Tim Jones: Important Issues Covered By Special Session

Heavy July heat and humidity, broken only by intermittent, yet strong fast moving storms, settled over the Midwest and most of the Nation this past week as summer soaked deeply into the city pavement and the country fields.  As I reported last month, the Legislature has been mired in a Special Session, called by the Governor, since June 24^th.  I am very happy to report that all of your pocketbooks and liberties are once again safe as the General Assembly finally concluded the Special Session today with the passage of two bills that I will more fully describe below.  Even without a "Special Session" I typically make a trip once a month or so to Jefferson City to attend to business during the "Interim Session" which we will now return to until Veto Session in September.  In between visits, my hard working assistant, Jody, continues to staff our office and is always available if you need our assistance.  I also continue to "remotely" monitor e-mail and voice mail so if you do need any assistance, please know I remain available and ready to serve!

"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."  -- Ronald Reagan

Important Issues Considered by Special Session

As I mentioned, during the last week of June, the Missouri House of Representatives fulfilled the Governor's call and convened for a Special Session.  He ordered the General Assembly back to the Capitol to pass two bills which were debated during the regular session which ended in mid May.  One of the bills [HB2] provided tax incentives for automotive manufacturers and suppliers – the other seeks to revamp the state employee retirement system [HB1].

The Governor's call was surprising for several reasons.  The Governor did not express interest in these issues during the regular Session and did not list them as priorities.  The House and Senate did not have a consensus during the regular Session, nor did the Governor work with us to gain the consensus needed on these two items.  Missouri tax dollars pay for Special Session, and in a time when fiscal responsibility is a top priority, it seems that the wisest decision would have been for the Governor to lobby the bills during the regular Session and work with members to reach a consensus.

Even though I believe there was a better way to seek passage of this legislation, the Governor made the call to Special Session, and we answered that call.  House Republicans acted swiftly, utilizing as few Missouri taxpayer dollars as possible.  In fact, we passed an initial version of both bills, in a strong bi-partisan fashion, after only one day of debate.  We worked ahead of time to gain the consensus needed to pass both bills.  We then proceeded to reconcile the House and Senate versions of this legislation which I will now describe.

Growing Missouri Jobs

I certainly had reservations about a targeted tax incentive to a particular industry.  However, we also have to face the reality that Missouri finds itself in competition with the other 49 states for good jobs.  Other states offer tax incentives much more generous than Missouri.  If we are to grow and prosper as a state, we must grant tax breaks to attract and retain good jobs.  Under the leadership of House Speaker Ron Richard, Republicans in the House of Representatives have been champions for economic development in our state.  HCS House Bill 2, sponsored by Representative Jerry Nolte, R-Gladstone, was passed in the House several times but stalled in the Senate until today.  I worked with Representative Nolte on the House floor when the House passed the bill earlier this year.  The bill provides tax incentives for automotive manufacturers and suppliers in Missouri.  By reducing the amount of tax dollars these companies would owe the State of Missouri (and I am all for reducing taxes for everyone and anyone), they are able to create more jobs and retain the employees already in place.  As you know, this economy has left thousands of Missourians unemployed.  With the number of jobless citizens on the rise, job creation and retention is imperative.  One of the projects that this legislation is directed is the possible loss of 3,000 to 4,000 jobs in the Ford Claycomo Plant near Kansas City.  If Ford leaves Missouri, these jobs and many other jobs in related industries will also be lost.  As I mentioned, the House and Senate continued to work very hard on the bill and I am convinced that the final version is not a giveaway or a bailout in any sense of the word.  If you are being intellectually honest about the bill, you will find that the legislation is a responsible approach to offering incentives that will produce results that benefit our entire state. There is no benefit to any company until the company makes a commitment and spends their own money on their own plants, factories or businesses.

My concern is more for the suppliers of goods and small businesses that rely on larger businesses such as the Ford Claycomo Plant. Without Ford, those suppliers and small businesses would not have a market for their goods. This bill received overwhelming approval from business groups, organized labor, economic development groups, school districts, chambers of commerce, county and municipal governments, and others, most importantly the citizens of the Districts in and around the Clay County region.  All Missourians must continue to work together for economic development across our State.

Re-organization of State Employee Retirement Benefits to Save Tax Dollars

The State of Missouri has an extensive and quite generous set of retirement benefits for employees.  However, given economic conditions and declining revenue numbers, the current system is unsustainable.  Because of fiscal restrictions, a change needed to be made.  HCS for House Bill 1, sponsored by Representative Jim Viebrock, R-Republic, made the necessary changes needed to allow the state retirement system to thrive in years to come.  Attracting responsible, hard-working employees is something the State of Missouri takes very seriously, so we must be careful to continue to have an attractive retirement package, just not one that could bankrupt our state.  In addition, we want to ensure fairness to current state employees.  Through this legislation, existing employees would retain the retirement benefits they receive in the current system.  A fiscally responsible retirement package that our state can afford, while continuing to attract good employees to Missouri government positions is important – and we took a good, first step when we passed this bill.  Just like with the jobs bill mentioned above, this public employee pension reform bill underwent a great deal of work and compromise between the House and Senate positions.  I am happy to report that this bill passed as well which will mean that meaningful, cost-savings directed reform will be implemented upon our public employee pension system.  The bill will only affect new hires and it will still provide a meaningful benefit to workers while protecting your hard earned tax dollars.

As Tragedy Strikes in the Gulf, We Must Step Up to Help

Let us not forget that millions of Americans continue to be affected by the oil spill in the Gulf. Even though many of us feel like there is nothing we can do to stop the damage, WE can help those in need.  While the federal government continues to bumble and stumble its way clumsily through this crisis, great leaders like Governor Jindal and Governor Barbour continue to rally the spirits of the citizens of their States and take specific actions to solve the challenges presented by this crisis.  We have seen the ineptitude of the federal government on full display and it has once again been confirmed that it is we, the people, who can best help our fellow Americans.  I encourage all of you to step up and do what you can to help those who need us the most.  Several websites are accepting donations to aid the people and wildlife of the affected region such as the following:

• www.greatergood.org
• http://www.unitedwaynola.org/gulfoilspill/index.html
• http://www.gnof.org/programs/gulf-coast-oil-spill-fund/disaster-on-the-gulf-coast/
• www.causes.com
• www.nwf.org

If you are not able to give financially, please do continue to keep the families of the Gulf region in your daily prayers.

Visiting the Capitol

Yesterday, as our Special Session continued, I had a very pleasant surprise as I welcomed two constituents, Dan Harms and his granddaughter, Emily to the Capitol.  Dan and Emily both had a "day off" and decided to hop on the Amtrak train and make a day trip to Jefferson City.  They had a nice surprise when they discovered the Legislature was actually in Session!  Dan and Emily were welcomed in the Senate Chamber and I also had the privilege and opportunity to introduce them to the House of Representatives on the House Floor.  I want to thank Dan and Emily for visiting me and if you ever find yourself in or around Jefferson City at any time during the year, please feel free to visit us!  Stop by Room 114A and, even during the interim session, Jody will be happy to meet and greet you!

Personal News & Notes

Being "out of Session" has definitely not resulted in life slowing down much at all. Working almost daily at the law firm, keeping up with constituent services and attending different events in and around the District have kept me more than occupied during the Interim Session.  I continue to owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wife, Suzanne, whose daily sacrifices enable me to continue to serve my constituents and to continue to work towards my vision and goal of making Missouri a better place to live, work and raise a family.  My two daughters, Katie and Abby are a constant reminder of why I have chosen public service as part of my career and that there are future generations and a "greater good" that we are all striving for when we "set to the task" each year in Jefferson City.  Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can ever be of any assistance and I hope you continue to have an excellent and safe summer!

Until our next update, I am, and remain, in your service.