State Rep. Ray Reed introduces ‘Missouri Child Tax Credit’ Bill to cut childhood poverty in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (First Alert 4) - State Rep. Ray Reed called for the state to match its economic ambitions, by investing directly in the children and working families.

Reed introduced House Bill 2 in the Missouri General Assembly’s session Monday afternoon. The goal of this bill is to cut childhood poverty in Missouri by half. The Missouri Child Tax Credit would provide direct payments to low-income and working-class families with children under 18.

“At a time when we’re considering investing nearly a billion dollars to retain a football team, I believe we must also ask ourselves what kind of state we want to be. If we have the resources to build stadiums, we have the resources to build stronger futures for Missouri’s kids,” Reed said. “This legislation is about values. It’s about recognizing that every child in Missouri deserves a fair shot -- regardless of their zip code, their family’s income, or the challenges they face.”

If ed, House Bill 2 would position Missouri as a national leader in the fight to end childhood poverty at the state level. The bill was inspired from the 2021 Biden-Harris expansion that lifted more than 3 million children out of poverty.