Tim Jones: Wind Gusts Hearld Flurries Of Floor Activity

Powerfully strong gusting winds carried us back to mid-Missouri this week as Spring crept stealthily in from the South while the upper Midwest still froze in the grip of icy Winter. Under the Capitol Dome, the House Floor became a flurry of rushed activity with dozens of bills being brought forth for debate, discussion, amendment and final passage. Priority legislation that has survived the engorged legislative filter is slowly making its ways through both Chambers as we gave final General Assembly approval to two bills that are heading for the Governor’s desk for consideration…

“We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.”—Thomas Jefferson

FLOOR ACTION: Monday, April 4^th

Today the House focused on the perfection of HB 458, HCS HB 641, HCS HB 192, and HCS HJR 3.

HB 458, sponsored by Rep. Tom Loehner (R-112), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill establishes the Missouri Farmland Trust Act to receive donated land, preserve it as farmland, and allows the land to be farmed by leasing it to beginning farmers. Preserving farmland and providing an opportunity for future farmers to acquire the use of land at very low cost promotes Missouri’s agrarian economy and creates solid jobs for Missourians.

HCS HB 641, sponsored by Rep. Ward Franz (R-151), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill would add any synthetic compound acting as cannabinoid receptors to the list of controlled substances. The most important weapon in the war on drugs is education and the battle will be won, or lost, in our homes and communities. I encourage parents to educate their children about the dangers of drug use and be active in your communities with interventional and educational efforts to stop this cycle of drug abuse and dependency. That will be the ultimate solution to this decades old problem.

HCS HB 192, which I sponsored, was ordered perfected and printed. This bill allows for the transfer of tires (in state possession) to a private entity for the purpose of proper disposal or recycle, requires the board of trustees of the petroleum storage tank insurance fund to hold public hearings to determine whether or not to create and fund an underground storage tank operator training program, and eliminates the use of manufacturer’s expiration date on motor fuel pump nozzles, hoses, and hose breakaway equipment as the only factor in determining their repair or replacement. This bill reduces over-burdensome government regulation and intrusion and supports Missouri industry and small businesses.

HCS HJR 3, sponsored by Rep. Tom Loehner (R-112), was ordered perfected and printed. This resolution calls for amending the Missouri Constitution to solidify the right of Missouri farmers to raise their livestock without the state imposing any undue burdens or regulations. Agri-business actually remains the number one industry in the State of Missouri. As the member of a family with deep farming roots all over our State (and very proud of the fact that the “Jones Family Farm” remains in the family) I was very proud to support this bill on the House Floor. If you like to eat, then you are a supporter of HCS HJR 3!

FLOOR ACTION: Tuesday, April 5^th

Today the House continued on the perfection calendar with HCS HB 470 & 429, HCS HB 336, HCS HB 28, HCS HB 546, and HCS HB 411 & 421.

HCS HB 470 & 429, sponsored by Rep. Doug Funderburk (R-12), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill improves the laws governing nonresident entertainer and professional athletic team income taxes.

HCS HB 336, sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-136), was ordered perfected and printed. I was the chief sponsor of this bill last year. The bill authorizes an income tax credit for the eligible costs of bringing certain sporting events to Missouri. By incentivizing such endeavors, the result is increased activity for Missouri businesses and increased revenue to the state.

HCS HB 28, sponsored by Rep. David Sater (R-68), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill would prohibit a non-physician from prescribing an abortion-inducing drug and gives pharmacists the right not to carry these drugs. We should not be forcing pharmacies and small business owners to carry any drugs or product they do not wish to stock. Government should not be in the business of making choices for individuals or businesses, choices such as these should be left to the small business owner.

HCS HB 546, sponsored by Rep. John Diehl (R-87), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill would require the Missouri Housing Development Commission executive director or chief executive officer to live within a 40 mile radius of Jefferson City and will provide greater accountability over the MHDC.

HCS HB 411 and 421, sponsored by Rep. Zach Wyatt (R-2), was ordered perfected and printed. This legislation addresses the need for proper transitioning processes to occur for residents exiting state developmental disability facilities.

In the evening session, the House picked up third reading of consent bills. As mentioned in a previous issue, consent bills are non-controversial, have no opposition and have no fiscal impact. However, they do deal with making important revisions or tweaks to already existing statutory language.

FLOOR ACTION: Wednesday, April 6th

Three House Concurrent Resolutions were adopted by the House today; HCR 30, 31, and 39.

HCR 30, sponsored by Rep. Keith Frederick (R-149), urges the Governor and Attorney General to contact the President of the United States expressing the urgency of resolving the constitutionality of the federal health care reform act. Continuing to allow this issue to hover in uncertainty creates a problem for leaders in the Health Care Industry and is an impediment to true health care reform measures. This very week, our US Congress, in an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, moved to strip out some of the more unduly burdensome sections of the ObamaCare law. The federal health care law has been proving itself to be an extremely costly, ill thought through measure filled with excessive taxation, excessive burdens on the States and reductions in service that many of us warned it would be. The Missouri General Assembly and the Missouri People (via Proposition C last November) have overwhelmingly voiced their opposition to the law while our Governor and Attorney General have remained silent. It is time for these two Executives of our State to act.

HCR 31, sponsored by Rep. Steve Cookson (R-153), calls on the United States Congress to allocate at least 40% of the Land and Water Conservation Fund moneys to the State Assistance program for state and local capital parks projects.

HCR 39, sponsored by Rep. Mike Leara (R-95), urges the Secretary of the Interior to add Grant's Farm in St. Louis County as a unit of the National Park Service by joining with the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.

Resuming the perfection calendar, the House perfected HB 291, HCS HB 193, HCS HB 840, HB 677, and HB 737.

HB 291, sponsored by Rep. Charlie Denison (R-135), requires window stickers to show current motor vehicle registration instead of license plate tabs. Basically, the current system of placing stickers on your license plates would be fazed out and replaced with a window sticker system. Because the stickers are placed in the interior, the state will save time and money by not having to replace stolen plate stickers.

HCS HB 193, sponsored by Rep. John Diehl (R-87), changes the composition of Congressional districts based on the 2010 census. This redistricting map compensates for Missouri’s loss of a Congressional district while providing continuity and minimizing the number of counties being split to only eight. This is one of the more difficult and important issues we will confront this year. I am proud that the Missouri House has taken the lead on this matter.

HCS HB 840, sponsored by Rep. Caleb Jones (R-117), establishes the Aerotropolis Trade Incentive and Tax Credit Act to encourage foreign trade by authorizing the St. Louis City Mayor or the executive officer of certain counties to designate a gateway zone. This bill will help increase international business trade by helping establish a hub for international trade routes at the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. This can only positively impact the economy and create needed jobs for Missourians.

HB 677, sponsored by Rep. Don Wells (R-147), removes the June 30, 2012 expiration date of the provisions requiring every child enrolling in kindergarten or first grade in a public school to receive one comprehensive vision examination. This provision has produced greater results in diagnosing early vision problems and needs to remain in place.

HB 737, sponsored by Rep. Craig Redmon (R-1), classifies certain hydroelectric power generating equipment as tangible personal property and requires that it be assessed at 1% of its true value in money. Reducing the tax rate provides incentive for large hydroelectric power plant projects to consider locating in Missouri. Allowing the rate to continue at 33 1/3% makes the Missouri environment inhospitable resulting in loss of opportunity for economic growth and a loss of potential jobs for Missourians.

The House also third read and gave final passage to SCS SB 108, SCS SB 19, and the aforementioned HCS HB 193.

SCS SB 108, sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-15), removes the expiration date for provisions of law concerning the installation of fire sprinklers in certain dwellings.

SCS SB 19, sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-15), phases-out the corporate franchise tax over a five year period so that on January 1, 2016, no corporate franchise tax will exist.

Third Read Thursday, April 7th

Today, the House gave final passage to the following bills described above: HBs 458, 641, 192, 470 & 429, 336, 28, 546, 468, 677 and 737. Every single piece of legislation can be viewed online at: www.house.mo.gov.

Budget Update

A budget of $23.2 Billion for FY 2012 was passed last week while holding back $49 Million in savings on the balance sheet. Aside from the impressive bipartisan effort to pass this budget, the quality of the budget can be seen in the details. From maintaining funding for K-12 Education, to continued funding for the production of alternative fuels, to taking the lead and cutting our own budget here in the House of Representatives by $365,000.00, this budget begins the march on the road to economic recovery for the State of Missouri. If only our federal government would use this same philosophy and take the necessary steps to put our country’s economy back on solid ground.