Only 3-Weeks Left of Session
My House Bill Moves to Senate
HB155 - Establishes provisions relating to workplace retirement savings plans.
Show-Me MyRetirement Savings Program. Supporters say over 40% of Missouri workers have no access to retirement savings through their employers. Pooling small businesses together to make it affordable to offer the savings plan through the State Treasurer's Office (STO) and could achieve economies of scale and reduce expenses to the employer. The STO would administer the plan, which would look very much like the incredibly successful 529 college savings program already being administered by the STO. This legislation would encourage more Missourians to take charge of their future and start saving for retirement. Some early estimates from Pew Charitable Trusts suggest the state of Missouri could pay almost $10 billion over the course of a 15-year period for its citizens who arrive at retirement without any sort of nest egg. The bill was voted out of the House with a vote count of 141-0. The bill was combined with several other non-controversial retirement system bills that have had no opposition in the House. I have already been notified that the bill will have a hearing in the Senate Veterans, Military, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday, April 26th at 11 AM. I will be presenting it along with another representative who has a similar pensions bill that contains the Show-Me MyRetirement Savings Program language on it as well. Currently, the language is on 3 different bills currently in the Senate which hopefully result in it becoming law.
My House Bill Passed Senate Committee
HB415 - Requires dealers to collect and remit sales tax on motor vehicle sales at the time of purchase. The bill passed out of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee this week with some changes. The next step will be to have the bill placed on the Senate perfection calendar. Once perfected, it will get a third read vote and then come back to the House for final approval, since changes were made.
My House Bill Presented to House Committee
I presented House Bill 1071 (HB1071) to the Utilities Committee this week. The bill gives the public service commission contracting authority to hire a financial consultant in a very specialized rate case. The discussion lead to a possible resolution to some of the challenges the bill has faced in the past.?
Another one of my bills is House Joint Resolution (HJR) 14 also needs one more vote out of committee to reach the House floor. HJR14 - Modifies provisions for the State Treasurer's ability to invest. Some compromise language was voted out of my Financial Institutions Committee by a vote of 12-0. The bill won’t likely make it across the finish line this session, but we now have a proposal that may help facilitate it getting passed next session.
House members this week approved four bills that appropriate more than $5.4 billion in funding for vital infrastructure projects and programs across the state.?
Lawmakers approved HB 17 to re-appropriate funding for state parks around Missouri. In total the bill contains nearly $431 million in funding. House members also gave their stamp of approval to HB 18 to continue ongoing funding that will keep state facilities maintained and repaired. The bill allocates a total of more than $588 million for that purpose.
?With the approval of HB 19 legislators authorized more than $1.7 billion in funding for crucial capital improvement projects. Included in that total is $859 million in funding to widen and rebuild the I-70 corridor. The plan is a priority of Gov. Mike Parson who called for the funding to expand the highway to six lanes from St. Louis to Warrenton, Kansas City to Odessa, and extending both East and West from Columbia. The governor said the expansion would improve inter and intrastate travel for Missourians, visitors, and goods and services as well as reduce traffic injuries and deaths.
House members also authorized $100 million in funding for maintenance and repair for the state’s minor and low volume roadways. The additional funding will help provide much-needed upgrades to overlooked roadways in the state’s rural areas.
The bill also works to improve public safety in Missouri by investing more than $30 million in funding for new facilities and training for law enforcement. It also prioritizes improving access to health care by allocating more than $26 million for construction and expansion of vital health care facilities across the state. Additionally, the bill appropriates $10 million to help address the lack of housing for the homeless in Springfield.
The final budget bill approved by the House, HB 20, re-appropriates approximately $2.7 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for various programs and projects.
All four bills now move to the Senate for consideration. The two chambers must reach final agreement on the bills by Friday, May 5.
House Approves Legislation to Protect and Strengthen Second Amendment Rights (HB 282)
The Missouri House has approved legislation that would expand the rights of concealed carry permit holders. By a vote of 102-45, House members approved HB 282 to allow law-abiding citizens the right to defend themselves on public transportation.
The legislation allows a concealed carry permit holder to lawfully carry firearms on public transportation. Anyone with a permit may also carry a firearm while traveling by bus. The bill does not apply to property of Amtrak or any partnership in which Amtrak engages.
HB 282 also allows a person with a valid concealed carry permit to lawfully carry firearms in churches and other places of worship. Additionally, the bill lowers the age requirement from at least 19 to 18 years of age or older for concealed carry permits. The bill also removes the ban on eligibility for a concealed carry permit or a Missouri lifetime or extended concealed carry permit if the applicant has pled guilty to or entered a plea of nolo contendere of certain crimes.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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Other Bills Sent to the Senate
HB 183 is meant to promote fairness in competition and opportunity for female student athletes. The bill would prohibit public school districts and charter schools from allowing students grade six to 12 and public and private postsecondary educational institutions from allowing any student to compete in an athletics competition designated for the opposite sex, as determined by the student's official birth certificate. The bill clarifies that biological sex is only correctly stated on birth certificates if it was entered at or near the time of birth or modified to correct scrivener's error. The bill also makes it clear a female student may be allowed to compete in an athletic competition designated for male students if there is no such athletic competition for female students offered.
The bill’s sponsor said the legislation is important because, “Biological males are bigger, they are stronger, and they are faster. The majority of women simply cannot compete. Years of competing against biological males will wipe out female sports as we know it. We must protect the gains women have made in the last 50 years.”
The legislation specifies that any school district, charter school, or private school that violates the provisions of the bill will have a portion of their state funding withheld by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Any public postsecondary educational institution that violates the provisions of the bill would have to remit a fine in the amount of 25% of their current fiscal year state operating appropriation for a first violation, 50% for a second violation, and 100% for subsequent violations. The bill also allows postsecondary education institutions to be fined up to $1 million by the Coordinating Board of Higher Education.
HJR 20 would allow voters to decide if the rights of hunters and anglers should be enshrined in the Missouri Constitution. If approved by both the House and Senate and by the voters of Missouri, the measure would guarantee the right of hunters and anglers in the state to engage in hunting and harvesting wildlife and fishing by legal means, subject to duly authorized powers of the Conservation Commission.
If approved by both chambers, the proposed change to the state constitution will appear on the November 2024 ballot for voter approval.
HB 188 establishes the "Immigrant Employment Registration and Taxation Protection Act". As specified in the bill, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) is required to maintain a database or registry of qualified immigrant workers. The DOLIR shall provide employers with a mechanism to verify registration of any qualified immigrant workers. Further, upon receiving documentation from a qualified immigrant worker, the employer is required to provide the documentation to DOLIR as indicated in the bill. Supporters say the bill addresses a current deficiency in Missouri law concerning illegal or unclassified workers. There is currently a large number of "unclassified" aliens living and working in the United States, as well as Missouri. The first step to addressing this problem is to shine a light on the illegal and often abusive employment of these aliens. It is important to register the employment of these aliens with the state, and take steps to make employers accountable. There are a number of large commercial developments in Missouri with much of the labor being done by unclassified workers. The Department of Labor is not taking appropriate action. This bill gives the state the tools necessary to address this problem.?
Buy Missouri Event
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe hosted the annual Buy Missouri Day at the Missouri State Capitol. Over 30 Buy Missouri members from across the state were featured in the third-floor rotunda for legislators and members of the public to learn more about products manufactured in Missouri. Here’s a link to their webpage https://ltgov.mo.gov/buy-mo/ Photo below.
National Work Zone Awareness Week
With a record-breaking $1.8 billion for road and bridge work this year, Missouri motorists can expect to encounter a significant amount of work zones and ongoing maintenance operations during their travels this year. The Missouri Department of Transportation is hosting the National Work Zone Awareness Week April 17-21, urging motorists to “Work with Us” by making smart, safe driving choices behind the wheel to protect themselves and those they share the road with, including highway workers. Here’s a link to the release that has a link to the work zones, https://www.modot.org/node/28345.
Conservation Wildflower Virtual Event
People can learn more about these early spring bloomers at the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) virtual program “Wildflowers: Wonderful Wildflower ID.” This free online program will be April 25 from 10-11:30 a.m. and is being put on by the staff of MDC’s Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center in Joplin. This program is recommended for ages 12 and up. People can register at:
?At this program, MDC Naturalist Jessie Ballard will describe the different types of native wildflowers that are beginning to show their blooms at this time of year. Plants in forested areas frequently bloom earlier in the year than do plants on prairies, pastures, and other open areas. Blooming early in the spring allows plants in forest areas to utilize sunlight that would not be available in late spring and summer when leafy tree canopies block out much of the sunlight. Ballard will explain how these wildflowers provide a great reason to get outside and explore the outdoors at this time of year.
Though the April 25 program is free, registration is required to participate. Use the link above. Registrants must provide an e-mail, so a program link can be sent to them. This program will include a chat-based question-and-answer period where participants can interact with the presenters.
Legislative Softball Tournament
I participated in the legislative softball tournament this week. We were able to raise $15,000 for the Samaritan Center. It was a beautiful evening to enjoy the outdoors and visit with so many people.
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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