Rep. Jeff Coleman, Missouri House of Representatives District 32

This is an editorial: An editorial, like news reporting, is based on objective facts, but shares an opinion. The conclusions and opinions here have been derived by the guest contributor and are not associated with the news staff.

     This week my HB 456 which eliminates income tax for those receiving social security benefits had a public hearing in Special Committee on Tax Reform. With inflation rates on the rise, the likes we haven’t seen since 1980s, it is essential to help ensure that many Missourians will be able to afford the basic necessities of life.
     This week was full of House Committee hearings. It was my honor to serve as Chairman of Professional Registration and Licensing first hearing this session. We heard HB 115 sponsored by Representative Brenda Shields and HB 99 sponsored by Representative Davidson, both regarding access to physical therapy. 
 
House Committee Advances Initiative Petition Reform Legislation (HJR 43)
     Legislation designed to protect the sanctity of the Missouri Constitution is moving quickly through the legislative process and is now on track for discussion on the House floor. House Speaker Dean Plocher and Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson said as early as next week the House will consider a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to change the initiative petition process.
     This week HJR 43 was approved by the House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials. If approved by the legislature and voters, the proposed constitutional amendment would change the threshold required to approve changes to the state constitution. Currently, changes to the constitution require only a simple majority for approval. HJR 43 would raise the threshold to 60 percent voter approval for passage.
     Henderson noted Missouri is currently one of only 18 states to allow initiative petitions for a constitutional change and has one of the easier processes in the country for amending the constitution.
     HJR 43 was approved by the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee by a vote of 11-5. It now moves to a House Rules Committee, which must approve the bill before it moves to the floor for discussion. The committee also passed three other proposed constitutional amendments (HJR 30, HJR 24, and HJR 25) that would modify the requirements to approve constitutional amendments. 
 
House Committees Focus on Suicide Prevention Efforts (HB 132)
     Two House committees met this week to discuss ways to reduce suicide in Missouri, particularly among its veterans.
     The House Veterans Committee took testimony on HB 132, which would task the Missouri Veterans Commission with expanding its efforts to prevent veteran suicide. The House Health and Mental Health Policy Committee received a report issued by the Interim Committee on Veterans’ Mental Health and Suicide and discussed suicide prevention methods with a focus on the importance of the 988 hotline.
     The sponsor of HB 132, who also chairs the House Veterans Committee and chaired the interim committee, spoke to both committees about the importance of his bill, which would give guidance to the Missouri Veterans Commission about how to use the data it collects on veteran suicides. The bill would also require the commission to report annually to the legislature on that data and what it’s doing to reduce the number of those incidents. 
      Legislation similar to HB 132 passed out of the House unanimously last year but didn’t reach Governor Parson. The Veterans Committee will likely vote on it soon.
 
Governor Parson Establishes Master Plan on Aging
     Governor Mike Parson recently signed an executive order to establish a Master Plan on Aging. The plan is designed to help reduce age and disability discrimination, eliminate barriers to safe and healthy aging, and help Missourians to age with dignity.
     The governor’s office noted there are currently more than 1.1 million Missouri citizens over the age of 60. Estimates suggest that older adults will outnumber minors for the first time by 2030 and older adults will greatly outnumber minors by 2060.
     The Executive Order calls on the Department of Health and Senior Services, with the assistance of a new Advisory Council, to develop a Master Plan on Aging for the State of Missouri that addresses the needs and health outcomes for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The department is tasked with finalizing the Master Plan on Aging by December 31, 2025, and releasing a public report.

     Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1487, or email my office at jeff.coleman@house.mo.gov. 

This is an editorial: An editorial, like news reporting, is based on objective facts, but shares an opinion. The conclusions and opinions here have been derived by the guest contributor and are not associated with the news staff.

​Coleman’s Legislation Update:
 
Currently I will be sponsoring eleven house bills. These bills are:

• HB 50 Geographical Information System Data. This bill sets a cap of $500.00 fee for sunshine requests pertaining to geographical information system products.
• HB 51 Birth Certificates. This bill states if an individual undergoes a sex reassignment surgery and/or individual name change, then the birth certificate must be amended.
• HB 348 Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. This bill states if a physician or surgeon has a valid license to practice and is in good standing (and meets Missouri requirements) in another state can apply for license to practice in Missouri.
• HB 452 Food Sales Tax. This bill eliminates sales tax on food items.
• HB 453 Stop Human Trafficking. This bill states that if an individual is convicted of patronizing prostitution the court will order a judgment of restitution in the amount of $5,000.00 to be paid to the Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Fund.
• HB 454 Increase Charges to Sexual Offenses Involving a Minor. This bill changes the age of minor from 15 to 17 regarding sexual exploitation, and 14 to 15 regarding prostitution charges. Also increases the charges from a potential misdemeanor class B to felony class D.
• HB 455 Conceal and Carry Permit Application. This bill states if there is a substantial delay in the processing of conceal and carry permit in the county of the applicant’s residence then applicant may submit for permit in another county.
• HB 456 Eliminating Income Tax to Social Security Recipients. This bill eliminates income tax to those individuals who are receiving social security benefits: retirement, disability, survivors, and supplemental benefits.
• HB 775 State Board Nursing Fund. This bill changes the fee associated with license to practice for a nurse to be paid to the State Board Nursing Fund and not DHSS.
• HJR 4 Term Limits. Currently the term limit for a Missouri Legislator is set for a maximum of 16 years total, 8 years in Missouri House of Representatives (four, two year terms) and 8 years in Missouri Senate (two, four year terms). HJR 4 if approved by Missouri voters will allow a legislator to serve their 16 years in either legislative body.
• HJR 33 Property Tax. This bill if approved by Missouri voters will set a maximum cap of 2% increase per year to an individual’s residential real property tax.            

 
Furthermore, I am honored to be appointed the Chair of Professional Registration and Licensing Committee for the second term in a row. I was also appointed as a member of the Elections and Elected Officials Committee, Insurance Policy, and Special Committee on Urban Issues Committee. 

by Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent

     For the first time in its history, the only real limit on what Missouri can buy on a cash-and-carry basis is the imagination of the people spending the money.
     The state treasury is bulging with more than $6 billion in surplus cash, the result of 28 months of double-digit revenue growth and federal payments tied to COVID-19 relief and recovery. If growth rates continue at current levels, general revenue in the current fiscal year could approach $15 billion.
     Three years ago, the general revenue fund took in $8.9 billion.
     Some foresee a slowdown starting next year, as inflation-fighting policies slow the economy and the state sees the actual impact of recent tax cuts. Lawmakers and Gov. Mike Parson’s administration are trying to account for those uncertainties as they negotiate the budget baseline for the coming legislative session, said Sen. Lincoln Hought, R-Springfield.
     “It is almost kind of a wait and see game,” said Hough, who is expected to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee next year.
     But the large surplus promises to smooth any downturn while also allowing for new spending initiatives. 
     The first priority should be state agencies at or near a crisis due to staff shortages and turnover, said state Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis.
     Merideth is the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
     The Independent has documented staff turnover in the Children’s Division at nearly 50%, with children in foster care missing visits with parents and rushed abuse investigations. There are hundreds of people waiting for beds in Department of Mental Health facilities due to a lack of staff.
     To maintain minimum staffing, the mental health department uses expensive contract professionals. To cover the cost, the department is asking for a $22 million supplemental appropriation through June 30.
     Those agencies need targeted spending to recruit staff, Merideth said. And state employees generally need a raise, he said.
     “I think we need a very large investment and an increase in investment in what our state workers are paid, especially those state workers that take care of our most vulnerable,” Merideth said.
     Last year, at the urging of Parson, lawmakers gave state employees the largest pay raise in decades, at least 5.5% for everyone on the state payroll, and approved a new base wage of $15 an hour for state jobs. 
     State agencies have submitted their budget requests for the coming fiscal year, and the next step in crafting the state budget is an estimate of revenues. Jim Moody, a lobbyist and former state budget director under Republican Gov. John Ashcroft, said he expects recession and tax cuts to start slowing state revenue in the second quarter of 2023.
     “It is hard for me to imagine that in that quarter, it is going to keep pace with last year,” Moody said.

Revenue buoyancy     From 2016 to 2019, state revenues grew at a steady, if unspectacular, rate. 
     Income tax and sales tax receipts mirrored inflation and grew about 6.5%. As profits increased, corporate income tax receipts rose at double the inflation rate.
     In the three years since, sales tax revenue has grown 50% faster than inflation, income tax receipts at double inflation and corporate income taxes at almost five times the inflation rate.
     Whether the current rush of revenue is high tide or a new base level will play out over the next couple of years.
    The top income tax rate will fall to 4.95% for 2023. Triggered steps in earlier cuts will reduce taxes on many businesses.
     Moody estimates the cumulative effect of those cuts will be to reduce revenue by about $680 million in 2023.
     By the time those cuts are taking hold, he said, the inflation-fighting interest rate hikes engineered by the Federal Reserve will be slowing economic growth.
     The economic slowdown, if one is coming, will be felt in the first half of next year, Moody predicted.
     “By April through June of next year,” he said, “you could have a confluence of things that turn things pretty quickly.”
     So far, the only noticeable impact of interest rate hikes on state government has been to increase the surplus. General revenue interest earnings, $50 million so far this fiscal year, are more than double the earnings for all of fiscal 2022.
     Tax receipts are rising faster than inflation through a combination of factors. Sales tax has been augmented by more revenue from internet retailers, while consumers are spending from savings and taking on large amounts of new debt.
     Income tax receipts reflect rising wages and investment gains. The state minimum wage, $11.15 an hour, is up 42% since 2018, or  $7,000 more a year for full-time work.
     When the state set $15 an hour as a floor for its employees, large private employers near state facilities in central Missouri responded by boosting their starting pay. 
     The Dollar General warehouse in Fulton, where the state operates a prison, a mental health hospital and the Missouri School for the Deaf, is now offering $20.50 an hour, up from $17 at the start of the year.
     The decline in revenue due to tax cuts is predictable. The impact of a recession is uncertain.
     In the mildest recession of the past 30 years, state revenues continued to grow. In the worst, starting in 2008, revenues declined for three consecutive years and took five more years to recover to pre-recession levels.
     When lawmakers met in special session to cut taxes, Hough negotiated higher thresholds for revenue growth to trigger future cuts.
     “We will see very quickly what kind of impact that really has,” Hough said. “The unknown is, where does this economy go?”
​
Spending demands

     This year’s $49 billion state budget, passed by lawmakers in May, is the state’s largest in history.
     While state budgets generally grow from year to year, two items totaling more than $5 billion were new. The largest, at $2.9 billion, was a one-time appropriation of federal COVID-19 recovery funds. 
     Much of the money will be used in local projects. Recipients for one big piece, $410 million in grants to improve local water systems, were announced Thursday.
     The second is the continuing expense for expanding Medicaid to cover lower-income adults from 18 to 64. The program budget was set at $2.5 billion this year, with no general revenue needed to cover the state’s 10% share.
     In the coming year, the Department of Social Services anticipates the cost of Medicaid expansion will increase by $373 million, again without needing general revenue for the state share.
     Public education gets the biggest portion of general revenue. Funding through the foundation formula, which is the main source of state support, has been stagnant for several years.
     But public schools got a boost they didn’t expect when lawmakers included $214 million to cover the full state obligation for student transportation. It was the first time since 1991 that the state had paid its full share.
     The one-time extra cash has helped but the state needs to address public education’s staffing challenge, said Melissa Randol, executive director of the Missouri School Boards Association.
     “We have a crisis in Missouri with our salaries impacting our teaching workforce,” Randol said. “We need more than just one-year commitments without the ability to sustain that long-term.”
    Missouri ranks 47th in average teacher pay and second-to-last in the nation in starting salaries at $33,234. 
     Lawmakers also funded a program proposed by Parson to help districts boost minimum teacher pay to $38,000 and resumed state funding for the Career Ladder program, which helps districts pay more for teachers with advanced education.
     In its budget request for next year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is seeking funds to implement some recommendations of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission.
     The commission recommended changing state law to set the minimum at $38,000 a year, estimating the cost at $29.5 million per year. Increasing the average teacher pay by $1,000, the commission estimated, would cost $81 million. 
     In its budget request for 2023, the department asked for the minimum pay funding but not the money to raise average salaries.
     The biggest new item in the education budget is $77 million for increasing foundation formula payments to charter schools under a law passed this year. The department has also asked for $233 million to continue fully funding transportation, up $19 million, and $31.8 million to expand the Career Ladder program.
     Hough and Merideth said they expect bipartisan support for continuing full transportation funding and for the requests stemming from the task force report.
     But Merideth said he’s skeptical how far lawmakers will go to put money into education or other needs.
     “I am not going to take for granted we have a huge surplus until we are doing the things our state needs to do,” Merideth said.
    And Randol said she’s waiting to see the money in a spending bill.
     “My grandfather said, ‘don’t tell me what your priorities are, show me your checkbook and I will know what your priorities are.’”
For the first time in its history, the only real limit on what Missouri can buy on a cash-and-carry basis is the imagination of the people spending the money.
The state treasury is bulging with more than $6 billion in surplus cash, the result of 28 months of double-digit revenue growth and federal payments tied to COVID-19 relief and recovery. If growth rates continue at current levels, general revenue in the current fiscal year could approach $15 billion.
Three years ago, the general revenue fund took in $8.9 billion.
Some foresee a slowdown starting next year, as inflation-fighting policies slow the economy and the state sees the actual impact of recent tax cuts. Lawmakers and Gov. Mike Parson’s administration are trying to account for those uncertainties as they negotiate the budget baseline for the coming legislative session, said Sen. Lincoln Hought, R-Springfield.
“It is almost kind of a wait and see game,” said Hough, who is expected to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee next year.
But the large surplus promises to smooth any downturn while also allowing for new spending initiatives. 
The first priority should be state agencies at or near a crisis due to staff shortages and turnover, said state Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis.
Merideth is the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
The Independent has documented staff turnover in the Children’s Division at nearly 50%, with children in foster care missing visits with parents and rushed abuse investigations. There are hundreds of people waiting for beds in Department of Mental Health facilities due to a lack of staff.
To maintain minimum staffing, the mental health department uses expensive contract professionals. To cover the cost, the department is asking for a $22 million supplemental appropriation through June 30.
Those agencies need targeted spending to recruit staff, Merideth said. And state employees generally need a raise, he said.
“I think we need a very large investment and an increase in investment in what our state workers are paid, especially those state workers that take care of our most vulnerable,” Merideth said.
Last year, at the urging of Parson, lawmakers gave state employees the largest pay raise in decades, at least 5.5% for everyone on the state payroll, and approved a new base wage of $15 an hour for state jobs. 
State agencies have submitted their budget requests for the coming fiscal year, and the next step in crafting the state budget is an estimate of revenues. Jim Moody, a lobbyist and former state budget director under Republican Gov. John Ashcroft, said he expects recession and tax cuts to start slowing state revenue in the second quarter of 2023.
“It is hard for me to imagine that in that quarter, it is going to keep pace with last year,” Moody said.

Revenue buoyancy

​Coleman’s Election Information:
     Please find below a detail summary of the amendments that will appear on the ballot on November 8, 2022, General Election Ballot. I encourage everyone to review and research these amendments, and to vote the way their conscience dictates. We live in a blessed country where we have an active role in what we want to see and demand from our leaders and constitution.
 
Constitutional Amendment 1
     This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, modifies the powers of the State Treasurer. Specifically, the State Treasurer is required to invest certain state moneys in:
     Missouri banking institutions selected by the State Treasurer and approved by the Governor and State Auditor; or
Obligations of the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof maturing and becoming payable not more than seven years from the date of purchase.
      The amendment additionally authorizes the State Treasurer to invest in:
Municipal securities possessing one of the five highest long term ratings or the highest short term rating issued by a nationally recognized rating agency and maturing and becoming payable not more than five years from the date of purchase; and
     Other reasonable and prudent financial instruments and securities as otherwise provided by law.
 
Constitutional Amendment 3
     This constitutional amendment makes various modifications to the regulation of marijuana. See the below summary for a more detailed description.
 
Constitutional Amendment 4
     Under current law, the General Assembly cannot require a city to increase an activity or service beyond that required by existing law, unless a state appropriation is made to pay the city for any increase costs. This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, provides an exception to allow for a law that increases minimum funding, if increased before December 31, 2026, for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure they have additional resources to serve their communities.
 
Constitutional Amendment 5
     This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, creates the Missouri Department of the National Guard, which shall consist of the Adjutant General and shall administer the militia, uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Missouri, and provide for other defense and security mechanisms.
 
Question on Convening Constitutional Convention
     Every 20 years, the Missouri Constitution requires a question be submitted to the voters inquiring whether a constitutional convention shall be held for the purpose of revising and amending the state constitution. A "yes" vote would support calling a constitutional convention. A "no" vote would oppose calling a constitutional convention.
 
Amendment 3 modifies the state's current medical marijuana program in several ways, including:
     Permitting nurse practitioners to determine if a patient has a qualifying medical condition for medical marijuana use;
     Modifying existing definitions for the various licensed facilities and medical marijuana products;
     Repealing the existing scoring system for facility applicants and replacing it with a lottery selection process in cases when more applicants apply than the constitutional minimum;
     Limiting regulations governing medical marijuana product advertising to those no more stringent than comparable regulations for alcohol sales;
Modifying provisions relating to public records retained under these provision;
     Adding a reasonable cure period of at least 30 days prior to a suspension or revocation of a license or certificate;
     Limiting an entity or entities under substantially common control, ownership, or management to not more than 10% ownership of the total marijuana facility licenses in each category of license for both medical and comprehensive (non-medical) facilities;
     Modifying the number of marijuana plants a qualifying patient or primary caregiver may have for personal use to include non-flowering plants and clones, as well as increasing the limit on purchased medical marijuana from 4 ounces to 6 ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana in a 30-day period, with exceptions as specified in the amendment;
     Modifying the offense of purposeful possession in excess of twice the legal limit from a year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000 to an infraction;
     Modifying the qualifying patient and primary caregiver identification card fees and renewal requirements;
     Modifying language relating to the collection of a retail sales tax on medical marijuana, including adding a provision modifying certain taxpayers' state adjusted gross income as it relates to medical marijuana;
     Permitting non-resident patients to purchase medical marijuana if authorized by that patient's state or political subdivision of that state;
     Modifying provisions relating to disciplinary actions against attorneys involved in medical marijuana businesses;
     Adding provisions relating to medical marijuana patients and civil and criminal procedures, including search and arrest warrants, pre-trial release or probation, family courts, child custody, and the right to bear arms; 
     Modifying penalties relating to violations of these provisions; and
Adding provisions relating to the applicability of this language in the event of federal legalization of marijuana.
 
Comprehensive (non-medical) marijuana
     This amendment establishes a framework for the legal cultivation, production, sale, and use of non-medical marijuana for Missouri adults 21 years of age or older. The Department of
Health and Senior Services shall grant licenses or certificates for comprehensive marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensary facilities, testing facilities, and microbusiness wholesale and dispensary facilities, as specified in the amendment. Licenses for such facilities shall be established by a lottery system, except that any entity holding a medical marijuana facility license shall have the right to convert such medical marijuana facility license into the equivalent comprehensive facility license. Such converted licenses shall be the only licenses granted, excluding any microbusiness licenses, within the first 548 days after the Department begins to issue comprehensive marijuana licenses. If the number of comprehensive licenses falls below the constitutional minimum, the Department shall award by lottery at least 50% of any new licenses to microbusiness license holders who have been in operation for at least one year and who are otherwise qualified.
     Comprehensive license holders licensed to distribute marijuana to non-medical consumers may also distribute marijuana to qualifying patients and primary caregivers. The Department may limit the amount of marijuana that may be purchased in one transaction by a non-medical marijuana consumer, provided that the limitation shall not be less than 3 ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana or its equivalent. Additionally, individuals may apply for and receive a registration card with the Department for personal cultivation of marijuana in accordance with the limits set forth in the amendment.
     Entities seeking a microbusiness license may only obtain one license, either a dispensary or wholesale facility, and may not hold a comprehensive or medical facility license at the same time. Microbusinesses may only do business with other microbusinesses or qualified patients, primary caregivers, or consumers, as specified in the act. Applicants for microbusiness licenses shall meet at least one of several specified qualifications, including those of net worth, disability, region, or education. At least 6 microbusiness facility licenses shall be granted initially, with that number expanding over time and in accordance with demand.
     Non-medical marijuana sold to consumers shall be subject to a 6% sales tax, which shall be used to fund the regulatory program, expungement proceedings relating to marijuana offenses, and programs for veterans, drug addiction treatment, and public defenders.
     A local government may prohibit dispensary facilities from operating in that jurisdiction through a ballot question to the voters. Additionally, local governments may impose an additional sales tax on adult use marijuana of not more than 3% upon voter approval.
     This amendment establishes an expungement process for marijuana offenses, in addition to other provisions relating to warrants and searches, product labeling and advertising, and penalties for violations of this amendment.
     Finally, this amendment prohibits conduct permitted under this amendment from being the basis of detention, searches, or arrests; denial of eligibility in public assistance programs; denial of the right to keep and bear arms; and denial of parental rights, custody, or visitation of a minor child.
      Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1487, or email my office at jeff.coleman@house.mo.gov. 
 

This is an editorial: An editorial, like news reporting, is based on objective facts, but shares an opinion. The conclusions and opinions here have been derived by the guest contributor and are not associated with the news staff.


     I am pleased to announce that the Missouri House and Senate passed the Missouri Agriculture Tax Credit. This not only helps Missouri farmers but those that consume Missouri agricultural products. Any time we can lower and help farmers (big and small) that creates a ripple effect to our communities. We all have eat! Support your local farmer!
 
House Advances Measure to Support Missouri Farmers (HB 3)
     Lawmakers returned to the State Capitol building this week to give their support to legislation that will support and promote key areas of Missouri’s agriculture industry. House members approved HB 3 as part of the special legislative session called by Gov. Mike Parson.
     Parson called the special session after vetoing HB 1720, which created and renewed a number of agriculture incentives that would sunset after two years. Parson asked lawmakers to return to Jefferson City to approve a version of the bill that would give the programs a six-year sunset.
     The bill approved this week by the House extends and creates several agriculture tax credit programs. The sunset for each program would be for a minimum of six years. If approved by both chambers and signed into law by the governor, the bill would:

• Extend the expiration of the meat processing facility investment tax credit;
• Create a tax credit program for retail dealers of higher ethanol blend fuels;
• Create a tax credit program for retail dealers of biodiesel;
• Create a tax credit program for Missouri biodiesel producers;
• Create a tax credit program for establishing or improving urban farming operations;
• Extend the expiration of the Rolling Stock Tax Credit program;
• Extend the expiration of the Agricultural Product Utilization Contributor Tax Credit;
• Extend the expiration of the New Generation Cooperative Incentive Tax Credit;
• Exempt utility vehicles for agriculture use from state and local sales and use taxes;
• Create the Specialty Agricultural Crops Act; and
• Amend the Family Farms Act to modify the definition of small farmer.

     The bill’s sponsor said, “This bill is tailored right now towards family farms and smaller businesses.” He noted agriculture is a self-sufficient industry but could use assistance now because of rising interest rates, greatly increased input costs, and drought conditions in some parts of the state. He said, “The stars are lining up as they did in the late 70s and early 80s in what was considered the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression for agriculture.”
     The bill approved by the House contains all of the provisions called for by Gov. Parson. The House did add an additional four provisions that technically fall outside the governor’s call. The four provisions pertain to land surveys, commercial log trucking, anhydrous ammonia, and the state’s soybean producers assessment. Lawmakers believe the governor will expand the special session call to allow the four additional provisions.
     The bill’s sponsor said it has a price tag of $40 million for an agriculture industry that generates $94 billion in economic activity. He noted that agriculture is one of the state’s top revenue producers and that one out of every 10 jobs in Missouri is related to the agriculture industry.
     The sponsor concluded by saying, “There’s good stuff in here. I think it gives small businesses, the small farms, an opportunity to compete in the arena with the big farms and the big businesses. I would ask that people really think about this and do what’s best for the small business farmers in our state.”
     The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. The Senate sent identical legislation (SB 8) to the House this week. The two chambers will work on the bills next week with the hope of sending one or both of them to the governor to be signed into law.
 
Senate Sends Tax Cut Plan to House (SB 3)
     The members of the Missouri Senate also met this week to work on a tax cut plan that will allow Missourians to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. The tax cut was called for by Gov. Mike Parson, who asked legislators to help Missourians keep more of their hard-earned dollars.
Parson asked legislators to reduce the individual income tax rate, increase the standard deduction, and further simplify the tax code. His proposal would reduce the top individual income tax rate from 5.3 to 4.8 percent. It would also increase the standard deduction for individuals by $2,000 and by $4,000 for married joint filers, and eliminate the bottom income tax bracket.
    The plan approved by the Senate would reduce the state’s top tax rate to 4.95 percent. It would also add four future reductions that would be triggered by revenue growth. If fully implemented, the Senate plan would make the top tax rate 4.5 percent. The Senate bill does not increase the standard deduction as requested by Gov. Parson with his special session call.
     The bill now moves to the House where members will have the opportunity to pass the bill in its current form or make changes that will require further negotiation with the Senate. The House is expected to take the bill up next week.

Veto Session Concludes
     While legislators were back in Jefferson City to convene for special session, they also wrapped up work on their annual veto session. Veto session gives lawmakers the opportunity to consider override motions to put bills into effect as law despite the governor’s objections. This year the House and Senate had three vetoed House Bills and one vetoed Senate Bill to consider, as well as line-item vetoes in eight appropriations bills. House and Senate members chose not to attempt any veto overrides on the first day of veto session, which was held September 14. The annual veto session officially concluded on September 21 when lawmakers again opted not to attempt overrides on any of the governor’s vetoes. 

Recognizing Farm Safety and Health Week
     During the same week the members of the Missouri House worked to advance legislation supporting the state’s agriculture industry, the Missouri Department of Agriculture announced the celebration of Farm Safety and Health Week. Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, the third week of September is officially set aside to recognize that fall harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry. This year’s theme established by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) is Protecting Agriculture’s Future.
     Missouri is blessed to serve as home to 95,000 farms and employs nearly 460,000 people in agriculture, forestry and related industries. Agriculture remains the state’s number one economic driver, supporting both rural and urban communities from farm to fork. In turn, farm safety and health is of utmost importance throughout the state.
     The director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture said, “The safety of our farmers and ranchers remains a top priority for my team each year. We live in a fast-paced world, and an equally-fast-paced industry. Reminding farmers to slow down, pay attention and take care of themselves is something I emphasize as the director of agriculture.”
     In an effort to help protect agricultural health and safety professionals, healthcare providers, extension agents, producers, farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers, the AgriSafe Network is hosting daily webinars throughout the week. Topics include tractor and roadway safety, grain bin safety, wildfire and heat safety, workplace sexual harassment prevention, injury prevention, and mental health help for youth and adults.
     Mental health is equally as important as physical health in the agriculture industry. The Missouri Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the AgriSafe Network, has launched the AgriStress Helpline for Missouri to provide Missouri farmers and ranchers a free and confidential mental health service. The Helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Producers can call or text (833) 897-2474 to speak to a healthcare professional.
     For more information on National Farm Safety and Health week, visit https://www.necasag.org/nationalfarmsafetyandhealthweek/. To learn more about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit Agriculture.Mo.Gov.
     Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1487, or email my office at jeff.coleman@house.mo.gov. 
 

     Representative Jeff Coleman is running unopposed on the Republican primary ballot for Missouri’s District 32. Recent redistricting resulted in District 32 incorporating more of Grain Valley than the prior map. Coleman previously served on the Grain Valley Board of Aldermen and currently serves on the Grain Valley School Board.
     Valley News sat down recently for a conversation with Coleman, discussing recent national hot button issues as well as his priorities if elected for another term.
     The topic of social media and its ability to both connect with constituents as well as provide a forum where productive discussions can be difficult arose when Coleman raised the June 2022 decision by the Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade.
     “I love to talk to people and hear their opinions on issues, but social media makes it difficult to have real conversations.”
     “I have my own story and my own reasoning about why I vote the way I do. When I voted for the heartbeat bill originally, I put it out on Facebook. One particular person hammered me all day, every day. I finally came online, and said that I’ve tried to tell people without telling people why I voted the way I did. I have my own reasons and I am not going to discuss them on Facebook. If you want to talk to me, I will talk to you in person. I will talk to you on the phone. But I’m not doing it on Facebook.”
      She said, ‘Nope. It’s got to be public. You’re a public figure and this is a public forum’. I get that part, but I’m not going to do it, and that was my last post on the thread.”
     “After about a month, I get a private message and ask if I would like to talk. I gave her my number and she called me. We got to talk about real things, and not just all the stuff on Facebook. And it was more personal, and that is what doesn’t happen on social media.”
     “I didn’t change her mind. And that’s not what I was trying to do. But I wanted her to know this is why it’s so important to me.”
     With Coleman raising one recent national hot button issue, the issue of gun control and Coleman’s views on the topic were discussed.
     Coleman was one of 45 Missouri House members who signed a letter in June 2022 urging Senator Roy Blunt to oppose a Senate gun deal that would give states incentives to enact “red flag” laws, which allow courts or law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who may be a danger to themselves or others. The effort to offer such incentives came in response to the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, which resulted in the deaths of 19 children and 2 educators.
Additional information from Missouri Independent: https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/16/group-of-missouri-republican-state-lawmakers-push-blunt-to-oppose-senate-gun-deal/
     “In reference to gun control, the problem for me is that no matter what we do, there’s not going to be anything that’s going to keep these guys from getting the guns if they want to do something. It’s like everything else…there’s always going to be the underground stuff you can get to whatever you want to get to.”
      “When you take away the opportunities for good people, it then opens the door for these other people. (With issues such as) red flag laws, when you start down a path, if there is an issue that you are against and you have something that sounds good and will make a difference, we call it the camel’s nose getting under the tent. It starts opening the door for other things.”
     “My position on the 2nd amendment is it states that your rights are not to be infringed upon at all. Regardless. The fact that we have people doing these things today I think is heightened by the media, meaning that we talk about it more, therefore it puts ideas in people.”
     “I believe that what we see on television, what we see on movies, what we see in our video games, is something that is taking our kids who are maybe going through a phase, and it desensitizes them.”
     “I think that if it hits somebody right at the time when they are going through something, like the kid in Texas or the kid in New York, (it can affect them). Something is happening to our mental health (as a society).”
     “Our society is changed from a family organized society, to ‘all is good’. Whatever you want to do is what you want to do. And I think that is part of our problem. We don’t have that family core to help our kids grow up in a world where they don’t have these issues.”
     Given Coleman’s position as a member of a local school board and the impact the threat of gun violence has on schools, staff, and students, Valley News asked how this shapes his perspective of how to best equip schools and teachers to address the issues surrounding safety and identifying students who may be in crisis.
     “I have taken a lot of heat because I don’t want the stickers (referring to “safe space” stickers) in classrooms, as you know. I voted against having a ‘listen and learn’. Not that I don’t care about what people think. First of all, I want people to know that the Board may have done things a little bit differently, had we been given the right information. We were under the understanding that those stickers were new – new within the week. We wanted that to be taken down right away.”
     “Had we known that they had been there as long as a year, we probably would have phased it out. This is the issue people need to understand. This is a political issue. Down at the bottom of that sticker is a website and they are supposed to be there for kids. But if you look at them deeper, you can see who they are contributing to. I don’t want politics – my side or the other side – in the school. That is not our job. Our job is to teach our kids. I don’t care who they are, what they identify as, it doesn’t matter. We are going to give them tools so that when they get out of school, they can go on and be good productive citizens.”
     “To your point earlier, how do we get kids the help that they need? If a teacher sees something going on in the child’s life. I don’t want the teacher taking on that responsibility. They can be there as a friend, but I want them to push that kid on to our counseling which have the credentials to help that kid through those issues. And then if they can’t help, then they can get them to the right people outside the school.”
     Looking to his priorities if elected to another term, Coleman points to his ongoing efforts to place a cap on property tax rates. The ongoing battle over redistricting in the state took much of the air out of the past legislative session, and many measures, including Coleman’s proposal to cap property tax rates ran out of time to be considered.
     “That was frustrating. One of my priorities, especially for Jackson County, was to cap how much the assessor can raise property values. A firm from Texas has been hired to look at every house in Jackson County to give them the ability to raise your property values by 15% or higher. Because they can’t raise it more than 14.9% unless they have seen your house in person. That gives me concern that there will be a big increase the next time around.”
     “The reason that was a priority for me and my biggest concern is lower income and fixed income folks, because their incomes don’t increase as much as their property values do, so they are afraid they are going to get taxed out of their homes.”
     Another priority for Coleman is human trafficking. The Kansas City area has proven a major hub for activity, with interstates 35 and 70 intersecting the region. Coleman is working with Restoration House, a local faith-based nonprofit in Harrisonville, that provides housing and programs for adult women and child survivors of human trafficking.
     “They do amazing things for victims,” Coleman said.
     “The way our laws are set up right now, the victims of traffickers are the ones who get thrown in jail. The johns only get a misdemeanor and a $1,000 fine if they get caught. We’re changing it to a felony, and I will get it through this year. The younger the victim, the bigger the felony. In addition, there will be a $5,000 fine if found guilty. Half of the money collected will go to law enforcement where the arrest takes place, and the other half goes to facilities like Restoration House who serve victims.”
     Coleman said his focus remains on the people he serves.
     “It’s not about me, it’s about helping people. Everything I’ve done to this point has been helpful to Missouri citizens, and it’s not about Jeff. If you’re going down there (Jefferson City) to try to make a big name for yourself, you’re going down for the wrong reasons.”
     “It’s all about service. That is what my whole life has been about.”
     Coleman is eyeing a State Senate run when he terms out in two years. Current Missouri Senator Mike Cierpiot will also term out in two years, and Coleman is likely to run for his seat.

     For more information on the August 2nd primary ballot, visit https://jcebmo.org/election-information/on-the-ballot/.
 
​     See the profile of Democrat Janice Brill, who is on the primary ballot for the Missouri District 32 House seat: https://www.grainvalleynews.com/news/candidate-profile-janice-brill
​

It is with great pride to announce HB 2307 also known as my Stop Human Trafficking bill third read and passed the House yesterday. This bill will assess a $5,000.00 fine to those found guilty of patronizing prostitution and/or human trafficking. This fine will be split 50/50 with the arresting law enforcement agency: training, equipment and education; to vendors that provide necessary services to the victims: medical care, counseling and temporary housing. HJR 114 that allows the fine allocation will hopefully be third read and passed this upcoming week. Senator Holly Rehder’s office as conveyed a willingness to be the Senate handler for HB 2307 and I know Senator Rehder will do her best to help this bill pass the Senate.
 
Additionally, HJR 80 (Property Tax) that will help families and seniors to keep their homes with the ever increasing cost of living and the threat of astronomical property tax assessment will hopefully be third read and pass the House this upcoming week. I ask everyone to please call your Representative and Senator and voice your support for HJR 80.
 
I close this legislative work week with a prayer of thanks. Thank you for the opportunity and fortune to represent the people of District 32. I thank God for my wife Deb, our children and grandchildren, and for the Lord who sacrificed His only son for us all. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter.
 
  Pictured left: on the House dais Representative Jeff Coleman & Jered Taylor
 
House Approves Legislation to Create Parents’ Bill of Rights (HB 1858)
 
The members of the Missouri House have approved legislation that would give parents a greater say in the education their children receive. The House gave first-round approval to HB 1858, which creates the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act of 2022.
 
The bill’s sponsor said the bill meant to address the concerns of parents who “are not happy with what is happening in the classroom with their children.” He added, “Many times they are left with no recourse. School boards are not being responsive. There are situations where parents are being ignored, not listened to.” He said his bill “empowers parents. I think it empowers them to be able to be engaged in their student’s education.” He also noted that 11 states currently have similar laws outlining parental rights.
 
HB 1858 provides a list of rights that parents may require school districts to follow. Some of the parental rights outlined in the bill include the right to review curricula, books and instructional materials; the right to visit school during school hours with restrictions; and the right to have sufficient accountability and transparency regarding school boards.
 
The bill’s sponsor said, “There are a lot of things that could entail when it comes to things that are being taught in the classroom. Whether it’s age-inappropriate material, whether it’s books that should not be in front of students at those ages, or whether it’s critical race theory. Some of the things that are happening, we have to address.”
 
The bill also prohibits school districts from requiring nondisclosure agreements for a parent’s review of curricula or individualized education program meetings. It would restrict schools from collecting biometric data or other sensitive personal information about a minor child without obtaining parental consent. Additionally, it would require school board meetings dealing with curricula or general safety to take place in public and allow for public comments.
 
An amendment added during discussion on the bill specifies that no school or school employee can compel a teacher or student to personally adopt or affirm ideas in violation of Title IV or Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This would include ideas such as individuals of any race, ethnicity, color, or national origin are inherently superior or inferior; or that individuals, by virtue of their race, ethnicity, color, or national origin, bear collective guilt and are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, ethnicity, color, or national origin.
 
The sponsor of the amendment said, “We’re making sure that teachers and students are not being compelled into believing certain ideas; not that they can’t teach those ideas. You can teach about controversial ideas that might cause people discomfort but you can’t force people to agree to those ideas.”
 
The amendment sponsor added, “We should not have collective racial guilt, but we should not have collective amnesia, or collective racial amnesia. What I think we ought to do is we ought to have collective pride.”
 
The bill also allows parents to file a civil lawsuit against a school district or school that violates the Parents’ Bill of Rights. Other provisions in the bill would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop an online database that provides access to every school district’s curriculum and professional development materials; require the salaries of public school employees to be included in the state accountability portal; and require school boards to provide a time for an open forum at the beginning of each board meeting and allows parents to bring civil action against school districts that violate the policy.
 
The bill requires another vote in the House before moving to the Senate.
 
House Leadership Announces Plan to Provide Economic Relief to Working Missourians (HB 3021)
 
Members of House Leadership and the chairman of the House Budget Committee want to help working Missourians afford the ever-increasing cost of living. The Budget Committee chairman filed legislation this week that would create a one-time economic recovery tax credit for Missouri residents who paid personal income tax in the state for 2021. The plan immediately gained the support of the members of House leadership.
 
HB 3021 will appropriate $1 billion from the state’s General Revenue Fund to fund a one-time economic recovery non-refundable tax credit. Under the plan, anyone filing an individual Missouri personal income tax return would receive up to a $500 credit. Married couples filing jointly would receive up to a $1,000 credit. The credit is limited to individuals who were a Missouri resident for the entire tax year.
 
“As families struggle to make ends meet with the rising cost of inflation, it’s important that we do everything we can to help them keep more of their hard-earned dollars. The state is fortunate to have a record surplus that we can use a portion of to provide direct economic relief to working Missourians,” said the House Budget chairman.
 
The members of House Leadership issued a joint statement saying, “As a caucus we have made it clear that we do not support the idea of spending every available dollar to increase the size of government, but instead believe individual Missourians are the best decision makers for how to spend their tax dollars.”
 
The Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives noted that he and the House Budget Committee chairman have worked together over the past few months to find the best solution for providing substantive relief to working Missourians. He added that HB 3021 will be a legislative priority for the House in the final weeks of session. The bill has already received a public hearing in the House Budget Committee.
 
Bills Sent to the Senate
 
HB 1637 is a wide-ranging piece of legislation with numerous preventions designed to prevent crime in Missouri. The original intent of the bill was to clarify that a person commits the offense of mail theft if the person purposefully takes mail from another person's mailbox or premises without the consent of the addressee and with intent to deprive the addressee of the mail. The offense of mail theft would be a class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a class E felony for a second or subsequent offense. Supporters say this would help ensure clarity and consistency in application of the law. Law enforcement pointed out inconsistencies and issues with current law so there are unfortunately lots of these cases that are left unprosecuted. Some of the other provisions added to the bill would create a violent offender registry, establish offenses related to teller machines, create the offense of unlawfully gaining entry to a motor vehicle, create the offense of unlawfully discharging a firearm, and take steps to prevent abuse and neglect in nursing homes.
 
HB 2307 establishes a $5,000 fine that will be assessed and collected in all cases in which a defendant is found guilty of any human trafficking offense. The bill also creates the "Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Fund" which will consist of proceeds from the human trafficking fine collected. Moneys in this fund will be distributed to the county where the human trafficking offense occurred. Counties will allocate funds for rehabilitation services for victims of trafficking, and for efforts to prevent human trafficking.
 
HB 1757 establishes the "State Building Usage Task Force". The duties of the Task Force will be to evaluate the conditions of all state government-owned and leased real properties, as well as the current funding received for maintaining each real property. Real properties owned and leased by public schools are excluded from the Task Force's evaluations. Supporters say the bill will help identify vacant and underutilized buildings and encourage a decision on the sale or transfer of such properties.
 
HB 2593 prohibits political subdivisions from restricting the operation of a “no-impact home-based business” or otherwise requiring a person to apply for or obtain a permit, license, variance, or other prior approval to operate a no-impact home-based business. The bill establishes a list of factors that qualify a home-based business as a no-impact home-based business. Political subdivisions can establish reasonable regulations on a home-based business if the regulations are narrowly tailored for specified purposes, including protecting public health and safety.
 
HB 1860 changes the average unemployment rate requirement in order for an insured worker to receive unemployment compensation benefits. At an unemployment rate of 3% or less, individuals could receive 8 weeks of benefits. Individuals could receive a maximum of 20 weeks of benefits if the unemployment rate is higher than 9%. Supporters say the bill ties benefits to the unemployment rate and makes it so when jobs are plentiful, benefits are reduced, and when jobs are scarce, benefits remain high.
 
HB 1583 prohibits a political subdivision or election authority from describing any proposed tax on property in a political subdivision as not increasing taxes, or any language to that effect, unless both: (1) failing to adopt the proposed measure would cause an actual increase in the tax rate; and (2) adopting the measure would cause the tax rate to stay the same or decrease. The bill requires that if the voters in a political subdivision approve an increase to the tax rate ceiling prior to the expiration of a previously approved temporary levy increase, the new tax rate ceiling shall remain in effect only until such time as the temporary levy increase expires under the terms originally approved by a vote of the people, at which time the tax rate ceiling shall be decreased by the amount of the temporary levy increase unless voters of the political subdivision are asked to approve an additional permanent increase and such increase is approved. Supporters claim the bill makes government more transparent, and say it addresses a situation that happens across the state with numerous school districts.
 
HB 2623 modifies provisions relating to required background checks of individuals employed by or associated with licensed residential care facilities, child placing agencies, or residential care facilities. The bill repeals the requirement that a background check include a search of the National Sex-Offender Registry. The change was made at the request of the FBI, which said the language is redundant because checks already include a search of the registry. Additionally, under current law, all owners, officers, managers, contractors, employees, and other support staff of licensed or certified medical marijuana facilities must submit fingerprints to the State Highway Patrol for state and federal criminal background checks. The Department of Health and Senior Services may require fingerprint submissions of owners, officers, managers, contractors, employees, and other support staff for licensure authorizing that person to own or work at a medical marijuana facility. The bill limits those individuals that must submit to such fingerprinting to employees, contractors, owners, and volunteers.
 
HB 1705 specifies that the State Highway Patrol must maintain on its website a registry for violent offenders who are on probation or parole for the offense of first or second degree murder in Missouri or for an equivalent offense in any other state. Supporters say the bill adds to the Sex Offender Registry a registry for people on parole for second degree murder. The people would come off the Registry once their parole is over. It does not mix the data. It is a separate column that can be searched separately. The purpose is to allow the public to know who is on parole for second degree murder because there are times where that information would be very useful.
 
HB 2218 modifies provisions relating to the Municipal Land Reutilization Law. Supporters say the bill will make it quicker and easier to deal with damaged, dilapidated, and abandoned property, and to clean up the title to make the properties more saleable.
 
HB 2331 repeals provisions relating to certain health and licensing requirements. The bill repeals sections in current law dealing with frozen dessert licensure and perinatal substance abuse. Supporters say this is an unneeded license. The ice cream manufacturers already have to pass inspections and live up to regulations. The bill also eliminates a physician regulation that is obsolete. Beginning January 1, 2023, the bill creates a tax credit for any community-based faculty preceptor, who serves as the community-based faculty preceptor for a medical student core preceptorship or a physician assistant student core preceptorship. The bill modifies provisions relating to the Organ Donor Program Fund. The bill provides no hospital, physician, procurement organization, or other person may consider COVID-19 vaccination status of a potential organ transplant recipient or donor at any stage in organ transplant processing. The bill allows physical therapists to evaluate and initiate treatment on a patient without a prescription or referral from an approved health care provider. The bill modifies several provisions relating to the administration of medications by pharmacists. The bill changes inspection requirements for licensed hospitals, certified hospices, and long-term care facilities.
 
HB 2376 determines that the residency of children in state custody for the purpose of determining state and local funding shall be determined by the location of where the child resides. If a child resides in a residential treatment facility and is unable to attend the resident public school due to safety or behavioral concerns, and the residential facility provides the education for the child, the facility is entitled to at least 80% of all state money paid to the resident district on a per-pupil basis along with any addition funding provided through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Supporters say the bill helps foster children that for certain reasons cannot attend classes at a public school to receive educational services at their residential care facility. The bill also includes provisions dealing with gifted children, early learning quality assistance, neighborhood youth development programs, and child care facilities.
 
Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1487, or email my office at jeff.coleman@house.mo.gov. 

​My proposed Constitutional amendment, HJR 114 and HB 2307, that assesses a five thousand fine for those found guilty patronizing prostitution were perfected on the House floor on April 6.  These two pieces of legislation not only assess the criminal fine but creates “Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Fund”. This fund will be disrupted 50/50 to the arresting law enforcement department where the crime occurred and to approved organizations that provide housing, medical, and counseling services to the victim(s). Last but not least I have co-sponsored HJR 82, Hunting and Fishing, sponsored by Representative John Black. This proposed Constitutional amendment would strengthen Missourians’ rights to hunt and fish by traditional methods currently used by hunters and anglers.
 
House Approves Fiscally Responsible State Operating Budget (HBs 3001-3013, 3015, 3020)
 
The members of the Missouri House of Representatives have given their stamp of approval to a $46.5 billion state operating budget. The state spending plan, which received support from both sides of the aisle, makes a record investment in the state’s system of education while also allocating funds to help the state’s most vulnerable citizens, pay for road improvements and repairs, invest in water and broadband infrastructure, and bolster the state’s reserve fund.
 
By approving the spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, lawmakers provided full funding for the state’s K-12 foundation formula. In total, House members approved nearly $10.1 billion in funding for K-12 education, which represents an increase of more than $2.6 billion in funding when compared to the previous budget. That increase is fueled primarily by an additional $2.4 billion in federal funding. The plan also works to improve teacher pay by allocating approximately $37.4 million to revive the Career Ladder program. Additionally, the House plan invests $75 million in Close the Gap grants that will help Missouri families address the learning loss that occurred as a result of the pandemic.
 
House members also boosted funding for the state’s institutions of higher learning. The higher education funding plan is increased by nearly $55 million when compared to the previous budget. That increase includes nearly $43 million in new funding for the state’s four-year institutions, and more than $8 million in new spending for the state’s community colleges. The House budget also works to make college more affordable for Missouri students by increasing funding for the A+ Scholarship Program by $6 million and the Access Missouri Scholarship Program by $9 million, which fully funds the program for the first time. The budget plan also includes an additional $3.5 million for the Bright Flight Scholarship program, which fully funds the program to provide full scholarships to the top 5 percent of test takers.
 
The budget approved by the House also makes a strong investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure. The spending plan allocates nearly $248 million in new funding from the State Road Fund, which is used for maintenance and construction for roads and bridges. That plan includes $100 million for rural roads around the state that have fallen into disrepair. Additionally, the plan allocates $75 million in federal funds for the Transportation Cost-Share Program that partners with local municipalities to fund road repairs. The state’s Amtrak service also receives funding that will allow it to resume twice-daily rail service across the state.
 
The House-approved spending plan also provides substantive increases to many of the programs that serves the state’s most vulnerable citizens. The budget provides for nearly $300 million for rate increases for home and community-based service providers. It also provides more than $26 million in new funding for the state’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and an additional $15.1 million for the AAAs to expand meal production capacity. The House budget also increases funding for the Veterans Health and Care Fund by more than $6 million to help further support the state’s veterans’ homes. Other funding increases include $20 million for the Children’s Trust Fund for grant programs that will assist children who are victims of sexual abuse and neglect, $2.2 million for Alternatives to Abortion, and $5.8 million for autism diagnostic centers.
 
While the budget approved by the House provides record funding in a number of areas, the plan also represents a reduction in spending of approximately $1.1 billion when compared to the plan recommended by the governor. The House Budget Chairman chose to scale back some of the spending increases proposed by the governor in order to ensure the state has a healthy bottom line. The House budget plan leaves more than $1.8 billion in general revenue unspent.
 
The vice chairman of the House Budget Committee said the budget approved by the House “will be billions more than the budget before it, and there’s only so much money you can spend responsibly within a given fiscal year, and I think we’ve struck that balance.”
 
One House member who supported the plan said the state legislature should not be like Washington, D.C. by throwing cash at every program. He said, “The same folks who are on the floor right now telling us we need to spend every dime that we have access to right now will be the same folks who, when we hit a downturn, will tell us we’ve mismanaged these dollars. Passing a conservative budget right now is incredibly important.” He added, “We need to make sure that we’re being responsible with the dollars we have access to, the billions we have access to today.”
 
The chairman of the House Budget Committee told his colleagues, “This budget, while it is the state’s largest in history, uses a lot of the federal money we’ve been sent to prioritize things like education and various infrastructures like water infrastructure and broadband infrastructure. We’ve spent a long time trying to plan and make sure that money is invested as wisely as it can be.”
 
The budget bills approved by the House now move to the Senate for consideration. The two chambers have until Friday, May 6 to come to a final agreement on the state operating budget.
 
Some of the items of note in the budget include:
 

• Full funding for the K-12 School Foundation Formula
• $1.96 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds, as well as $443 million in ESSER II funds, for K-12 education
• $37.4 million to bring back the Teacher Career Ladder program
• $75 million for Close the Gap grants, which would provide funds to Missouri families to address learning loss
• 5.4% core increases for funding for Missouri’s institutions of higher learning
• $6 million increase for the A+ Scholarship Program
• $9 million increase to fully fund the Access Missouri Scholarship Program
• $3.5 million increase to fully fund the Bright Flight Scholarship Program
• $31.5 million in new funding for the MO Excels Workforce Initiative, which facilitates development and expansion of employer-driven education and training programs
• $4 million for a statewide math supplement
• $248 million allocated from the State Road Fund for construction and maintenance
• $100 million for repair of rural, low-volume routes
• $75 million in federal funding for the Transportation Cost-Share Program
• $10.3 million in new federal funding for the Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program
• $1 million for the Energize Missouri Small Agricultural Grant
• $42.2 million in federal funds for the Rural Broadband Grant Program
• $15.9 million for Missouri One Start, which helps businesses recruit, onboard, and train job applicants during expansions
• $9.9 million in federal funds to the Division of Employment Security for fraud detection and prevention
• $7 million for grants to drug task forces
• More than $42 million for next generation 911 functionality
• $24.4 million to the Department of Corrections for health and mental health care
• $299 million for rate increases for home and community-based service providers
• $26.2 million in new federal funding for the state’s Area Agencies on Aging
• $15.1 million in funding for the Area Agencies on Aging to expand meal production capacity
• $6.2 million for the Missouri Veterans Health and Care Fund to increase funding for the state’s veterans’ homes
• $12 million for the Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery Fund
• $5.8 million for autism diagnostic centers
• Nearly $3 billion in new funding for the state’s Medicaid program, which helps cover the cost of Medicaid expansion
• $215.6 million in funding for new nursing home provider rates, which includes value-based payments to ensure the state is getting good results for the dollars invested
• $93.5 million in federal stimulus funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• $46 million for the Family First Prevention Services Act, which helps families safely keep their children at home
• $2.2 million in increased funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program
• $20 million for the Children’s Trust Fund for new programs that will assist children who are victims of sexual abuse and neglect
• $410.7 million for water infrastructure grants
• $104.7 million for a new crime lab for the Missouri State Highway Patrol
• $88 million for a new training academy for the Missouri State Highway Patrol
• $104.5 million for the University of Missouri NextGen Precision Health Building
• $100 million for the State Emergency Management Agency for statewide response to COVID-19
• $250 million for the broadband infrastructure program

 
House Approves Legislation to Require Holocaust Education Week (HB 2000)
 
Members of the House gave overwhelming bipartisan approval to a piece of legislation that would ensure Missouri students receive appropriate instruction about the Holocaust. The bill would designate the second week in April as "Holocaust Education Week."
 
Supporters of the measure say recent studies have shown an alarming decline in awareness of the Holocaust. Studies have also found that a substantial majority of Missourians favor instruction on the history of the Holocaust. Supporters say it is becoming more urgent to increase education and awareness about the horrific events that resulted in the genocide of nearly 6 million European Jews.
 
HB 2000 requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a curriculum framework of instruction for studying the Holocaust. The Department will then make the framework available to school districts beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The second week in April will officially be Holocaust Education Week, but the bill gives school districts the flexibility to provide age-appropriate Holocaust education instruction during any week.
 
The sponsor of the bill said, “With this legislation we’re simply establishing a week for the schools to teach about the Holocaust. When it comes to teaching the Holocaust there are many different ways for it to be taught. It does not necessarily just need to be taught in history. There are many other forms of teaching that can be used. It can be used in music even. It can be used in art.” He added, “We’re not just mandating it for history, but broadly across all educational materials.”
 
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
 
Other Bills Sent to the Senate
 
HB 2012 would make it a felony offense to use or donate fetal tissue from an abortion for any purpose other than to diagnose anomalies, determine paternity, or for law enforcement purposes. The bill also makes it a felony offense to hoard aborted human remains. The bill would enact the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which mandates that a child born alive during or after an abortion or attempted abortion will have the same rights, privileges, and immunities as any other person, citizen, and resident of Missouri, including any other live-born child. Another provision in the bill aims to protect the lives of the unborn by making it a felony offense to traffic abortion-inducing drugs. The measure would make it a class B felony if a person or entity knowingly imports, exports, distributes, delivers, manufactures, produces, prescribes, administers, or dispenses, or attempts to do so, any medicine, drug, or other means or substance to be used to induce an abortion on another person in violation of state or federal law. The provision makes it clear the woman using the drug cannot be prosecuted for trafficking. Other provisions in the bill would ensure taxpayer funds do not go to abortion providers or their affiliates and clarify that federal laws cannot affect the decisions made by the state to prevent funds from going to abortion providers. The bill also contains language to ensure victims of domestic or sexual assault cannot be sued by their perpetrators, or the perpetrator’s family members, for violating provisions of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The bill’s sponsor said, “This is about what Missourians want us to be about – protecting the integrity and value of life, and making sure that those with evil intentions don’t prevail.”
 
HB 2127 adds damaging or making a "teller machine" inoperable to the offense of property damage in the first degree. This offense would be a class D felony, and a class C felony if committed for the purpose of executing any scheme or artifice to defraud or obtain any property that exceeds $750 or the damage to the teller machine exceeds $750. The offense would be a class B felony if the damage committed was to obtain the personal financial credentials of another person. The bill also describes the offense of tampering with a teller machine. Supporters say the bill includes penalty provisions that would be a deterrent to organized crime groups that come into the state of Missouri to destroy the ATM machines. The bill’s sponsor said that “over the last couple of years the ATM smash and grabs have increased by 1,400 percent. We had just two of them in 2019 and we had 28 in 2021. Without these penalty enhancements I am afraid that these activities will continue.”
 
HB 2387 specifies that as long as the federal soybean producers assessment remains at 0.5%, the state assessment must correspond to the state credit of the total assessment paid to the commodity merchandising council. If the federal assessment is reduced or ceases, the state assessment will be equal to 0.5% of the net market price of soybeans grown within the state. Supporters say the assessment levied on soybean producers was voted on by the producers and is used for research and promotion of soybean products. This bill would ensure that the assessment continues if the federal portion of the assessment is repealed. The bill’s sponsor said his goal is to “keep the checkoff on soybeans the same if it were to go away at the federal level so we can continue to expand export markets and vital research to the soybean economy.”
 
HB 2485 defines and redefines certain terms including "advanced recycling", "advanced recycling facility", "depolymerization", "gasification", "mechanical processing", "mill scale and slag", "post-use polymer", "pyrolysis", "recovered feedstock", "recycled content", "recycled plastics", "solid waste", and "solvolysis". The bill specifies that an advanced recycling facility, is not subject to the solid waste processing facility operating permit requirements and no permit is required for the use of advanced recycling at an advanced recycling facility, as long as the feedstocks received by such facility are source-separated or diverted or recovered from municipal or other waste streams prior to acceptance at the advanced recycling facility. Supporters say the bill will allow the removal of plastic waste, styrofoam, plastic wrappers, etc. from landfills to become recyclable products. It removes regulatory burdens to enhance technological advancements and economic investment opportunities in the state.
 
HB 2627 designates the month of February as "Black History Month" in Missouri. The bill also designates the month of November as "Native American Heritage Month" in Missouri. The bill’s sponsor said, “I was going through the list of state holidays in late January and I realized that Black History Month in February and Native American Heritage Month in November were not on that list. This bill would change that and add those two months to that designation.”
 
HB 1662 prohibits any deed recorded after August 28, 2022, from containing a reference to a specific portion of a restrictive covenant that relates to the race, color, religion, or national origin of any person. The recorder of deeds can refuse to record the deed. Additionally, an owner of real property subject to a restrictive covenant that relates to the race, color, religion, or national origin of any person can release it by filing a certificate of release of prohibited covenants with the recorder of deeds either prior to recording a deed of conveyance of such property or upon discovering that the prohibited covenant exists. Supporters say the bill would allow owners to have a covenant with restrictive language removed and it could bar the recorder from recording such a covenant in a new deed.
 
HB 2462 designates April 16 each year as "Missouri Donate Life Day”. Supporters note there are currently over 100,000 people in the United States waiting on the organ transplant list, with around 2,000 in Missouri. Raising awareness of the importance of organ donation and encouraging people to sign-up for organ donation is important and will save lives. The bill also creates several other health-related state observances including: the second Wednesday in May as "Celiac Awareness Day", the third full week of September of each year as "Sickle Cell Awareness Week", the month of June as "Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month", the first full week in May as “Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week”, the month of September each year as “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness Month”, the month of July as “Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month”, the month of October as “Substance Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month”, September 15th each year as "Caregiver Appreciation Day", October 1 each year as "Biliary Atresia Awareness Day", April 16 each year as "Missouri Donate Life Day", and the month of May and May 10 of each year as "Lupus Awareness Month" and "Lupus Awareness Day".
 
HB 2400 provides that both a client and a registered professional employer organization (PEO) shall each be deemed an employer for purposes of sponsoring retirement and welfare benefits plans for covered employees. A fully insured welfare benefit plan sponsored by a registered PEO for the benefit of its covered employees shall be treated for the purposes of state law as a single employer welfare benefit plan. Supporters say professional employer organizations have existed in the state for 25 years and that they allow small businesses to take advantage of better pricing. This language will put into statute the current best business practices and allow the PEO to offer business solutions and benefits to small businesses in the state.
 
HB 2416 establishes that it is not a violation of law for a motor vehicle dealer to do the following away from the dealer's place of business: (1) Deliver a motor vehicle to a customer for a test drive; (2) Deliver documents for a customer to sign; (3) Deliver documents to or obtain documents from a customer; or (4) Deliver a motor vehicle to a customer. Supporters say that during the pandemic, this was the only way to conduct business and the customers really liked it, so the law is being changed to match reality.
 
HB 2151 authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to manage child day care services instead of the Children's Division within the Department of Social Services. This bill also authorizes DESE to grant and manage licenses to operate child care facilities instead of the Department of Health and Senior Services. Supporters say the bill codifies changes the agencies have already implemented. By creating the Office of Childhood, the state has a more efficient approach to early childhood education and can better spend state funds on programs to benefit the children of Missouri.
 
HB 2120 establishes the "Personal Privacy Protection Act", prohibiting public agencies from disclosing or requiring the disclosure of personal information, as defined in the bill. The bill prohibits public agencies from: (1) Requiring any individual to provide the public agency with personal information or otherwise compel the release of such personal information; (2) Requiring any entity exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code to provide a public agency with personal information or otherwise compel the release of personal information; (3) Releasing, publicizing, or otherwise publicly disclosing personal information in possession of the public agency; or (4) Requiring any current or prospective contractor or grantee with the public agency to provide the public agency with a list of entities exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code to which it has provided financial or nonfinancial support. Supporters say the bill protects associational privacy from both intentional and inadvertent breach by government, furthering the protection and security of non-profits and their donors. This bill provides for privacy protection for citizens that wish to support causes they believe in without fear of having their personal information made publicly available, and potentially opening them to retribution or discrimination.
 
HJR 116 would, upon voter approval, establish a "Missouri Department of the National Guard” charged with providing the state militia, upholding the Constitutional rights and liberties of Missourians, and other defense and security mechanisms as may be required. Supporters say most states have a Department of Defense or something similar. The measure allows for a more streamlined process for the chain of command. It would remove some of the bureaucracy and allow the Adjutant General to communicate directly with the Governor which will help with information management and response times for the National Guard.
 
HJR 131 would, upon voter approval, clarify that only citizens of the United States are eligible to vote. The resolution requires that voters cast a single vote for each office or issue. The resolution also requires the use of paper ballots and voting records which are preserved for use in any election audit. Supporters say that the resolution clarifies that only United States citizens may vote in Missouri elections and also enacts the current practice that requires a single vote for each candidate or issue and a plurality vote winner rule for political party primary elections.
 
HB 1597 authorizes the conveyance of certain state property. The bill authorizes the Governor to sell, transfer, grant, convey, remise, release, and forever quitclaim all interest of the state of Missouri in land located in the City of Kirksville in Adair County to the Kirksville R-III School District. An additional land transfer from the state regarding land located in City of Kirksville to Truman State University is also authorized. An additional land transfer in Iron County from the Department of Natural Resources to the State Highways and Transportation Department is included. The bill also authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to comply with any final judgment in a court of highest jurisdiction to sell an interest in specified property in Oregon County that is currently subject to a federal easement.
 
HB 1472 modifies the statute related to the offense of money laundering. It adds a definition for "cryptocurrency" which is a digital currency in which transactions are verified and records are maintained by a decentralized system using cryptography. The bill replaces the definitions of "currency" with one for "monetary instruments" and it adds definitions for "financial transaction" and "transaction". Supporters say that the bill provides a great tool for law enforcement to combat crime. They say updating the definition of currency to include cryptocurrency and adding blockchain transactions will provide further means to track and trace the movement of funds.
 
HB 2587 establishes the "Regulatory Sandbox Act", which creates the "Regulatory Relief Office" within the Department of Economic Development. The Regulatory Relief Office will administer the provisions of the bill with the purpose of identifying state laws or regulations that could potentially be waived or suspended for participating businesses during a 24-month period in which the participating business demonstrates an innovative product offering to consumers. Supporters say that for too many entrepreneurs and innovators the states' regulatory burdens crush them before they even get off the ground. This would be a tool to mitigate some of the damage the regulations impose on startups. This bill is intended to spur innovation.
 
HB 2289 reduces the time period of regular publication from three years to one year, and increases the time period from 30 days to 90 days within which a successor newspaper must begin publication. The bill also allows a newspaper that has been purchased or newly established by another newspaper that satisfies these conditions to qualify. Supporters say that this bill will provide relief and stability to local newspapers. Current requirements under the law are outdated and lead to undue legal roadblocks. The publishing time frame change proposed by this bill allows newspapers to maintain their legal status. The bill will ensure smaller newspapers are able to stay in print and provide for these communities.
 
HB 1682 prohibits any county, municipality, or political subdivision from imposing or enforcing a moratorium on eviction proceedings unless specifically authorized by state law. The bill also prohibits any political subdivision from requiring a residential property owner to have a home inspection of such property conducted regarding the sale of the property. Additionally, the bill specifies that no deed restrictions, covenants, or similar binding agreements running with the land can prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the display of sale signs on the property of a homeowner or nearby street corner.
 
HB 2697 provides that a person commits the offense of organized retail theft if they commit a series of thefts of retail merchandise on the premise of a merchant or through the use of the internet with the intent to return the merchandise to the merchant for value or resell, trade, or barter the merchandise for value in any manner. The offense of organized retail theft is a class C felony if the aggregate value of the property or services, as determined under the bill, involved in all thefts committed during a 120-day period is between $5,000 and $10,000 and a class B felony if such aggregate value is over $10,000.
 
HB 2607 specifies that a non-floating facility for the purpose of licensing excursion gambling boats be within 1,000 feet from the closest edge of the main channel of the Missouri or Mississippi River. The bill states that the water beneath or inside the structure may be in tanks in addition to rigid or semi-rigid storage containers or structures. Supporters say the bill protects the continued construction of the casino in Caruthersville that has already commenced but is now threatened by a lawsuit. The building of the casino in the area permissible under the bill is safer and allows the casino to not be subject to flooding.
 
HB 1562 specifies that the region of southeast Missouri that includes the counties of St. Louis, Jefferson, Franklin, Crawford, Dent, Shannon, Oregon, Ste. Genevieve, Washington, St. Francois, Madison, Iron, Perry, Wayne, Reynolds, Bollinger, Scott, Mississippi, Stoddard, Ripley, Butler, Carter, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Dunklin shall be designated the "Stars and Stripes Historic Region of Missouri". Supporters say that the Stars and Stripes newspaper was established in Bloomfield, Missouri, and this bill would raise awareness to the historical importance of this newspaper and the surrounding area.
 
HB 2143 authorizes county commissions to use a part of the principal of a cemetery trust fund for the support and maintenance of the cemetery when the net income of the trust fund is insufficient for those purposes. Supporters say that under current law, county commissions may only use the interest accrued on the principal of cemetery trust funds for maintaining and supporting their cemeteries. For those smaller or rural counties that do not have a large amount in trust funds, this interest is not enough to provide for basic maintenance required. The language of the bill allows for the continued necessary maintenance of cemeteries from the principal amount of the funds when interest is not sufficient.
 
HB 2032 gives the juvenile court exclusive original jurisdiction in proceedings involving a child who has been a victim of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation. Additionally, the bill specifies that a person will not be certified as an adult or adjudicated as a delinquent for the offense of prostitution if the person was under the age of 18 when the offense was committed. The bill specifies that, when a child is located by law enforcement and there is reasonable cause to suspect the child may be a victim of sex trafficking, the officer must immediately make a report to the Children's Division in the Department of Social Services. The bill also creates the "Statewide Council on Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children", which will analyze data relating to sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and will collect feedback from stakeholders, practitioners, and leadership throughout the state.
 
HB 1954 establishes "Bentley's Law", which requires a person convicted of an offense of driving while intoxicated where the death of a parent or parents results to pay child maintenance to the child's or children's surviving parent or legal guardian until the child turns 18 or, if the child is 18 and enrolls in college, until completion of a degree or until the child reaches the age of 21, whichever occurs first. Supporters say the purpose of the bill is to punish people who drive drunk and ensure they are responsible for the children they leave parentless.
 
HB 1684 establishes the "Missouri Nuclear Clean Power Act", which allows clean base load electric generating plants or facilities rated at 200 megawatts or more that utilize renewable sources to produce energy not in commercial operation as of August 28, 2022, to charge for costs associated with construction work in progress before the facility is operational. Supporters say only two states have a complete ban on charging ratepayers for construction work in progress. They say that, without the bill, building new base load generation is cost prohibitive.
 
HB 2088 establishes the "Earning Safe Reentry Through Work Act of 2021". Under the bill, offenders may earn a credit that is equal to a one-day reduction in a sentence for maintaining eligible employment. Supporters say the bill will help with the current workforce shortage and would incentivize inmates to learn valuable job skills. Studies show that inmate participation in job programs greatly reduces recidivism. The early release of inmates is also cost effective and reduces the burden on the parole system.
 
Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1487, or email my office at jeff.coleman@house.mo.gov.  

Coleman Legislation Update 
My proposed Constitutional amendment, HJR 80, dealing with property tax assessments, was voted out of Rules Administrative Committee this week. HB 2615 (School COVID Mandates) was also voted out of Rules Committee this week. This bill would prohibit school districts (and staff) from mandating mask wearing or a Covid-19 vaccination as a condition to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities. It is my hope that these bills will be on the House Floor soon. HB 2906 Assistant Physician bill was voted out of Professional Registration this week. This bill will stop the pipeline of Caribbean medical school physicians who are not actively pursuing residency programs to complete their medical license and education. Our health and the health of our families is of upmost importance. Last but not least I have co-sponsored HB 2853 Tax Exemption for Social Security benefits. This will help so many vulnerable Missourians to stay in their homes, afford groceries and their medication(s), and many other life’s necessities.
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House Rejects Senate Version of Proposed Congressional Map (HB 2117)
 
The members of the Missouri House have rejected a plan proposed by the Missouri Senate to draw Missouri’s new congressional districts. By a vote of 26-129, the House voted down the Senate map and then by a vote of 131-17 once again approved a motion to ask the Senate for further discussion on the bill.
 
The vote comes more than two months after the House approved its plan for the map and sent the bill to the Senate. The Senate took nine weeks to develop its own map, which it sent back to the House just days before candidate filing closed. On Tuesday, the House had the opportunity to vote on the Senate-proposed map, but members expressed concerns with the changes made by the other body.
 
The sponsor of HB 2117 noted that the version approved by the Senate was “very different than what we sent over.” He said, “I have a couple issues with the map that came over with the compact and contiguous part that is in the constitution that we must abide by.” He added, “When we went through the committee process we made sure we minimized the community splits and we took care of that. This map has a couple of those that I think need to be addressed and some other things I think would be best served for the House and for the citizens of Missouri to go to conference and try to get the best possible map for the state of Missouri.”
 
Instead of voting on the Senate’s plan, the House opted to ask the Senate for further conference on the bill. One member who supported the motion said, “This increases the number of county splits. The map that has been sent to us increases the number of voting district splits. The map sent to us does not respect communities of interest to the degree that our map did.”
 
The House approved the motion with the hope the Senate would grant a conference where the two chambers could iron out their differences. Rather than grant the House conference, the Senate refused the motion and requested the House to take up the Senate version of HB 2117 and pass it.
 
Before the House voted on the Senate version of HB 2117, the sponsor of the legislation told his colleagues that a vote to reject the proposal would not lead to the map being drawn by the court. He said, “By no means if we do not adopt this does it go directly to court. This is not a vote to go to court. This is a vote to continue the process, to continue the discussion for the best possible map for the state of Missouri, not the best possible map they could vote out, but the best possible map for all of Missouri.”
 
House leadership issued a statement about the decision to reject the Senate map and seek further conference. They said, “Today’s vote was a vote to continue the process and to continue the discussion so we can reach a compromise that will provide the best possible map for the state of Missouri. From the beginning of this process we have worked in good faith with the Senate to create a map that is compact and contiguous, that preserves communities of interest, and that ensures the conservative values of Missouri families will continue to have strong representation in our nation’s capital. We will continue to work toward a compromise with our Senate colleagues so that we can pass a map that fairly and accurately reflects our state.”
 
While the House and Senate disagree on the details of the map, both versions give six likely seats to Republicans and two likely seats to Democrats. The House will now await the decision from the Senate to see if discussions will continue so the two chambers can reach a compromise.
 
The original map approved by the House can be viewed at the following link: https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/maps/Map.4875H.02P.pdf
 
The modified map approved by the Senate can be viewed at the following link: https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/maps/Map.4875S.05F.pdf
 
House Members Approve Legislation to Protect Life (HB 2012)
 
House members once again took action to protect the lives of the innocent unborn. The House gave initial approval this week to a measure that contains several provisions to protect the sanctity and dignity of life.
 
HB 2012 would make it a felony offense to use or donate fetal tissue from an abortion for any purpose other than to diagnose anomalies, determine paternity, or for law enforcement purposes. The bill also makes it a felony offense to hoard aborted human remains.
 
The bill’s sponsor told her colleagues, “This is about what Missourians want us to be about – protecting the integrity and value of life, and making sure that those with evil intentions don’t prevail.”
 
An amendment added to the bill during floor discussion would enact the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which mandates that a child born alive during or after an abortion or attempted abortion will have the same rights, privileges, and immunities as any other person, citizen, and resident of Missouri, including any other live-born child.
 
The original sponsor of the act said, “What this language says is that any child who is born alive during or after an attempted abortion, that child shall have all the same rights and privileges as any other child that is born at that same stage of development, and that they should be provided care from medical staff.”
 
Another amendment added to the bill aims to protect the lives of the unborn by making it a felony offense to traffic abortion-inducing drugs. The measure would make it a class B felony if a person or entity knowingly imports, exports, distributes, delivers, manufactures, produces, prescribes, administers, or dispenses, or attempts to do so, any medicine, drug, or other means or substance to be used to induce an abortion on another person in violation of state or federal law. The provision makes it clear the woman using the drug cannot be prosecuted for trafficking.
 
The sponsor of the amendment said it “very clearly protects the woman and it protects the infant in the womb and that’s the primary purpose of this amendment.”
 
Other provisions added to the bill would ensure taxpayer funds do not go to abortion providers or their affiliates and clarify that federal laws cannot affect the decisions made by the state to prevent funds from going to abortion providers. The bill also contains language to ensure victims of domestic or sexual assault cannot be sued by their perpetrators, or the perpetrator’s family members, for violating provisions of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
 
The actions of the House build on measures approved in years past that were designed to reduce the number of abortions in the state. Figures released by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services show that 151 abortions occurred in Missouri in 2021. That number is down significantly from 2019 when 1,471 abortions took place in the state. As recently as 2010, the state saw more than 6,000 abortions take place within its borders.
 
The bill now requires another positive vote in the House before moving to the Senate.
 
Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence (HB 1699)
 
The House has voted to make several changes in state law meant to make victims of domestic violence safer. 
 
The bill’s sponsor told his colleagues, “This bill seeks to plug some of the gaps in our laws that allow abusers to circumvent the system and continue to use the system actually to further abuse their victims.”
 
A key provision of HB 1699 would specify that a defendant in an abuse case will be considered to have been notified of an order of protection if they are notified in any reasonable way. In effect, this would make clear that orders of protection remain in place until otherwise ordered by a court.  
 
The sponsor explained, “What happens today is that when somebody files for an ex parte order and then a hearing is scheduled, the temporary order stays in effect until the hearing. If the abuser chooses not to show up in court and later pleads ignorance, he didn’t know what went on in court, there have been some successful defenses to violating the order because of this so-called ignorance.”
 
He added, “What this bill does is say that when you get served that temporary, those provisions are going to remain in effect and they don’t expire simply because the hearing is being held. Those protections go on and the individual can’t plead ignorance.”
 
Another measure in the bill would allow victims in domestic violence cases to testify via video conference. The sponsor said that domestic cases are often dismissed because victims refuse to testify.
 
“It’s not because the victim doesn’t want to be there. The truth of the matter is in many cases the victim is simply afraid to be in the same room. The victim does not want the abuser to know where they’re going to be at a particular time, and so it’s important that we give this person some kind of security if we possibly can,” said the sponsor.
 
HB 1699 would also specify that courts cannot make a victim or their family reveal in court the victim’s current address or workplace unless necessary. The bill would also specify that when a defendant is ordered to pay the victim’s attorney fees, that order covers the entire proceeding; and that a person convicted of domestic assault who is ordered to attend a batterer-intervention program will be responsible for paying for that program.
 
The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
 
Other Bills Sent to the Senate
HB 2005 specifies that any electrical corporation that proposes building a transmission line must provide a minimum 50% of its electrical load to Missouri consumers to be considered a public service and to be allowed to condemn property to construct the transmission. The provisions of the bill do not apply to electrical corporations operating under a cooperative business plan. The bill also specifies that in condemnation proceedings, just compensation for agricultural or horticultural land shall be 150% of fair market value, which will be determined by the court. The sponsor said the bill is a response to the land owners who are pleading with the legislature for help. He said the bill, “ensures utility projects in Missouri actually benefit the state of Missouri. It provides just compensation for land owners when their land is being taken from them and it’s being condemned. It also incentivizes negotiations outside the court process.”
 
HB 1734 seeks to modify three parts of the Smart Energy Plan legislation passed by the legislature in 2018. The law established a new accounting methodology for utilities called Plant-In-Service Accounting (PISA) that encouraged increased investment in new electric grid technologies, which support improved reliability and resiliency in the grid. The 2018 law also created an economic development incentive rate to encourage expansion and growth of companies already located in Missouri, and to attract new companies to the state. HB 1734 will extend and enhance these provisions of the law, which are set to expire next year. Supporters say that this bill will help utilities with grid modernization and resiliency. The bill will also boost economic incentives for commercial users, which leads to economic development in the state.
 
HB 1677 provides that beginning on March 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) utilized by the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan shall file a report with the Plan for the immediately preceding calendar year regarding rebates, as defined in the bill. The report shall include: the aggregate dollar amount of rebates collected from pharmaceutical manufacturers; the aggregate dollar amount of the rebates that were not passed on to the Plan, and the aggregate dollar amount of all fees and payments received from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Supporters say the bill will lower costs of prescription drugs for patients and increase transparency for the pricing practices of PBMs. The bill takes significant steps to restore balance in the health care system and ensure Missourians have sustainable access to medications and choice in where they receive pharmacy services. The bill’s sponsor said, “This is the bill that will show transparency for prescription drugs. It will drive costs down for all of our constituents.”
 
HB 1656 specifies that no political subdivision can require its employees to reside within a jurisdiction and changes the law regarding fire marshal employees. The bill repeals existing residency requirements for commissioned and civilian personnel of a municipal police force; repeals existing residency requirements for any public safety employee of a city not within a county; specifies that no employee of a political subdivision can be required to reside within a particular jurisdiction as a condition of employment; repeals existing residency requirements for a fire department employee; repeals certain employment requirements for an investigator for the State Fire Marshal; and requires that a prospective investigator for the State Fire Marshall be a resident of Missouri at the time of appointment and prohibits an investigator from accepting other employment that would pose a conflict of interest The sponsor said the bill is meant to “give the freedom of movement to some of our most valuable in our state that really come out and protect us in our times of need.”
 
HB 1750 specifies that school districts and charter schools must adopt a community engagement policy based on community input that provides residents a method of communicating with the governing board of the school district or charter school. The policy creates a process for items related to educational matters to be added to the board agenda. Supporters say school boards are too often unresponsive to the concerns of parents and that having an opportunity to directly communicate concerns and have action taken on those concerns is vitally important. This bill is designed to give people the opportunity to express concerns and that there should also be an initiative petition process to change policy not just have it added to an agenda. The bill includes additional provisions related to gifted children, substitute teacher certification, child abuse investigations, and the Extended Learning Opportunities Act.
 
HB 2455 requires the Missouri Veterans Commission to review the provisions of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, and any related regulations. After review, the Commission, in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health, will provide recommendations and make efforts to adopt procedures, programs, treatment options, additional aid, and any other assistance deemed necessary by the Commission to assist in the efforts to prevent veteran suicide. Supporters say the bill brings awareness to the issue of mental health and attempts to bring an end to veteran suicide. Through the report, this bill will provide data on how to prevent veteran suicide.
 
Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1487, or email my office at jeff.coleman@house.mo.gov.