The House gave final passage to the state’s budget this week. The General Assembly, by the direction of the House and Senate Budget Chairs did not accept the Governor’s recommended budget and took a much more cautious approach to the revenue projections. Education and one time projects will benefit from any additional revenue above and beyond the agreed upon estimates.
Next week, we will wrap up the 2014 legislative session. A legislative re-cap will be sent out to the citizens of the 117th district soon. This session has been successful in advancing oral chemotherapy, addressing school transfer.
Thank you to all teachers, especially those teachers in District 117 as our nation honors teachers and recognizes the lasting contributions they make to the lives of our children.
A lone House Democrat sided with majority Republicans on May 6 to give them the final vote needed to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of income tax legislation that will reduce state revenue collections by an estimated $620 million to $800 million a year once fully phased in. And because of a drafting error, the bill could end up costing the state $4.8 billion a year, wiping out nearly two-thirds of state general revenue.
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The Senate on May 5 voted 23-8 along straight party lines to override the veto of SB 509, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed. The House followed suit the next day, voting 109-46 in favor of override. All 108 House Republicans voted for the override and were joined by state Rep. Keith English, D-Florissant, for the required two-thirds majority.
SB 509 will provide a 25 percent tax deduction for “pass through” business income reported on personal income tax returns. It also will gradually cut the top individual income tax rate from 6 percent to 5.5 percent, subject to minimal annual revenue growth.
However, Nixon said the bill’s wording inadvertently eliminates all taxes on income earned in excess of $9,000 a year starting in 2022, which would wipe out 97 of all individual income tax collections and cost the state about $4.8 billion a year.
With the override on SB 509, the General Assembly has now overridden Nixon 13 times, making him the most overridden governor in Missouri history. Nixon had been tied with Gov. Daniel Dunklin with 12 overrides after lawmakers overrode him 10 times last year. All of the overrides against Dunklin took place in 1833.
Missouri voters will decide whether changes should be made to the existing state constitutional provision guaranteeing the right to keep and bear arms under legislation that won final approval on May 7. The proposed constitutional amendment, SJR 36, automatically will go on the Nov. 4 statewide ballot for ratification.
SJR 36 would declare the right to keep and bear arms to be “unalienable,” meaning it is a universal right that isn’t subject to restriction. The measure also would repeal existing language that says the constitutional right to bear arms “shall not justify the wearing of concealed weapons.”
Supporters of the amendment say it’s necessary to strengthen gun rights against possible infringement in the future. The prosecuting attorneys of St. Louis city and Jackson County wrote lawmakers a letter saying SJR 36 could have “deadly unintended consequences” by limiting the ability of the state and local governments to regulate where firearms may be carried and by whom.
SJR 36 passed 122-31 in the House of Representatives and 23-8 in the Senate. Because it goes before voters, it bypasses Gov. Jay Nixon and isn’t subject to veto.
Lawmakers on May 5 granted final approval to legislation that would move Missouri’s future presidential primary elections from February to March starting in 2016. The bill, SB 892, passed 25-7 in the Senate and 101-47 in the House of the Representatives. The bill now awaits action by Gov. Jay Nixon.
The legislation was prompted by national Republican and Democratic party rules that prohibit all but certain states from holding their presidential primaries prior to March. Under SB 892, the Missouri’s 2016 presidential primary would take place on March 15. The primary would be held on Feb. 2, 2016, under existing law.
Separate proposals to require early voting prior to state or federal elections and eliminate tenure for public school teachers could go before Missouri voters in November after supporters submitted initiative petitions on the measures to the Secretary of State Jason Kander on May 4. Kander has until early August to verify that each petition has the minimum number of valid signatures to appear on the Nov. 4 statewide ballot.
The early voting proposal would amend the Missouri Constitution to require a six-week early voting period prior to state and federal elections. Missouri currently doesn’t authorize early voting, other than by absentee ballot, which requires voters to have a reason why they won’t be able to make it to the polls on Election Day.
The tenure proposal, also a constitutional amendment, is being pursued by St. Louis mega-millionaire Rex Sinquefield, who has unsuccessfully pushed for the elimination of teacher tenure in the legislature for several years.Tenure in Missouri doesn’t prevent teachers from being fired for cause, such as subpar performance, but merely entitles them to due process before they can be terminated.
It is always a pleasure to represent my home community in Jefferson City, thank you for the opportunity.
Contact information is State Capitol Room 105-F, 201 W. Capitol Ave. Jefferson City, Mo., 65101-6806. Telephone number is 573-751-2317or toll free at 866-631-8781. Email address is Linda.Black@house.mo.gov.