A Good Start to Session in the House

Bills Heard

I was happy to kick off the legislative session by presenting my HR3895 to the Consent and House Procedures Committee this week. The resolution grants permission for the use of the House Chamber on Monday, February 19th for Missouri Eagle Scout Recognition Day. The measure was also voted on during the same hearing and passed unanimously, thereby granting permission for the event.

I have filed an additional bill as listed below:

HB2193 - ?Modifies provisions for the renewable natural gas standard to give the Public Service Commission better guidance on how to regulate these types of power producers.

Financial Institutions Heard Bills This Week

I’m proud to serve again this session as the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Institutions. This committee had a great session last year with all of the members from the last session returning with their wide variety of life experiences related to finance, banking, investing, and small businesses.

This past week in the committee, we heard two important bills, HB 1803 and HB 1938. ?HB 1803 focuses on expanding the Missouri Linked Deposit Program. This program, which is run through the State Treasurer’s Office, works with banks to offer small loans (less than $5 million) to small businesses, including farmers as well as multi-family home developers, at lower interest rates. As you can imagine, with interest rates up as much as they are in the last year or so, the demand for the program has grown. If you’re a small business owner, you should ask your banker about this program to see if your business qualifies.

Another bill, HB 1938, looked at private trust companies. In particular, it looked at one very large family trust where the law demands that family members who serve as officers of the trust, reside in the state of Missouri. However, as this family has grown, they’ve found a need to include some members who reside elsewhere and we risk the trust leaving the state to avoid this antiquated rule. Overall, it was a great start and I’m excited about a lot of the bills I see on the horizon for the Financial Institutions Committee.

House Committee Debates Tax Credit Package to Boost Childcare

The Missouri House is moving quickly on a tax credit package aimed at addressing the state's childcare crisis. The Missouri House Workforce and Infrastructure Development Committee discussed a plan that would provide tax credits to childcare providers, donors to daycare centers, and businesses who help to cover the childcare costs of their employees as a solution to the ongoing crisis while also serving as an economic development tool for the state.

Missouri legislators have been grappling with the issue of the state’s growing workforce crisis, and one piece to the puzzle is fixing the lack of access to childcare. Testifying before the committee, the bill sponsor emphasized the severity of the issue, stating that there's only one available childcare slot for every three children under the age of five in Missouri.? With 94 percent of Missouri counties labeled as childcare deserts, many businesses struggle to find workers due to childcare challenges. A U.S. Chamber report estimates that Missouri loses more than $1.3 billion annually as a result of childcare shortages.

House Bill 1488?asks the state legislature to approve a tax credit package that is intended to boost access to childcare options statewide. That package is broken out into three parts:

1.???? Child Care Contribution Tax Credit Act (Effective from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2030):

·?????? Taxpayers can claim a 75% tax credit against state liability for verified contributions to a childcare provider.

·?????? The credit must be between $100 and $200,000 per tax year.

·?????? Eligible donations must directly support childcare for children aged 12 or younger, be distributed within two years if made through an intermediary, and not involve a direct financial interest for the taxpayer.

·?????? Non-refundable tax credits, capped at $20 million annually, with a 15% increase for contributions to childcare providers in "childcare deserts."

2.???? Employer Provided Child Care Assistance Tax Credit Act (Effective from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2030):

·?????? Taxpayers with two or more employees can claim a 30% tax credit for qualified childcare expenditures, with a maximum credit of $200,000 per taxpayer per year.

·?????? Applicable to corporations, certain charitable organizations, and individuals or partnerships subject to state income tax.

·?????? Non-refundable tax credits, capped at $20 million annually, with a 15% increase for contributions to childcare providers in "childcare deserts."

3.???? Child Care Providers Tax Credit Act (Effective from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2030):

·?????? Childcare providers with three or more employees can claim a tax credit equal to their eligible employer withholding tax and up to 30% of capital expenditures.

·?????? No credit for capital expenditures under $1,000.

·?????? Maximum tax credit is $200,000 per childcare provider per tax year.

·?????? Non-refundable tax credits, with excess credits carried back or forward up to five tax years.

·?????? Capped at $20 million annually, with a 15% increase for contributions to childcare providers in "childcare deserts."

The tax credits, estimated to cost up to $70 million, are justified by the potential economic growth and tax revenue they could generate.? The bill would be valid for six years, allowing lawmakers to assess its impact.

Legislation Seeking to Make Missouri an Open Enrollment State Gets Rolling

The House is once again moving forward with open enrollment legislation that passed the finish line in the previous legislative session before failing to navigate through the Missouri Senate.

The Missouri House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education heard testimony on HB 1989, a bill that seeks to allow K-12 public schools to choose whether to let students from neighboring school districts enroll in their district. The Public School Open Enrollment Act, as it has been named, aims to enhance educational quality, increase parental involvement, provide access to programs and classes, and align curriculum options with personal beliefs.

?Under this proposal, any student beginning kindergarten or already enrolled in a public school may attend a public school in a nonresident district that has opted to participate in the program. The program requires districts to declare participation by December 1st for the following school year, with no obligation to increase resources for transfer applicants.

“This bill allows the 899,000 students in the state of Missouri in the public school system the opportunity to have choice within the very system that their parents pay taxes to,” the bill sponsor told the committee.

Special education provisions are outlined, and districts may establish standards for transfers. Students must meet admission requirements to transfer and will be subject to restrictions on varsity sports participation for the first year. The program is initiated in the 2025-26 school year, and districts may limit outgoing transfers based on enrollment percentages.

The bill also establishes the Parent Public School Choice Fund with an $80 million appropriation to support transportation and special needs education for qualifying students. Districts must publish the number of transfer students accepted annually, with a defined application process and exemptions for desegregation orders. Enrollment under the program begins after July 1, 2025, with alternative funding mechanisms detailed if the Parent Public School Choice Fund falls short.

Two New House Committees Announced

The Missouri House has introduced two new committees to address concerns related to education and property taxes. The Special Committee on Property Tax Reform aims to examine the impact of property tax increases on residents, especially seniors and those with fixed incomes. The committee's goals include ensuring certainty, stability, transparency, and efficiency in the property tax assessment process.

Simultaneously, the Special Committee on Education Reform focuses on developing policy solutions to enhance educational opportunities for students, empower parents in their children's education, and create a system that values choice, excellence, and parental involvement while preparing young people for success in adulthood.

Patrol Participates In Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division will participate in a five-day Human Trafficking Awareness initiative January 8-12, 2024. This initiative is a concentrated effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers, and the general public about human trafficking, what signs to look for, and what to do in these situations.

Human trafficking is the illegal exploitation of a person through force, fraud, or coercion. It can take the form of sex trafficking, forced labor, or domestic servitude. Human trafficking is not specific to age, race, or gender, and it occurs in rural, suburban, and urban areas across Missouri. The victims of human trafficking are from all socioeconomic backgrounds and levels of education.

Human traffickers are motivated by greed, exploiting the most vulnerable among us for $150 billion annually. This crime is occurring throughout North America and has been reported in every U.S. and Mexican state, and all Canadian provinces. In addition to being trafficked within their own nation’s borders, our citizens are being exploited across national borders.

Signs of human trafficking are not always obvious, and may include:

The presence of an older “boyfriend” or “girlfriend;” Travel with an older male/female who isn’t a guardian; Signs of psychological coercion, such as depression, anxiety, and/or an overly submissive attitude; Lack of control over his/her schedule, money, and/or items proving identification; Physical trauma (bruises, cuts, burns, scars); Poor health; Coached/rehearsed responses to questions; Substance abuse or addictions, selling drugs; or, Homelessness. Suspected human trafficking can be reported by calling 1-888-373-7888.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is joining agencies across the United States, Canada, and Mexico for this Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance initiative.

Follow the Missouri State Highway Patrol on?X?@MSHPTrooperGHQ

Join the Fight Against Human Trafficking in Missouri

Be Alert for Signs of Human Trafficking

January?is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, with the national awareness day on Jan. 11. The month is dedicated to raising awareness of human trafficking and educating individuals on how to stop this crime.

In January 2000, the United States made a commitment to fight human trafficking both domestically and abroad through the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. In 2018, MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna signed the Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking pledge joining efforts with other transportation leaders across the country. Through this pledge, MoDOT committed itself to providing specialized training to employees on how to identify the common indicators of human trafficking and what to do when trafficking is suspected in Missouri.

Missouri is a transportation hub for the United States, with large amounts of freight moving across the state’s highways every day. Common places like rest stops, gas stations, convenience stores and hotels are prime spots for the practice of human trafficking. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 240 human trafficking cases reported in Missouri in 2021, involving 327 victims. Nationally, these numbers jump to over 10,000 cases involving over 16,000 victims.

If you suspect someone is being forced to engage in any activity from which they can’t leave—whether it is commercial sex, housework, farm work or other activity—call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree (233733). Information is available online at humantraffickinghotline.org . Please save the National Human Trafficking Hotline number as a contact in your cellphone: 1-888-373-7888. If someone is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

For more information about MoDOT’s efforts to “Put the Brakes on Human Trafficking,” go to modot.org/fighthumantrafficking .

Patrol Adds July 2024 Accelerated Academy With No Residency Relocation The Missouri State Highway Patrol, a premier law enforcement agency, is adding an additional Accelerated Academy in 2024,?with no required residency relocation for in-state applicants. The Patrol is encouraging qualified individuals of all backgrounds to apply for the Accelerated (15-week) recruit class and is offering testing at nine different locations in Missouri. Those who successfully complete testing will be eligible to continue in the selection process for the 121st (Accelerated) Recruit Class, which will begin training on July 1, 2024. The 121st?Recruit Class is scheduled to graduate on October 25, 2024. All candidates must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalent and be 21 years of age upon graduating from the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy. Additionally, to be eligible for the 15-week Accelerated Academy, candidates must:

*?Missouri Applicants: Possess an active Missouri Class A POST license or equivalent in good standing or an active Class B POST License in good standing that is eligible for upgrade.

*?Out of State and Military Applicants: Basic training and experience must meet the eligibility requirements to obtain a Missouri Class A License through the Veteran Peace Officers application process as determined by POST (Must obtain a Missouri Class A license prior to the conditional offer phase).

*?Must have served a minimum of three consecutive years as a full-time Missouri POST-commissioned police officer, a military police officer, or an out-of-state police officer in a traffic, patrol, or investigations capacity.

Successful in-state?Accelerated Academy applicants will?not?be required to relocate their residency. Out-of-state applicants will?know their assignment prior to entering training.

Upon graduating from the Patrol’s Academy, troopers are eligible to earn 46 credit hours through Mineral Area College in Park Hills, MO, or 30 credit hours through the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO, or 57 credit hours through Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, toward a degree. While attending Academy training, recruits may also be eligible to earn an associate of applied science degree at Mineral Area College by completing an additional 16 general education credit hours through online courses with Western Governors University. The Missouri State Highway Patrol's uniform guidelines allow troopers to have tattoos or brands as long as they meet two requirements: 1) The tattoos or brands cannot depict or support criminal behavior, drug usage, nudity, profanity, promiscuity, subversive groups, bigotry, etc. 2) Tattoos/brands cannot be located on the head, neck, hands, wrists, or any part of the body which would be visible during movements in the performance of their duties while wearing an official uniform or civilian attire. Troopers with tattoos on the arms that would be visible in the class B uniform (short sleeves) will wear the class A uniform (long sleeves). The starting annual salary for the?Accelerated Academy trooper?is $58,944. Following three years of service, troopers become trooper first class and their salary is increased to $65,112. Additional salary increases for trooper first class reach a maximum annual salary of $88,464 with 15 years of service. Other benefits include group health insurance, contributory retirement, career advancement, and more.

The selection process is a multi-phase testing procedure including a written examination, a physical fitness for duty assessment, polygraph examination, background investigation, and oral interview board. Written and physical examinations take place in each troop area across the state. After a conditional offer of employment, the applicant must successfully complete a medical examination (to include vision and hearing), psychological examination, a psychological interview, drug screening, and final applicant review. Interested persons can find out more about the qualifications by contacting a Patrol recruiter at telephone number 1-800-796-7000, or may apply online at?www.motrooper.com . MSHP IS AN EEO EMPLOYER.

Powder Valley Nature Center presents An Evening with Raptors on Jan. 26

Visitors will discover the ancient art of falconry, and meet live raptors face to face.

Bird buffs, falcon fanciers, and anyone enraptured by raptors is invited to meet the objects of their admiration during this year’s An Evening with Raptors event.

The annual An Evening with Raptors hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center returns this year on Friday, Jan. 26 from 7-9 p.m.? The event is free and is open to all ages.?

It’s the ultimate partnership between man and bird.? Falconry is an ancient sport, and you can learn all about it at An Evening with Raptors event.? Falconry is the art of training raptors—birds of prey like hawks and falcons—to capture wild game so that the bird and trainer essentially become hunting partners. The use of falconry can be traced back to 700 B.C.E., and perhaps even earlier.?

"Several area falconers will gather to offer the rare chance to observe and learn about these fascinating feathered hunters,” said MDC Interim Nature Center Manager, Robyn Parker.? “They will also explain how viewers can get started in this age-old sport themselves,” she added.

The program will begin with a presentation on falconry in the nature center’s auditorium.? Afterward, falconers will display their falconry tools, hoods, and other equipment in the classrooms.? They’ll also bring the birds they hunt with for visitors to see up close.? Attendees will get a chance to meet these fascinating raptors like red-tailed and Harris’ hawks, peregrine and peregrine hybrid falcons, and a golden eagle.? Participants will also have the chance to interact with the falconry team and ask questions.

An Evening with Raptors is a free event, but advanced registration is required for each person attending. To sign up, participants should go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xT .

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-44 and I-270.

Sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed of MDC’s latest programs and events by going to? https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoP .

As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me at [email protected] , 573-751-3762 or my office is located on the 4th floor of the Capitol in room 411A.

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