Did y'all know your gas tax is going to INCREASE dramatically?  Here's why and why we the people need to gain enough signatures to REPEAL this new GAS TAX HIKE legislation. 

Any tax increase is SUPPOSED to be voted on by we the people of Missouri. Not pushed through by greedy politicians. 

You all know the games Republican President Pro-Tem Dave Schatz played in the state Senate this past year. He held up bills to the point that vital ones like election integrity never made it to the floor for a vote. His shenanigans also led to the Democrat filibuster on the last day of the legislative session. Why did he hold up bills and play games, refusing to bring bills to the floor or allow anything from the House to see daylight? Because he wanted his precious fuel tax bill to be passed. Why was it important to him? Because he owns Schatz Underground, and that business provides infrastructure under the highways.

Dave Schatz stands to make hundreds of millions from the passage of that fuel tax bill and YOU and other Missourians will pay higher fuel taxes to line his pockets.

Franklin County issued a Resolution to condemn Schatz and pledged no further support for any office he attempts to gain in the future. He terms out of the Senate in 2022, but it's rumored he wants Blunts' seat. Can you imagine the underhanded approach he'd take to a federal seat, given his behavior at the state level?

All legal voters please take a stand.

This is YOUR chance to let Schatz know his political future in this state is dead on arrival. Let him know that we know what he did. Sign this petition to repeal his new gas tax bill.

As Gas Prices Soar, One Missouri Senator Stands to Make Millions from the Gasoline Tax Hike He Demanded By Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit, St. Louis, May 19, 2021
Senator Dave Schatz threatened to block all Republican legislation in the recently ended Missouri legislative session unless his pet gasoline tax increased passed. Schatz is a Republican.

Schatz owns Schatz Underground of Villa Ridge, Missouri, a government contractor that installs cables and pipes under roads, highways, and public rights-of-way.

Schatz’s ultimatum was one of the most shameless and self-serving power-moves in recent Missouri history.

And Schatz got his way.

After hours of debate and negotiation, on the last full day of the session last week, the Missouri House agreed to pass the largest gasoline tax in the state’s history, raising the gas tax to 29.5 cents from 17.5 cents, more than a 40 percent increase. The increase will be phased between now and 2025.

Schatz Underground Big Winners
Based on 2020 gas tax receipts, the tax hike will provide $278 million for road construction, as Missouri law requires the money go exclusively to transportation infrastructure.

Dave Schatz’s company stands to take home a big cut of that nearly $300 million dollars. The company is featured as a government contractor on govserv.org‘s website of companies that work primarily on government projects. Every mile of new or replaced road and highway in Missouri will have pipes and cables running under it. It’s how services get delivered to homes and businesses.

And laying those pipes and cables is exactly what Schatz Underground does, according to their govserv.com.

Schatz Strong-Armed Republicans - Winning the legislative battle wasn’t easy. Numerous legislators and activists complained that Schatz, with the full support of his friend Governor Mike Parson, threatened to kill every Republican bill if the gas tax increase did not pass. This included Second Amendment protections (passed in the last hours of the legislative session only after Schatz got the gas tax increase), Education Savings Accounts, and numerous other vital Republican legislation.

By threatening to effectively scuttle the session’s entire book of work, Schatz left his colleagues with little choice but to cave.

Schatz Cheated the Hancock Amendment - Missouri’s Hancock Amendment requires all tax increases to go to a vote of the people. But Schatz’s massive gas tax increase will not face public scrutiny.

Schatz tacked on a ridiculous and onerous rebate scheme that theoretically allows Missouri tax payers to request a rebate for the increased gas tax. The rebate claim must be filed once a year during a small window. So, save your receipts. Schatz knows very few people will qualify for the rebate. The scheme was a crooked way around laws meant to protect Missouri taxpayers.

At least, now, Illinois residents won’t feel the need to drive across the river to get gas. Instead, Missourians will be crossing into Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky to fill their tanks. Except, of course, those stuck in the middle of the state. Middle and eastern residents will have to shoulder the burden of the largest gasoline tax hike in Missouri history.

If it makes you feel better, one state senator named Dave Schatz will be a lot richer.

(Representative Kelly voted against the gas tax, Senator Eslinger voted for the gas tax.)