Former Missouri Congressman Dies

Former U.S. Congressman Mel Hancock passed away this week at the age of 82. The Republican from southwestern Missouri himself may not have been a household name in the St. Louis area, but an amendment that he pushed in the 1980s still impacts governmental bodies around the Show Me State.

As Associated Press reporter David Lieb noted, the so-called “Hancock Amendment” prompted public policy sea change. The measure—which placed a limit on state revenues—sparked the issuance of refund checks during the booming 1990s. Lieb noted the refunds prompted lawmakers to enact a series of tax breaks.

A number of high-ranking Republican officials this week commemorated Hancock’s life.

“Throughout his life, Mel was a tireless advocate for lower taxes and smaller government,” said David Cole, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, in a statement.

“He will be remembered most for the passage of the Hancock Amendment in 1980, years before he was ever elected to public office. Mel’s efforts as a private citizen put Missouri at the forefront of the populist revolt against excessive government spending,”  he said.

Republican congressional candidate Ann Wagner Tweeted that Hancock was “a conservative champion of limiting government and tax reform. He will certainly be missed.”

And Wagner’s opponent in the GOP primary—attorney Ed Martin—Tweeted that Hancock’s legacy “is true citizen protection from gov't spending.”

Condolences go out to Hancock’s family.