144th House District Capitol Report

It was a pleasure to have Commander Randall Tolliver and Mr. Mike Lewis from Reynolds County come by my office and visit with me about some important legislation for our veterans. Our veterans have done so much, and we need to ensure that we continue to do what we can to show our support. I was honored to be able to introduce our veterans on the House floor at the start of session. If you are ever in the area, please stop by the Capitol. I always enjoy visiting with people from the district.

• Lowering the age for school enrollment and increasing school safety: The House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education reviewed proposals aiming to lower the compulsory school enrollment age and enhance school safety. Bills such as HB 2125, HB 2177 and HB 2323 advocate reducing the enrollment age from 7 to 6 or 5, citing potential improvements in education and addressing attendance and academic progress issues. Concerns arise from data showing that only 76% of Missouri students meet the recommended 90% attendance rate.

House Bill 1761 focuses on school safety, mandating enhanced safety features in public school buildings, including bullet-resistant laminates and compliance standards. The bill establishes a matching grant program to support safety projects and sets a deadline for compliance by the 2025-26 school year, with potential consequences for noncompliance after July 1, 2028.

• Sports betting debated in House committee once again: The Special Committee on Public Policy heard legislation on one of the hot-button topics of the past few sessions this past week.

HB 2331 would introduce new provisions for sports wagering in Missouri, proposing a 10% tax on sports bets in Missouri. The legislation would allow sports teams, mobile operators and casinos to establish betting parlors similar to those in neighboring states.

Supporters, including teams like the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, argue that legalizing sports betting would increase state revenue, fund problem gaming initiatives, and regulate the market. They maintain that Missouri is losing out on revenue, as an estimated 350,000 Missourians have tried to place bets on mobile devices.

Legalization could contribute $35 million to the state's education fund. With previous attempts stalled in the Senate, there is a new effort, supported by professional sports teams and gaming operators, to gather more than 170,000 signatures by early May for a ballot initiative in November.

• New committee weighs legislative solutions to fix property tax issues: The new Special Committee on Property Tax Reform heard testimony on several bills seeking to address the ongoing issues with rising property assessments. The committee was created this session with the intent of examining the impact of property tax increases on residents, especially seniors and those with fixed incomes, and its goals include ensuring certainty, stability, transparency and efficiency in the property tax assessment process.

With more than 100 bills filed in relation to this matter between the two legislative bodies, five were heard in committee.

-- HJR 78 proposes a Constitutional amendment effective from Jan. 1, 2025, setting the true value of residential real property. This applies to primary residences and those owned by individuals 65 or older. It allows for increases in assessed valuation based on the Consumer Price Index or up to a 2% annual increase.

-- HJR 79 and HJR 68 aim to eliminate the exemption for the assessor of Jackson County from the requirement that all county assessors (except Jackson County) be elected officers.

HB 1428 amends statutes related to senior citizens' property tax relief, increasing the maximum income for eligibility, raising the additional exemption for married.

• New Special Committee on Technology and Innovation and Technology: Last week the House Speaker announced the formation of the Special Committee on Innovation and Technology, designed to address the changing landscape of innovation and technology in the state. The committee aims to cultivate an environment that boosts the state's economy by fostering innovation in both existing and emerging industries. Its objective is to ensure Missouri's global competitiveness, generate high-quality jobs, and shape policies that align with the people's needs. Speaker Plocher appointed a bipartisan committee to craft legislation addressing challenges and opportunities in the new digital age. Committee members from both parties will focus on identifying and evaluating emerging technologies, developing integration strategies, and providing insights for technology-related policies to promote a culture of innovation in Missouri. The committee views this initiative as a significant step toward positive growth in the technological realm and is enthusiastic about its potential impact on Missouri's technological landscape.

As new technology has emerged, we have all had to deal with things that we have not previously dealt with. I'm sure you all have received phone calls which look like they are coming from someone you know; however, when you answer the phone, you find out that the person on the other end is not even in the United States and you can barely even understand the person. Unfortunately, some of these callers are out to scam individuals, especially our senior citizens. This is just a small example of newer technology that we need to look into.

• Child care tax credit package: A comprehensive child care tax credit package, House Bill 1488, that would address the state's child care crisis and boost economic development, will soon be heard on the floor. The proposed package includes three components: Child Care Contribution Tax Credit Act, Employer Provided Child Care Assistance Tax Credit Act, and Child Care Providers Tax Credit Act. These aim to provide tax credits to child care providers, donors to daycare centers, and businesses supporting employee child care costs. The bill responds to the workforce crisis, with only one child care slot available for every three children under 5 in Missouri. The estimated cost of the tax credits is $70 million, justified by potential economic growth. The proposal is set to be valid for six years for impact assessment.
• As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns or suggestions you might have. As your representative, I am here to assist you however I can. I can be reached by email at Chris.Dinkins@house.mo.gov or by phone at (573) 751-2112. Please do not contact me via social media. These messages are easy to overlook and may not be responded to in a timely manner.

CHRIS DINKINS represents Missouri's 144th House District. The district includes Bollinger, Iron, Madison, Reynolds, Shannon, Washington and Wayne counties.