about one thing: House Bill 253 would make Missouri more like Texas, with higher sales taxes, higher property taxes and underperforming schools.”
Holste touted investments by Boeing, Monsanto, Express Scripts, Cerner, Expedia, Ford, and General Motors as indicative of the state’s “low taxes…predictable business climate and…skilled workforce.”
“Nixon will continue to pursue the kind of proven, fiscally responsible policies that have made Missouri a leader in high-tech job growth and kept our unemployment rate below the national average for 47 straight months,” he said.
Lucy Nashed, spokeswoman for Perry, said Texas is “a national model for job creation, with “30 percent of the net new jobs created nationwide in the last ten years coming from the Lone Star State.”
“We have a formula of low taxes, smart regulations, fair courts and skilled workforce that allows employers to create jobs, while also allowing us to compete for jobs and capital investment globally. As he has done across the country and around the world, Gov. Perry is sharing Texas’ economic success story with families and employers in states that have made it harder for companies to do business.”
Nashed said Perry believes competition with others “not only makes each state stronger, but makes our nation stronger as well, and that we should all be pushing each other to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars, compete for jobs, and put policies in place that help our families and businesses prosper.”
Nashed, responding to a letter sent earlier today by Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander accusing Perry of attempting to “poach” Missouri jobs, said Perry does not expect companies to pack up immediately and follow them back to Texas.
“We are having very productive conversations with companies that are looking for different options because their home states are making it harder and harder to do business,” she said. “And we’re drawing a very stark contrast between the fiscal principles that help create jobs and opportunity and those that hinder businesses and families.”
Perry is scheduled to be in the St. Louis area next Thursday on behalf of supporters of HB 253. Republicans are attempting to pull votes to override Nixon’s veto, but the situation looks increasingly challenging as at least five Republicans have indicated their opposition.