Allen: On The Hunt For Available State Funds, Tax Amnesty, Comparative State Audit

Personal Note

It’s great to be home back in the district after a very slow trip thanks to more bad weather. The last two weeks have been very busy. My apologies for rushed meetings with constituents, PT’s, nurses, students, Jr. League members, and others.

Our Health Appropriations Committee has officially made recommendations that will be provided to the Budget Committee which will start meeting daily as of next week. In the Appropriations Committee we came up with close to $100 million to help cover the budget shortfall. The tax amnesty bill [HB116], which I have worked closely with Rep. Flanigan, should net the state $74 million and we have saved $29 million from decision items and other various savings (more about these below). With these savings, I will be adding a budget amendment for restoring funding for
Meals on Wheels, community mental health programs, and in-home services for
Professional Registration and the disabled. I have also found funding for MO HealthNet Integrity to help their continued efforts to uncover Medicaid fraud. This should have a reasonable return investment. I will be working to find $1 million for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. I will also be fighting to protect Lafayette Industries, an adult sheltered workshop in Manchester.

I requested to be on these committees because I believe they are key ingredients
for our state – be careful what you wish for! Despite the hard work, these commit-
tees will help shape our state and I am happy to be a part of them.

Legislative Updates

HCR 9 – Constitution Convention

HCR9, sponsored by Rep. Jay Barnes, was discussed in the House last week. This resolution would formally add Missouri to the list of states calling for a national constitutional convention. The proposed bill requests the US Congress to call an amendment convention which would be limited to discussing an amendment that
would allow the repeal of any federal law with the approval of state legislatures of 2/3 of the states. Opponents to this resolution are worried that this could “open the floodgates” to other amendments once the states are convened, however supporters wish for the convention to focus solely on ratifying the suggested amendment.

Such an amendment would give states the power to oppose ever-increasing federal mandates and give states an equal footing alongside the federal government’s “power of the purse.” After a good floor debate, this resolution has been laid aside for the time being and may be revisited in the future.

HB 116 – Tax Amnesty

This is the bill that Rep. Flanigan and I have been working on since last year. It authorizes amnesty from the assessment or payment of all penalties, additions to tax, and interest on delinquencies of unpaid taxes administered by the Department of Revenue which occurred on or prior to December 31, 2010. A delinquent taxpayer must apply for amnesty and agree to comply with state tax laws for the next eight years from the date of the agreement. Tax Amnesty is estimated to generate $74 million for the state by the end of the year. This influx will help our budget shortfall as similar measures have helped other states in recent years.

HB 657 - Comparative State Audit

This week I introduced HB 657 which calls for a comparative state audit of our state’s 5-10 largest agencies, depending upon how much money is appropriated to the Auditor’s Office. This bill, which is strongly supported by the Auditor's Office, is expected to result in new audits that will recommend changes to agency policy or state law that should reduce the amount of government spending. State audits are one of the best ways to ensure effective oversight in order to maximize every tax dollar and provide a framework for performance-based analysis. Comparing agencies in one audit will allow the best and most efficient practices to implement across department. This methodology conforms with private sector practices.

I have found past audits to be exceptionally helpful with my appropriation and budget committees. They often find big ways to save without hurting people, which is crucial during these tough times. I am proud to work with the Auditor’s office in this matter and am looking forward to having this bill move forward.

Prop B Concerns

Many constituents have called my office and have urged me not to repeal Prop B, which passed on last November’s ballot. I agree that it would not be proper for the legislature to overturn the will of the people. Missouri has spoken and I respect that decision, despite my own personal reservations.

I believe that the public needs to realize the fiscal implications of Prop B. Our budget situation already requires major cuts. It will be tough to fully fund Prop B enforcement which, according to the fiscal note attached to the proposition, will cost $521,000 per year and an additional $133,000 in the first year. As I frequently ask these days, does anyone have any suggestions where this money should come from - without hurting other vital functions such as education, social services, Medicaid, mental health, and nearly every other service?

Thank You Junior League!

I would once again like to thank the Junior League for coming by the Capitol on February 16th to support my cyber-bullying bill, HR 273 [HB273]. Over 80 of their members from St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and St. Joseph Chapters and went door-to-door around the Capitol to spread the word about cyber-bullying and my legislation. It was not too long ago that I was doing the same for children and physical therapist related issues.

This Week In Pictures

This week Mike Anderson, head coach of the men’s basketball team at Mizzou, came to greet Mizzoui Alumni House Members.


It was a pleasure to meet Ashley Metzger this week. She is from the district and attends Northwest Missouri State University. She came down to the Capitol with her school to “shadow” me for the day in order to get first hand experience about how our government works.