By Kathee Baird
Former southwest Missouri Congressman Melton D. “Mel” Hancock has died.
Hancock represented Missouri’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 1997. He was the author of an amendment to the Missouri Constitution, that was approved by voters in 1980, that limits how state taxes are collected. When revenues exceed the cap of growth of the personal income of state residents, tax refunds automatically are triggered — something that occurred regularly during the booming economic period of 1995-1999.
The constitutional amendment, came to be known simply as the Hancock Amendment.  It also prohibits the state from imposing unfunded mandates on local governments.
Hancock, was a native of Cape Fair, graduated from Missouri State University and then served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He co-founded Federal Protection Inc., in 1969 - a Springfield based family business that specialize in bank security.[adsenseyu1]
In 1982 Hancock lost the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to incumbent John Danforth and lost the 1984 election for lieutenant governor to Democrat Harriett Woods. He was finally successful in his bid for office when he won a four-way primary to represent the Republican party in 1988.  He served on the Ways and Means comittee while in Congress.
In Congress, he built a reputation as a fiscal and social conservative. Hancock was one of 20 lawmakers who filed suit in 1992 attempting to stop a planned congressional pay raise. He attached an amendment to a bill in 1994 that would have cut federal funds to school districts that teach acceptance of homosexuality. In 1995, Hancock was one of 31 House members to receive a perfect 100 score from the American Conservative Union — a step better than the 99 average he had compiled from 1989 to 1995.
When he opted not to seek re-election in 1996, Hancock said he was fulfilling a self-imposed four-term limit he had pledged to voters when he first ran. Hancock considered — but opted against — a challenge in 1996 to Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan, who had been a primary political nemesis because of their long-running disagreement over state tax policy.
Hancock is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Funeral arrangements are pending.

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