LEGISLATIVE REPORT: TAX RELIEF NOT MOVING IN HOUSE

There are only five weeks left in this year's legislative session and property tax relief legislation is still not on the House calendar for passage. House Bill 1546, the Homestead Exemption and Circuit Breaker bill, which would provide income tax credits for property taxes was passed by the Ways & Means Committee on Feb. 21, 1998.

This bill is sponsored by Speaker Gaw on behalf of Gov. Carnahan. At this late date, it's beginning to look as though HB 1546 is stuck in the process and will not make it to the floor this year.

Meanwhile, the illegal over-collection of tax revenue continues to pour into state coffers. The attorney general is still working on his lawsuit to block an additional $70 million in Hancock refunds. Legislation creating new state-run day care for three and four year olds is moving. The bill to expand Medicaid to the middle-class is also making progress.

Just this week Speaker Gaw was asked about property tax relief and he answered, "I don't think there is a hang-up." The speaker doesn't think there's a hang-up, but apparently he's not sure.

Keeping this statement in mind, it's important to understand how the legislative process works in the House. All House committees are controlled by and report directly to the speaker. After a committee passes a bill it does not automatically go to the House Floor, it goes back to the speaker first and the speaker decides if and/or when the bill will ever be sent to the House Floor.

The speaker of the house has total and complete control over EVERY bill introduced in the House and EVERY bill heard in any committee. Because of this fact, I am puzzled by Speaker Gaw's uncertainty about the property tax bill he has sponsored.

Gov. Carnahan's office also seems uncertain about property tax relief legislation. Carnahan's chief of staff, speaking for the governor, said, "I think we would have preferred that it move a little faster" when asked about property tax relief. Even though Gov. Carnahan said in his State of the State speech on Jan. 21, 1998, that this property tax bill "will provide broad-based and meaningful tax relief."

With all this seeming uncertainty, I would like to say that I am absolutely sure, as I have said repeatedly, that I whole-heartedly support broad-based and meaningful tax relief. And that tax relief should be provided this year. With 800 million new tax dollars in this year's state budget, Missourians need and deserve to have some of that money returned directly to them.

The House gave overwhelming approval to ban partial birth abortion in Missouri. The members who oppose banning this heinous procedure argue that the bill is unconstitutional without an exception to allow a baby to be killed seconds before birth for health reasons of the mother.

The bill contains a provision to allow the procedure to save the mother's life. As you probably know, "health" reasons are determined by a woman and her doctor, and could include her emotional health. This loophole in the law is very broad and unacceptable.

Furthermore, the American Medical Association has repeatedly testified in Missouri and Washington, D.C., that this procedure is NEVER medically necessary to protect a mother's health. In fact, it is dangerous to a mother's health.

Opponents also argue that this procedure is rarely, if ever, performed in Missouri. However, there are no statistics to support that claim since abortionists are not required to report the method used to abort a baby. The Department of Health does report that 168 late-term abortions were performed in Missouri last year. It's entirely possible that that number includes partial birth abortions.

David Schwab is a state representative from the 157th district