​​Missouri governor hopeful Bill Eigel rejects affordable childcare proposal

Missouri state Sen. Bill Eigel, who is currently running for governor, said he would oppose a popular plan to make childcare more affordable because it utilizes tax credits. Eigel has supported tax credits in the past.

An analysis by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce found that more than three-fourths of the state is a childcare desert, meaning childcare is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. This is keeping parents out of the workforce and affecting business’ ability to be fully staffed.

House Bill 1488 aims to remedy this crisis by reimbursing taxpayers for 75% of funds spent on childcare. The bill passed the state House on Feb. 8 with bipartisan support. The legislation has not yet received a full vote in the Senate.

Eigel told KTVI News he would vote against HB 1488.

“I’ve never been a fan of tax credits in the first place because that is exactly the process where the government is giving benefits to some people in the population but not everybody,” Eigel said.

In October 2023, Eigel filibustered and killed similar legislation. 

Despite this position, Eigel co-sponsored legislation in 2021 to provide parents with a 100-percent tax reimbursement for a child’s private school tuition. The bill would also allow for the opening of new charter schools. 

State analysts estimated the plan would have diverted $100 million away from public schools. The legislation did not pass.

While Eigel is inconsistent on the matter of tax credits, he has been consistent in his opposition to bills that could help ease the burden of childcare costs. In 2023, he criticized a proposal from Republican Gov. Mike Parson to expand early kindergarten. 

Eigel has served in the state senate since 2017. His opponents in the Republican primary for governor include Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and  Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe. The primary is scheduled for Aug. 6.

An Eigel campaign spokesperson did not provide a comment for this article.