Governor Greitens Announces Final Composition of Tax Committee

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Feb. 24 -- Gov. Eric Greitens, D-Mo., issued the following news:

Governor Eric Greitens announced today the members of his Committee for Simple, Fair, and Low Taxes.

Governor Greitens created the Committee by executive order to study Missouri's tax structure and recommend comprehensive tax reform legislation to the Governor by June 30, 2017. The Committee is comprised of four members appointed by the Governor, three members appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate, and three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Governor Greitens has named as Chairman of the Committee Joel Walters, the Governor's recently-named Director of the Department of Revenue. Walters is a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and has decades of private sector experience with tax structures and their impact on businesses and economic growth.

Walters commented: "I'm honored to be able to Chair this Committee and work with the Governor to design a tax system that helps grow jobs and our state's economy. I look forward to working with the other members of the Committee to design a simple, fair, and low tax system."

The Governor has also named Jason Crowell, John Lamping, and Will Scharf to the Committee.

Crowell is a Cape Girardeau-based attorney and former State Senator. In his time in the Missouri Senate, Crowell carried anti-tax credit legislation that would have saved Missouri taxpayers over $1.5 billion if it had become law. He famously decried the influence of high-paid lobbyists and insiders wearing "Gucci suits and alligator shoes" on the political process.

Lamping is a St. Louis-based financial adviser and former State Senator. Lamping led efforts in the Missouri Senate to enact ethics reform, roll back tax credits, and fight the implementation of Obamacare.

Scharf is the Governor's Policy Director and will serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee.

Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard previously named Senators Will Kraus, Dan Hegeman, and Andrew Koenig to the Committee. House Speaker Todd Richardson previously named Representatives Elijah Haahr, Holly Rehder, and Jay Barnes to the Committee.

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