Dempsey: Senate's Priorities

This week marked the beginning of the First Regular Session of the 96th General Assembly in Jefferson City. As a class of newly-elected legislators was sworn into office and the Senate convened we turned our attention to what promises to be a session full of challenges.

Most notable among the issues we will have to address is shoring up Missouri’s budget for the new fiscal year which will begin in July. While the economic horizon is showing signs of a silver lining, we are still expecting a budget shortfall of somewhere between $300 and $500 million. This reality will cast a long shadow over this year’s legislative session. Nonetheless, we are committed to balancing the state budget without raising taxes but substantial cuts to state programs will be required.

The good news is that Missouri is in far better shape than many of our sister states. A long list of budget cuts in past years has helped to keep our financial house in order. We are also looking for ways to further streamline with our “Rebooting Government” program. As we open a new legislative session we are asking for input from all Missouri citizens to help us identify wasteful spending and find ways to operate more efficiently. Senate committees will be assigned to review suggestions that have been provided. You can add your ideas to the list by visiting the following website: www.senate.mo.gov/RebootMO/RebootMO.

Another priority of this session is job creation. We plan to move forward with legislation that will help create the right climate for producing jobs here in the Show Me State.

For starters, I will push to cap Missouri’s corporate franchise tax. Since this tax is levied on assets, businesses have to pay it whether or not they even earn a profit. This system encourages growing companies to move their operations out of state in order to protect themselves from double taxation. By capping it we can encourage companies to grow their in-state operations and hire more Missourians.

Also, the time has come to restore balance to the Missouri Human Rights Act. A series of court decisions has exposed companies and individuals to unnecessary litigation. Proposed legislation would ensure that employees cannot be sued by a co-worker for on-the-job accidents when they are, at the same time, collecting damages from the workers’ compensation system. Changing the Missouri Human Rights Act would also lower lawsuit damage caps, leaving employers with more money to pay out in wages rather than in expensive lawsuits.

Though there are many challenges, I look forward to a productive session. As always, I appreciate and welcome your comments. Please do not hesitate to contact me on these or any other issues of concern to you.