- Last Week the Last Week of Session (5/16/16)
- More Bills On the Governor’s Desk (4/28/16)
- A Truly Agreed and Finally Passed 2017 Budget Sent to the Governor (4/22/16)
- Bills Reported to the Senate (4/15/16)
- More House Bills Move Forward (4/8/16)
- Historic Override of the Governor’s Revenue Withholds (3/18/16)
- Missouri’s 2017 Fiscal Year (FY17) Budget Passes the House (3/11/16)
A Few 2015 Legislative Accomplishments
*Be sure to take time this Memorial weekend to remember those who have sacrificed to secure America's future. The city of Jackson will sponsor a service at 9 a.m. at the old cemetery on South High Street. This year's speaker is Captain Diane Howard, a 25-year Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer, who currently works for the Limbaugh Law Firm in Cape Girardeau.
*The House reauthorized the Government Get Off My Back Act this year; extending the bill to 2019. House Bill 32 promotes job creation for competitive paying jobs with benefits and freezes user fees and regulatory costs to small businesses. The average qualifying business earns $32,000 in deduction--leading to investments in more jobs and capital improvements.
*Taxation by citation should not exist, and after unrest in Ferguson, it became apparent that a number of Missouri municipalities have made it a practice to expand their budgets on the backs of Missourians. In response, the House passed Senate Bill 5 which limits the practice of "taxation by citation."
Under its provisions, municipalities are limited to generating 20% of their revenue from traffic citations. In St. Louis County, that threshold is even lower at 12.5%. Cities that collect more than the threshold will be required to distribute additional revenues to the state; failure to do so will force those revenues to go to the schools in the county.
Additionally, cities that fail to comply shall not receive any amount of moneys to which the municipality would otherwise be entitled to receive from county sales tax pool revenues during the period of noncompliance and would require an election automatically be held upon the question of disincorporation for any county, city, town, or village which has failed to remit excess revenues.
Finally, it limits the amount fines and court costs that may be imposed for minor traffic violations and creates a tax refund setoff for unpaid court costs, fines, or fees.
This is a dramatic step in the right direction in rebuilding trust between Missourians and the local police and judicial officials.
*One of the most exciting legislative provisions that came from the 98th General Assembly First Regular Session was funding for The State Historical Society of Missouri to finally construct their own building in Columbia. For years this vital treasure-house of Missouri History has been housed in the basement of the Ellis Library on the MU campus where it has suffered occasional significant water damage, which as you might guess is not at all good for some of the most valuable state historical documents.
I am proud to say that I worked with former Speaker John Diehl to make sure this funding came to reality this year.
*CONGRATS TO SENIOR GRADUATES: Jackson Senior High School - Oak Ridge High School -- Delta High School -- Saxony Lutheran High School -- Eagle Ridge Christian -- Notre Dame Regional
Eighth-Grade Graduates: Nell Holcomb, Immaculate Conception, and St Paul Lutheran.
I would like to congratulate all District 146 High School and Eighth-grade students on their graduation and wish those best of luck for a productive, successful 2016.
*A big THANK YOU to Amanda Krewson from Altenburg for a great job as an intern in my office this year. She not only did an outstanding job as writer of my Capitol Report, but she was a tremendous help to my Legislator Assistant, Denia.
*THE CAPE GIRARDEAU STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY has expanded its public area and now offers an expanded reading room, more convenient parking and more. Go to The State Historical Society of Missouri website to their publication, Missouri Times, to read page 5. You may also want to turn to page 3 of the same publication and read a short write up describing the upgraded research tools available at the center.
*Don't miss an opportunity Saturday, May 23, to enjoy the great music of the 80's during Jackson Chamber's ROCKIN' THE PARK event. The event takes place 7pm to 11 pm (gates open at 6pm) at the Band Shell in Jackson City Park. Ten Dollars per person, children 10 and under are free. "That 80's Band" is performing and there will be a Best Dressed 80's contest.
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