Missouri residents may soon be able to use gold and silver to buy groceries and pay taxes.
This week, state lawmakers approved a bill that would designate gold and silver as legal tender in Missouri. It will now head to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s (R-MO) desk.
Recommended Stories
- Temu halts all shipments from China to US after de minimis exemption expires
- Bessent breaks down Trump's economic policy strategy
- Gas prices: Slightly more expensive than a week ago
“The goal is about restoring economic and political freedom back to everyday Missourians,” state Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican who sponsored a version of the bill, told the Kansas City Star.
The Republican-led push for the legislation would require state government entities to accept electronic versions of gold and silver, called “electronic specie currency,” as payment for taxes and other public debts. However, the measure would not require businesses to accept gold and silver as payment, including for groceries, but would allow them to do so.
Democratic state Rep. Kemp Strickler expressed opposition to the bill’s language regarding gold and silver but noted that he supported other parts of the larger bill and ultimately voted “present.”
“Not a fan of that part of it,” Strickler said. “Assuming it gets signed, we’re in the ‘how do we implement’ stage.”
He noted that “this would be a huge challenge for private businesses.”
Other lawmakers raised concerns about how people would get their change back if they used gold or silver.
“So, when I go to a gas station and buy a Coke, a 20 ounce Coke, and I’d say, you know, here’s my gold … Are they gonna give me back money in gold?” Democratic state Sen. John Rizzo said when similar legislation was under consideration in 2023.
TRUMP’S SPRAWLING BUSINESS EMPIRE POSES FRESH ETHICS TEST
The full text of the Missouri bill has not been made available. Utah was the first state to legalize gold and silver as legal tender in 2011.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Kehoe’s office but did not receive a response.