Stouffer: Legislative Update

So far, we have had a busy and full first half to the Second Regular Session of the 95^th General Assembly. And, the really hard work is yet to come.

One of my priorities, I am proud to say, is one the first measures to make it through both the Missouri Senate and the Missouri House. Senate Concurrent Resolution 35 tells the Missouri State Tax Commission thanks, but no thanks, on a proposal to raise land valuations for most property owners. The panel made the decision back in December and the Legislature only had two months to do something about it. Now, these tax increases will not happen. This is good because a recession is no time to make folks pay more for something they own.

Lawmakers in Missouri are continuing to remind Congress about the appropriate scope of federal government through proposals like Senate Concurrent Resolution 46. This urges Congress not to pass "cap and trade" legislation. As I have written about here before, "cap and trade" would be detrimental to rural Missouri. It would penalize coal-burning states, including Missouri, and cause electric and natural gas bills to skyrocket to unprecedented levels. If the federal government is so concerned with finding new energy sources, then punishing how our state produces its much-needed energy is not the way to move forward.

I am also sponsoring a piece of legislation I believe makes sense. Senate Bill 607 would require drug testing for work-eligible Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants and recipients, based upon reasonable suspicion. This is simply a way of reducing fraud and making things fair for everyone. Most employers do some sort of drug testing, either for hiring purposes or for those already employed by the company. If we make this a requirement for folks who work, why not do the same for those needing state-funded assistance? The bill has been debated a couple of times this session and will hopefully get more floor time.

All in all, this has been a good session. In the second half, we will devote most of our time to the budget. As you have probably heard, the revenue picture is bad and getting worse for Missouri. However, it is not nearly as bad as it is in other states.

This year's revenue shortfalls give lawmakers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to trim back big government to honor taxpayers and to reduce wasteful spending. In future weeks, I will be asking for your input as we seek ways to "reboot" state government. It will take significant changes to balance the budget.

As always, I welcome your feedback regarding state government issues including, but not limited to, pending legislation, the state's budget or any other concerns or issues you may have. The more I hear from you, the better I am able to do my job as your representative in the Missouri Senate.

Engler: Preventing Higher Energy Costs, Protecting Missouri Citizens

The work that we accomplish in the Legislature is designed to make Missouri a better place, and I take this job very seriously.  This work includes provisions that protect citizens in Missouri, whether it be from misguided federal proposals or unethical practices in the government.  We discussed these and several other topics this week.

The Senate Rules Committee heard, Senate Concurrent Resolution 46, opposing the federal Cap and Trade bill in Congress.  The federal proposal would establish a federal system to oversee the purchase, sale, or trade of permits for energy use meant to reduce carbon emissions. Many Missouri legislators are concerned that capping greenhouse gas emissions would have a negative impact on our economy because a majority of energy in our state—about 85 percent—comes from coal.

I have been a strong supporter of alternative energies in the past and have passed legislation that encourages the use of biofuels and efficient uses of energy. However, we need to make sure that environmental protections do not hurt existing businesses by burdensome regulation or raise energy costs on Missouri families. Cap and Trade is a tax increase on Missourians. Because Missouri's electricity is based heavily on coal, it estimated that utility rates on the typical Missouri resident would nearly double in a matter of just a few years, while residents of places like California and Massachusetts would see their bills decrease.

If Cap and Trade were to pass in Washington, many businesses like Mississippi Lime, Holcim, and Noranda that depend on energy to make their products would be drastically affected and forced to lay off many, if not all their employees. Additionally, the increased regulation would drive many manufacturing jobs overseas to countries like China and India because their regulations are much less stringent.

Also this week, we debated an issue that would require DNA testing of all felons in the state of Missouri. We heard debate from the law enforcement community saying that this strategy would help solve a great number of unsolved cases, especially rapes and murders. However, many of the liberals in the legislature feel that taking DNA from felons is a violation of their privacy and are fiercely opposing the bill. The debate as we move forward should be quite interesting.

During the next few weeks, these issues, along with many other bills will come up.  I'll keep you up-to-date on these topics as they come up on the floor and in Senate committees.