By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Qualifying Missouri residents can get up to $10,000 in tax credits to adopt a so-called special needs child.
The audit finds more than 90% of those credits are funding international adoptions. That's not against state law but McCaskill says it raises the question of whether the program should be used exclusively for children who are Missouri residents:
We don't want to discourage anyone from international adoptions," McCaskill said. "But the bigger question is, is this valid public policy with taxpayer money?
Adoption tax credits are capped at
$2 million per year. McCaskill says had Governor Bob Holden not vetoed a measure removing the cap, the program would've cost the state more than twice that amount.
Missouri lawmakers are currently considering legislation that would provide greater accountability over the use of state tax credits.