Davis: KZRG Staff Honored For Storm Coverage, Three Bills Filed

At left: Presenting Zimmer Radio Group with a resolution for their coverage during Joplin’s tornado. Larry Boyd, Chad Elliott and Sam McDonald came to the capitol for the presentation and a tour.

“Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun, But you have to know how.”
― Dr. Seuss

As our second week in session comes to an end, we are starting to see things gear up for a busy session. As a point of interest, the only thing that the legislature must do during session is pass a balanced budget. That’s it, everything else is a plus (or many times a minus, for our citizens.) The appropriation committees are in full swing as well as is the budget committee. The 4 committees I am on are now being assigned legislation for debate.

Increasing the size of government can only lead to higher taxes. So, whenever we have the opportunity to limit growth in the state government, I view it as an opportunity for us to resist raising taxes on hard-working Missourians. This week, committees in the Missouri House moved forward with our Blueprint for Missouri by passing several measures that focus on protecting you, the taxpayer.

Families and businesses across the state plan their budgets with an eye toward the future. We save money when times are good and dip into those savings when times are tough. That is the idea behind HJR 43, the Taxpayer Protection Act, which passed out of the Budget Committee this week.

During the economic downturn, we have been faced with a budget shortfall. Rather than hampering the recovery by raising your taxes, House Republicans have chosen to tighten our belts to keep the budget balanced. And we remain committed to doing it again this session.

However, while we work on balancing the budget this session, we must also plan for the future by taking steps that make budget shortfalls less likely in the coming years. The Taxpayer Protection Act is a step toward accomplishing this goal.

When times are good and the budget is flush with money, past legislatures have used the revenue windfall to increase the size and scope of government. The Taxpayer Protection Act limits growth by tying any increase in the budget to population growth plus the rate of inflation. Any money left over after the adjustment is saved for times when the budget is short.

Protecting you, the taxpayer, is a top priority for us in the House. The Taxpayer Protection Act protects you by limiting growth in the state budget and reducing the likelihood for tax increases in the future. By moving forward with this important piece of legislation, you can keep more of your money to plan for the future.

Thanks to Phil Cook for spending time with me this past Friday talking about K-12 funding. I simply went to the Carl Junction office to drop off my School Board Appreciation letters to honor those in CJ serving on the school board but I couldn’t get out quick enough before superintendant Phil Cook saw me and wanted to bend my ear. HAHA, just kidding, Phil. I have to admit, school funding is not my strong point and any time I can be educated, I am more than willing to listen. One thing that I learned is that the schools I have the honor of representing are doing a great job with the monies they are given from the state. Our schools are using the money wisely to ensure our children get the education they deserve. Keep up the good work and we will be fighting for every penny our schools get.

I filed 3 bills this week protecting and helping our veterans. One bill [HB1297] deals with the licensure of our separating military members and with education credits at our Missouri institutions of higher learning.

The second bill [HB1296] protects our noncustodial military members when they are deployed.

The third one is a resolution [HCR12] that designates the Honor and Remember Flag as the State of Missouri's emblem of service and sacrifice of service men and women who have given their lives in the line of duty.

I will file a bill this week that will combine the Show Me Heroes and the Heroes At Home programs in hopes that it will be more widely utilized by our returning military members.

Next Tuesday night at 7 PM, the governor will present to us the state of the state address. You can listen to it live HERE.

Thank you for allowing me to server as your representative in Jefferson City.