Roorda: Agricultural Land Values, Tax-Stacking Issue, Prescriptions for Pseudoephedrine

Three weeks of the short (17 week) legislative session are already behind us - fourteen weeks to go before we wrap up for the year.  As your representative, I am already hard at work representing all the issues we care about. But YOUR VOICE IS ALSO NEEDED. This newsletter serves two purposes: to keep the constituents of the 102nd District informed each week and to request that you take action. Call or email legislators on the issues that are near and dear to your heart.

Agricultural Land Values Legislation

Yesterday the Missouri House adopted a resolution rejecting the tax commission's recommendation to raise the taxable values of farm land. If the tax commission's recommendation had been taken it could have meant up to thirty percent tax increases on some farm land. "It has an effect that spreads out through the entire economy, and I think it's very important we take action here today," Rep. Roorda said. The resolution rejecting the recommendation was resoundingly approved, with a vote of 140 to 15. Representative Roorda voted to adopt the resolution.

For the full article click here: http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=408022

Rep. Roorda Supports Legislation Aimed at Resolving Tax-Stacking Issue

Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart, voted in favor of legislation that would clarify state law on the practice known as tax-stacking. HB 1442, which is similar to a bill Roorda sponsored, received first-round approval in the House on Wednesday.

Tax-stacking is a practice where municipalities implement multiple city general sales taxes or capital improvements taxes upon voter approval. Approximately 75 cities around the state currently have stacked taxes, which the Missouri Department of Revenue has stated is not illegal. However, a Farmington attorney filed lawsuits against several cities claiming they had violated state law by enacting more than one general tax.

"The legislative intent of the statute was to allow tax stacking," said Roorda. "Every tax has to be approved by voters. If the voters want to add a tax, they should be permitted to do so. There's not a single city on the list that has a tax that hasn't been approved by the voters."

HB 1442 would allow cities to have more than one general sales tax and more than one capital projects tax. The bill does not alter state law regarding the establishment of sales taxes earmarked for transportation projects, economic development, fire protection, or parks and stormwater projects. Current law is clear in establishing limits on those taxes.

"What this bill simply does is clarify existing law. The cities did not enact illegal taxes and we are making that clear with this bill. This is important to me and important to many of the small cities in Jefferson County," said Roorda. The bill requires another vote in the House before moving to the Senate for consideration.

Meth as a Precursor Drug Bill Heard in Crime Prevention Committee

Yesterday the House Crime Prevention Committee heard arguments on a bill [HB1210] requiring prescriptions to purchase pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in meth. The arguments the committee heard in favor of the bill included rising number of meth lab busts in Missouri, and the estimated 32 million dollar meth related costs to the state last year. Opponents of the bill were limited to those with a stake in pseudoephedrine sales, but they argued that requiring a prescription for the decongestant could raise health care costs for the uninsured. Representative Roorda, who is in favor of the legislation countered, "Many alternative products still would be available without prescriptions if Missouri passes such a bill."

To read the full article click here: STLToday

President Obama Delivers State of the Union Address

President Obama delivered his State of the Union address to the United States Congress yesterday evening. His speech called for an increase in bi-partisanship. It was a call for increased cooperation between Democrats and Republicans to confront problems together to make our nation stronger. In these tough times, while we are confronted with important questions about our future, and have to make tough choices it becomes more important than ever to work with members on the other side of the isle. As the President reminded us, "In the end, it's our ideals, our values that built America - values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from all corners of the globe; values that still drive our citizens today." So, as we face the challenges before us, we must remember that we are working to make Missouri a great state not as Democrats or Republicans, but as citizens together.

Link to President Obama's State of the Union Address: State of the Union Address