Missouri Times - April 15, 2019

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The Missouri Times

PHOTOS

2019 LEGISLATIVE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT APRIL 15, 2019

SCHATZ FORGES HIGHWAY FUNDING COMPROMISE

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SPOTLIGHT

INTERNET SALES TAX www.missouritimes.com

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The Missouri Times

IN MEMORIAL 225 Madison, Jefferson City, MO | (573) 746-2912

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@MissouriTimes

Scott Faughn, Publisher | scott@themissouritimes.com | @ScottFaughn Rachael Herndon Dunn, Editor | rachael@themissouritimes.com | @TheRachDunn Alisha Shurr, Reporter | alisha@themissouritimes.com | @AlishaShurr Aaron Basham, Multimedia Producer | aaron@themissouritimes.com Kaden Quinn, Reporting Intern | kaden@themissouritimes.com

Labor advocate Tim Luebbert passes Alisha Shurr

Missouri’s labor movement felt a heavy loss recently with the passing of Tim Luebbert.

He dedicated decades of work towards advancing the interest of labor workers and had an unyielding love for the St. Louis Cardinals and his two sons.

“He was a good guy. He will be missed,” said Kevin McNatt, current president of Local 74 St. Louis of UNITE HERE. “On a personal level, I have lost a great friend who would give you the shirt off of his back, but in the big picture of life, working families in the State of Missouri have lost a great friend and leader whether they had ever met him or not,” said Mike Louis, President of Missouri AFLCIO. Luebbert started working for the local union in the mid1980s and in 1992 became president of Local 74 St. Louis. From there, he got involved on an international level and worked his way to International Vice President around 1996, a position he held until 2018.

According to McNatt, Luebbert worked tirelessly to bring the local UNITE HERE to the forefront. The labor union represents 270,00 individuals in the U.S. and Canada working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries.

“His dedication not only to his sisters and brothers of Local 74 to work hard to improve their lives, but he was a warrior for all working

families,” said Louis. “The only thing that Tim loved more than the Labor Movement were his two sons’ Dylan and Blake, and the St. Louis Cardinals.”

McNatt recalled that Luebbert would try to make it to most opening days for the Cardinals and was in attendance when the team won the

“The only thing that Tim loved more than the Labor Movement were his two sons’ Dylan and Blake, and the St. Louis Cardinals.”

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1982 World Series. In fact, McNatt reminisced how often Luebbert would tell the story of how he somehow got into the Cardinals’ clubhouse during the ’82 World Series win celebration.

Both, Louis and McNatt, echoed the sentiment that Luebbert was simply a good guy.

“He was like a brother to me,” said McNatt.

“He was ambitious, he did not back down from anyone or anything. He was always there for you, would give anyone the shirt off his back — he carried about people.”

Funeral Services for Luebbert will be held on April 16, 2019, at St. Norbert Catholic Church in Florissant, Missouri.

The Missouri Times

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HOT LIST SOFTBALL

Shoutout to Dallas Ernst, the 2019 injured player of the year. Despite a sprain off the field, he played the remainder of the tournament, which his team, led by Senate Pro Tem David Schatz, ultimately won.

SEERSUCKER

April 17 is Seersucker Wednesday in the Senate.

CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS

Conservative or not, you have to recognize the influence the respective caucuses of each chambers have had this session. The House Conservative Caucus had their first press conference, endorsing Title IX reform, last week.

MISSOURI BOURBON Missouri corn, Missouri barrels,

the House has approved the bourbon bill.

100 LIST

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Rep. Derek Grier @DerekGrier Apr 9 Capital Cruisin with my buds @phlchristo @cody4mo #MOLeg photo cred to @4LastingChange

Tweets of the Week Highlights in 280 characters or less.

Aly Gatwood @alygat19 Who’s in pain today? #moleg

The print magazine is out - if you didn’t get it, you can read the full 100 List online at the Missouri Times! The digital copy is at the bottom of each of the 100 List

Tony Luetkemeyer @TonyForMissouri Congrats to @DaveSchatz26 and the Big Schatz! #Winning! #MoLeg

categories (Institutions, Forces, Playmakers, Navigators, and Lifesavers). As always, it was an honor to print such

Charlie Hinderliter @cmhinderliter “Reporter” seems like a bit of a stretch in describing the author of the site. #moleg

a talked about production.

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The Missouri Times

LEGISLATURE

House Conservative Caucus backs changes to Title IX Alisha Shurr The 40 lawmakers that make up the House Conservative Caucus have endorsed a measure altering how colleges handle sexual assault and misconduct investigations.

“Due process is a constitutionally guaranteed right. Just because someone goes to school doesn’t mean you dismiss your constitutional rights,” Caucus Co-Chairman Justin Hill told the Missouri Times. “So, we felt that was very appealing to the conservative cause. This is the first time we have come together and taken a stance on something and I think it is a very just cause.”

The measure the Republican representatives are backing is HB 573, sponsored by Rep. Dean Dohrman. The bill provides students in higher education due process protections and allows students who have received a disciplinary action in a Title IX case to appeal to the Administrative Hearing Commission.

It is the first bill the House

Conservative Caucus has publicly endorsed, though Caucus Co-Chairman Jered Taylor added that it probably isn’t the last time they take a stance on an issue.

“Everyone in the Conservative Caucus takes sexual harassment and assault very seriously,” said Dohrman.

“However, we also understand for justice to be achieved, a just process must be in place.”

Dohrman said they had a lot of discussion with multiple stakeholders include colleges, universities, lawyers, victims, students, and partners.

Those conversations spurred improvements to the legislation.

During the committee process, Dohrman’s legislation underwent roughly 2 dozen changes.

As amended, the measure still brings a level of uniformity to how cases are handled across the state, gives those involved in cases an outside appeals option with the Administrative Hearing Commission, and requires

all relevant information be included in the findings.

Added into the bill were rape-shield protections, a uniformed evidentiary standard across all investigations, a requirement a record be kept of all proceedings, and a provision closing all related proceedings at the Administrative Hearing Commission.

Conversations with stakeholders have continued, with Dohrman mention they are working on an amendment for religious school exemptions.

“We have kept the substance of due process but the procedural aspects, I think, are much more conformed the college campus atmosphere of what we are trying to achieve,” said Dohrman. “HB 573 ensures victims of sexual misconduct will have to turn in their time of need, that the accused have a right to have their story heard, and everyone has the ability to appeal if they believe the process has gone awry.”

REPUBLICANS SPAR OVER TRANSPORTATION BONDING BILL Kaitlyn Schallhorn Sen. Bill Eigel briefly took over the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon to block the body from taking up a transportation bonding bill — all while decrying the concurrent resolution.

Eigel, Sen. Bob Onder, and the Conservative Caucus emerged as the fiercest critics of the resolution and — quite literally — stood in the way of taking it up initially. Republicans remained at loggerheads over the infrastructure proposal that would borrow $351 million for several hours until early Wednesday morning with no action actually taken.

The resolution — with a tweak added to it — authorized a seven-year bond plan with $70 million less in interest than originally planned. It is sponsored by Sen. Dave Schatz and has been backed by Gov. Mike Parson.

“The bond will be put to good use, repairing 250 failing bridges,” Schatz said.

“Constitutionality is the first concern I have. And from a fiscal policy standpoint,

we’re getting away from a balanced budget,” Eigel said while sparring with Schatz on the floor, pointing to a difference between the federal government’s spending and Missouri’s obligation to “not spend more than what we bring in.”

Schatz pushed back against critics of the costliness of the project, maintaining the resolution creates a “reasonable amount of debt” especially given the project’s “long term benefit” of accelerating projects and fixing infrastructure.

“I don’t think taking on some debt is irresponsible,” he said. He declined to answer just what level of debt would be too much for the state when pressed by Eigel.

“Given the circumstances though…

I truly believe it’s not an unreasonable ask. I think it’s worthy of us going down this path — and that’s just a difference of opinion,” Schatz said.

Democratic Sen. Jamilah Nasheed castigated the GOP infighting, saying “Republicans [have] gone wild.”

“Still to this day, I don’t understand the Republican philosophy in the state of Missouri because they always say they want to reduce taxes but then they increase taxes,” Nasheed said. “We have to be able to roll up our sleeves, come up with a comprehensive solution, and do what the departments will not in the next three to four years.”

“This is not a Democrat-Republican fight. You all are fighting amongst yourselves and can’t keep it together when it comes to infrastructure,” she said.

Parson requested a $351 million bond earlier this year to expedite the repair or replacement of the 250 Missouri bridges needing to be tended. He defended borrowing such a significant amount of money to facilitate the creation of jobs and fix the state’s infrastructure for at least several decades.

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House okays concealed carry on college campuses Alisha Shurr The Missouri House gave their stamp of approval to a bill allowing those with concealed carry permits to take a firearm onto college campuses.

The provision, which was a part of a large campus protection bill, was sent to the Senate in a 98-52 vote.

In its original form, HB 575, filed by Rep. Dean Dohrman, authorizes colleges and universities to designate faculty or staff members as campus protection officers.

Amendments added during the perfection process included optouts for campus health care and limitations for on-campus living requirements.

Rep. Jered Taylor’s amendment allowing those with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on campus drew the most debate during perfection.

“You should be able to defend yourself,” said Taylor. “How dare we say they can’t protect themselves in these situations.”

He argued that guns can be a deterrent to those wishing to harm others on campus and that it will ultimately make campuses safer by eliminating “gun-free zones.”

Another supporter pointed to Kansas as an example of the success of firearms on campuses. The lawmaker noted that we Kansas enacted the law, assaults on college campuses decreased.

“If somebody tries to assault me,

they’re in big trouble,” said Rep. Dottie Bailey. “I would just not take it and not defend myself.”

There was still pushback on the provision.

“We have to quit these superhero stories, that I have my gun and now I am untouchable,” said Rep. Wiley Price.

“Good guy with a gun is so often a myth,” said Rep. Peter Merideth.

Opponents argued that guns on campus will actually make them more dangerous and that students, parents, and employees do not want them there.

One lawmaker pointed out that the bill removes the requirement for private school officials to okay firearms on campuses. The representative said that allows anyone to bring a firearm to a private school at any time.

Other provisions in the bill include a prohibition on college from requiring on campus house unless for first-time freshmen during their first year, allowing students who show proof of health insurance coverage to be excused from paying health care fees imposed by a public institute of higher education, and any individual seeking designation as a campus protection officer must submit a certificate of completion from a campus protection officer training program approved by the Department of Public Safety.

“You should be able to defend yourself. How dare we say they can’t protect themselves in these

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The Missouri Times

SPOTLIGHT: INTERNET SALES TAX EGGLESTON PROPOSES INTERNET SALES TAX, REDUCING INCOME TAX IN ‘REVENUE NEUTRAL’ BILL Alisha Shurr Rep. J. Eggleston believes he has found the middle ground between increasing the burden on Missouri citizens and helping businesses compete with out-ofstate online retailers.

The Republican lawmaker’s bill, HB 548, would reduce the top income tax rate by 0.14 percent on January 1, 2020, while implementing a 4.225 percent sales tax on internet transactions for businesses that meet the minimum threshold.

“The goal is to help our brick and mortar stores — from the big box stores all the way down to the mom-andpop stores on Main Street — to better compete with their out-of-state internet counterparts without it being a fiscal drain to Missourians and without it being a big fiscal note or any decrease to revenue to both state and local government,” said Eggleston.

The measure was taken up and perfected by the Missouri House on Tuesday afternoon. In a 78-72 roll call vote, the measure gained initial approval by the body. HB 548 needs another vote, with 82 lawmakers voting in favor, to be sent to the Senate.

States collecting internet sale taxes from out-of-state retailers has been a much-debated issue in recent years. The legality of the issue was ruled on by the United States Supreme Court in June 2018. In South Dakota v. Wayfair, the nation’s high court determined that states could impose a tax on goods purchased from out-of-state sellers, even if the seller does not have a physical presence in the taxing state.

More than half of the states in America have implemented some sort of internet sales tax. There are several proposals making their way through the Missouri General Assembly which would implement some version of internet sales tax in the Show-Me State.

“For too long, Missouri has given out-of-state businesses a competitive advantage over our local mom and pop stores,” Amy Blouin, President & CEO of the Missouri Budget Project, said earlier

this month. “And our communities have been missing out on much-needed resources to support the public services that help Missourians thrive.”

Under Eggleston’s proposal, sellers exceeding $100,000 in revenue from delivery of tangible personal property into Missouri or those with 200 or more transitions of tangible personal property into Missouri would remit 4.225 percent sales tax. The bill has no requirement for local tax remittance, only state.

Instituting an online sales tax in Missouri has gotten support from groups such as the Missouri Retailers Association, the Missouri Grocers Association, the Missouri Tire Industry Association, the Associated Industries of Missouri, and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Ray McCarty from the Associated Industries of Missouri said they support internet sales tax in general but noted a few changes could improve the measure.

For example, the 200 transaction standard could be problematic if a business is selling 250 items for $1.

But the measure received bipartisan pushback on the House floor, with opponents arguing it was just a tax increase on citizens. Rep. Maria Chappell Nadal argued an internet sales tax will put a strain on individuals on a fixed income.

Eggleston countered the argument, noting that the bill would also reduce income tax rates as way not to increase the overall tax burden on Missourians.

“We have started it off with estimates from experts who think they know how much more we will get from the internet, so we have modeled the income tax cut to mirror that,” said Eggleston. “It should be revenue neutral. But if it is off, we have a mechanism in the bill for two years after it passes to adjust those income tax rates, higher or lower, depending on if the internet sales tax generates more or less than the estimate.”

In an effort to be revenue neutral, the measure reduces the top income tax rate

by an additional 0.14 percent on January 1, 2020. For the next two years, the tax rate will be adjusted, either up or down, based on sales tax revenue received. For every $40 million remitted more than a 4 percent increase in sales tax from the previous year, income taxes will be reduced by 0.05 percent. For every $40 million of sales tax received fails to equal a 4 percent increase from the previous year, incomes taxes will be increased by 0.05 percent.

The income tax cut provision has drawn some scrutiny from those who argue that the numbers don’t accurately reflect estimates for internet sales tax revenue. The Missouri Budget project completed an analysis of the bill which, not taking into account the correcting mechanism, projected a net loss of $74.23 million to general revenue.

“HB 548 would make Missouri’s tax structure more unfair, shortchange education funding, and jeopardize the resources our communities need to prosper. Instead of a bill like HB 548, with more special interest tax giveaways that Missouri can’t afford, Missourians need the legislature to enact a straightforward Wayfair Fix that would help stabilize the budget and level the playing field for local businesses without making our state’s revenue even more volatile,” said Blouin. “It’s past time for Missouri to enact a straight-forward Wayfair Fix to stabilize the budget, level the playing field for Missouri businesses, and help our communities prosper, but HB 548 doesn’t do that.”

In a committee hearing, the Missouri Budget Project, the American Association of Retired Persons, the Missouri National Education Association, and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City testified in opposition.

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Republican senators join together in push for internet tax Kaitlyn Schallhorn With the second half of the legislative session underway, a couple of Republican senators are determined to progress legislation establishing an internet sales tax before May. Sen. Sandy Crawford’s bill — which she calls “still a work in progress” — would enforce a use tax for online purchases with the help of the Department of Revenue (DOR) or a Certified Service Provider (CSP). Working with outside groups and Senate colleagues, Crawford said she chose to push for a use tax as opposed to a sales tax to counter what she contends is an unfair advantage online marketplaces have over brickand-mortar stores in Missouri.

The Missouri DOR classifies a sales tax as imposable on retail sales of tangible property and certain services. On the other hand, a use tax is defined by the DOR as imposed directly on the storage, use, or consumption of the property in the state.

It is not applicable if the item is purchased at a Missouri retailer and otherwise subjected to the state’s sales tax.

“I think it’s especially important for our brick and mortar businesses across the state,” Crawford told The Missouri Times. “They’re at an unfair advantage.

If you order something online, you don’t pay sales tax on it for the most part (there are some exceptions). It’s not really fair [and] it just puts them at an unfair advantage.”

Crawford said she’s worked with fellow Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig on her SB 189 — although she’s content if it’s not her bill with her name that ultimately passes through the legislature. Koenig, too, has worked this legislative session on bills pertaining to an internet tax.

Koenig’s plan — SB 46 — would

collect the revenue from internet sales and use it to cut income taxes — which he referred to as “the most destructive tax known to man.”

“The reality is, all these taxes are owed today, and we’re in a situation where we have millions of Missourians who are breaking our tax code because theoretically, they’d have to remit that sales tax or use tax on their own and virtually nobody does,” Koenig told The Missouri Times. “That’s a clear problem in the law. It’s bad to have millions of Missourians breaking Missouri’s tax law on a daily basis.”

“One way to fix this is to require the marketplace facilitators to begin collecting the tax through the use tax,” he continued.

“We’d take that revenue that we would get and cut the income tax with it.”

So far, 30 states nationwide collect internet sales tax, according to recent data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Crawford maintained “everyone is pretty engaged” in trying to come up with a legislative plan that will make it over the finish line.

“We are closer than we ever have been to getting this passed and agreeing on language,” she said.

SB 46 sits on the Senate’s informal perfection calendar; SB 189 is on the formal calendar for perfection.

In the House, Rep. J. Eggleston’s bill pertaining to an internet sales tax was perfected Tuesday afternoon. It requires one more vote before it can head to the Senate.

Eggleston’s bill would reduce the top income tax rate by 0.14 percent while implementing a 4.225 percent sales tax on internet transactions for businesses that meet the minimum threshold.on a daily basis.”

“It’s especially important for our brick and mortar businesses across the state,” Sen. Crawford said.

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Lawmakers SCHATZ FORGES push for a COMPROMISE ON local vote on HIGHWAY FUNDING St. Louis CityCounty merger Kaitlyn Schallhorn

Kaitlyn Schallhorn

As the St. Louis City and County merger debate wages on, lawmakers are scrambling to ensure those impacted would have more control over the government change.

State Rep. Dean Plocher’s HJR 54 would require two votes for a merger to happen: an initial statewide vote and another with just the city and counties impacted. The resolution passed out of the House General Laws Committee Monday afternoon.

Plocher, a Republican, said the discussion regarding the potential merger and Better Together’s plan is an important discussion to have but wants to ensure those impacted by a change would have more control.

“To affect that plan and implement it, the voters of St. Louis City and St. Louis County must both individually acquiesce to such a merger because it directly affects us. It is directly dictating what kind of government we will live under,” Plocher told The Missouri Times. “We should be directly responsible for the government we live under and not let [just] the state of Missouri decide.”

State Rep. Bruce DeGroot, too, has expressed concerns with how a merger would be decided and supports legislation that would require that second vote — contending he doesn’t believe those constituents would vote for the merger.

“I think it’s fundamentally fair to have the people that are affected by it have the final say on whether or not they should be forced to join together,” DeGroot told The Missouri Times.

Instead of focusing on the merger, DeGroot said lawmakers should be fixated on the region’s financial issues.

“I think the St. Louis region has a lot of other problems that, in my opinion,

are more pressing, like the roads and the bridges,” he said. “Currently the St. Louis region contributes $600 million to the [Missouri Department of Transportation] pot and we only get about $300 million of it back. We are yanking $300 million out of the St. Louis region every year … and it’s starting to have an effect.”

“I suspect if we didn’t have the MDOT issue, if we didn’t have other funding mechanisms which are designed to yank wealth out of the St. Louis region and redistribute it to the rural areas of the state, we wouldn’t have to worry about Better Together,” DeGroot added. “I’d rather focus on those means of fixing the St. Louis problem.”

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a Democrat, has introduced a similar resolution in the Senate stating if a constitutional amendment changes the form of government for at least one county, that change could only go into effect if a majority of voters in each affected area votes in favor of the change.

“This resolution is about ensuring the voices of St. Louis City and St. Louis County are heard loud and clear throughout the consolidation conversation,” Nasheed said in a statement. “If there is going to be a statewide vote on consolidating city and county governments, I want those residents to be the deciding factor. We cannot allow the state to impose its will on the City of St. Louis against our wishes.”

Those in favor of the merger — specifically Better Together’s proposal — argue for a constitutional amendment to create a new “metropolitan city” combining St. Louis City, County and all 88 county municipalities under a unified government.

Sparring factions on a massive transportation bonding bill seemed to come to at least a partial compromise Thursday afternoon — pushing one of Gov. Mike Parson’s administrative priorities a step forward.

The Senate advanced a tweaked version of Sen. Dave Schatz’s massive bonding resolutionto the Fiscal Oversight Committee where it will need to survive a vote before the resolution can officially pass.

The compromised version creates $301 million in bonds to be paid back over seven years to expedite repair or replacement for 250 bridges in Missouri and is contingent upon the Missouri Department of Transportation receiving

in the coming months and years on this particular issue.”

“The bonding compromise is something we’re all very proud of.”

Eigel and Sen. Bob Onder, who also held court during the filibuster earlier this week, both expressed a preference for the House “pay as you go” plan which would allocate $100 million from the general revenue with the intention of securing additional funding in future years.

Onder declined to say if he would vote for the compromised resolution but said the contingency portion of the proposal has “certainly reduced [his] opposition.”

“If we are going to bond in order to make Missouri more competitive in the INFRA grant competition, then having the bonding triggered by successful award of those federal funds — that approach makes sense,” Onder said in an interview with The Missouri Times.

“What we all agree on is that Missouri has great transportation infrastructure needs, and we need to do something to address those needs,” he said. “I hope MoDOT will prevail in the INFRA grant competition.”

Schatz said he “remains hopeful” the resolution will pass out of Fiscal Oversight Monday and head back to the Senate floor for final passage next week, especially with the “progress” made on the compromise.

“The bonding compromise is something we’re all very proud of,” Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden told reporters Thursday afternoon. “Kudos to Sen. Schatz and a host of characters for working together on that.” https://themissouritimes.com/59613/ republicans-spar-over-transportationbonding-bill-overnight/ When it comes to getting House support, Rowden noted he’s had many conversations with leadership and said he believes it’s “where it needs to be to get this thing across the finish line.”

Parson requested a $351 million bond earlier this yearto expedite fixing the

“This is the result of extensive conversation with several senators, and I want to thank them for working with us on this,” Schatz said Thursday. a highly competitive federal grant. It would cost about $46 million per year but includes an additional $50 million allocated from the general revenue to “jump start” the projects.

“This is the result of extensive conversation with several senators, and I want to thank them for working with us on this,” Schatz, the president pro tem, said Thursday.

Although the bill was allowed to advance, conservative senators — who were largely responsible for the overnight filibusterof the proposal, lasting from Tuesday afternoon until early Wednesday morning — still expressed displeasure with the resolution despite the changes.

Sen. Bill Eigel, in particular, said he most likely will still not vote for the resolution.

“As it stands right now, I would reject this resolution on the grounds of constitutional and policy-wise,” Eigel told The Missouri Times, adding: “It’s safe to say we didn’t get everything we want; there’s still more work to be done on this

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hundreds of Missouri bridges needing to be tended. He defended borrowing such a significant amount of money to facilitate the creation of jobs and fix the state’s infrastructure for at least several decades.

“I appreciate the collaborative efforts by the Senate and the House on this shared priority and am encouraged by the important step taken today to get an infrastructure plan on my desk this session,” Parson said in a statement.

“While our preference would be for an approach that does not put the fate of long overdue bridge repairs in the hands of Washington D.C., we certainly understand that any proposed plan requires compromise to reach a workable solution.”

As senators deliberated the proposal this week — particularly between the filibuster and Thursday’s reading — MoDOT officials, House members, and Parson engaged in the discussions as well, Schatz said.

“What we all agree on is that Missouri has great transportation infrastructure needs, and we need to do something to address those needs.”

“The governor has done a fantastic job of highlighting this issue and bringing this issue to the forefront,” Eigel said, noting he had a “productive” conversation with Parson on Wednesday. “We were unable to get to this conversation before Mike Parson became governor. I appreciate his efforts, and we’re going to continue to work with the governor for longer-term solutions.”

“I’ve never disagreed with the governor that transportation was an important issue. … It was just a matter of how we got there,” Eigel said.

Democratic Rep. Kip Kendrick, the ranking minority member on the House Budget Committee, said he has”very real concerns” regarding the bonding bill, particularly with the amount of general revenue money tacked on and potential detriment to education funding as the bonds would become a top priority to repay. However, he said he’s not fully opposed to the Senate proposal.

“I see a very real scenario where there will be a downturn, and in order to pay that debt back, you’re going to be cutting into K-12 education,” Kendrick told reporters.

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The Missouri Times

MISSOURI ONE START PROGRAM, A GOVERNOR PRIORITY, GIVEN INITIAL SENATE APPROVAL

Stagnant revenue collections for FY 19 could have greater impact on FY 2020

Alisha Shurr

Alisha Shurr

The Missouri Senate has given initial approval to a proposal merging the state’s workforce training incentives, one of the Governor’s priorities.

Sen. Wayne Wallingford’s SB 184has been referred to fiscal review, receiving widespread support in the Senate — it received unanimous consent in committee and no one spoke against the bill on the floor.

“In Missouri, we need a plan to simplify the state’s workforce training incentives into one easy system. This does that,” Wallingford said during perfection.

The measure was unveiled by Gov. Mike Parsonin January as part of his focus on workforce development priority. In his budget recommendation, Parson proposed a $10 million increase to Missouri One Start — consolidation of the Missouri Works program.

Wallingford’s bill is aimed at addressing the widening skilled labor force gap and attracting businesses to the state.

“Missouri is falling behind in attracting businesses...we need to do what is necessary to train and retrain for the jobs of today. There is a lot of workforce challenges out there and SB 184 helps solve that,” said Wallingford.

The proposal renames the Missouri Works Training Program as the Missouri One Start Program. The Department of Economic Development would have the ability to require a business to repay all benefits if they fail to maintain the new or

retained jobs within five years of approval of benefits or if such business leaves the state within five years of approval of benefits.

It also requires the Department of Economic Development to consider such factors as the potential number of new jobs to be created, the amount of new capital investment in new facilities and equipment, the significance of state benefits to the qualified company’s decision to locate or expand in Missouri, the economic need of the affected community, and the importance of the qualified company to the economic development of the state.

“Part of the reason we do everything we do on economic development front is to attract business which attracts people, which grows population, which provides new resources for our economy and the state,” said Floor Majority Leader Sen. Caleb Rowden. “I think the bill Sen. Wallingford passed and the other workforce initiatives the governor is pushing helps us do that. It is all connected.”

Another one of Parson’s workforce development priorities, the Fast-Track grant program, moved another step forward in the progress on Wednesday.

The Senate Education Committee vote out Rep. Kathy Swan’s HB 225. The Senate version of the adult scholarship program stalled during the perfection debate and currently sits on the Senate informal perfection calendar.

House approvals of changes to industrial hemp law Alisha Shurr The Missouri statute legalizing industrial hemp has been in effect for roughly half a year, and the statehouse has already approved alterations to the law.

The reason for the changes, according to the bill sponsor, is quite simple: federal law has changed since the General Assembly approved the Missouri law.

“We need to update our language to meet the standards from the 2018 Farm Bill,” said Rick Francis, who filed HB 824.

What Francis did was lay the two laws side-by-side and denoted where Missouri statute was out of compliance with federal law. The House approved the necessary changes on Thursday with a 148-5 vote.

In 2018, the Missouri General Assembly authorized a pilot program in Missouri for hemp — as outlined in the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill. Farmers are

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Even if state revenues do not grow for the current fiscal year, budget hawks say the budget, as signed, is still in good shape. But stagnant collections could have an impact on the budget currently under construction in the Missouri General Assembly.

As it stands, net general revenue collections for 2019 fiscal year-to-date were down 4.3 percent compared to March 2018, from $6.72 billion last year to $6.43 billion this year. Which is an improvement from the 7 percent year-todate decrease for January.

“Revenue collections are always difficult to predict but it looks like the trends are going in the right direction, right now,” said Budget Director Dan Haug. “It is our expectation that it will be in this late-April-early-May period when we would really start making up the revenues, and it looks like we started doing that over the last couple of months,

budget,” said Haug.

Yet, the lagging revenue could have a more reaching implication on future budgets.

The budget is currently under construction by the Missouri Assembly, which has been approved by the House and is now in the hands of the Senate, is based on $9.821 billion in general revenue. The consensus revenue estimate for FY 20 predicts 2 percent growth from the revised 1.7 percent growth for FY 19 based on collections for FY 18.

“If we don’t see any growth, if we see basically flat general revenue collections, it can, and likely will, become a problem for the FY 20 budget,” said Kendrick. “So if we don’t hit that 1.7 percent growth [for FY 19] it very likely means our FY 20 budget will be out of balance unless we see substantial growth beyond the 2 percent we project.”

Haug noted that they are always cautious about how they look at the next year’s budget.

He pointed out that Gov. Mike Parson’s recommendations didn’t spend every last penny, keeping roughly $116 million unspent, and it fully funded the supplemental.

“We are always cautious when we look at the budget, particularly that far out, but right now I feel like conservative leadership of Governor Parson on the budget, we are in better shape than I have seen us in a long time to deal with revenues if they don’t come in,” said Haug.

Fluctuating revenues is not uncommon for Missouri nor is slower growth years following large growth year, particularly look at recent years.

For FY 2013, general revenue collections increased 10.1 percent, far above the original 3.9 percent estimate.

The following year, general revenue collections decrease by 1 percent. FY 15 saw 8.8 percent growth, doubling the original 4.2 percent projection. The following year, collections grew 0.9 percent, far below the revised estimate of 3.2 percent.

“Throughout history, and even in the last 10 years, that has happened quite a few times” where large growth years were followed by small growth years, noted Haug.

“Everybody is always concerned about state revenues regardless of what they’re doing — There have been times when we have had really strong years and people

“...we are in better shape than I have seen us in a long time to deal with revenues if they don’t come in,” said Haug. and particularly the last week or two.

I think the trends are going in a good direction for us.”

“We are continuing to trend in the right direction,” said Rep. Kip Kendrick, ranking member of the House Budget Committee. “I remain cautiously optimistic, a little less optimistic than I was a few months ago but still cautiously optimistic that we are going to, I don’t think we will hit our census revenue estimate which was 1.7 percent growth [from FY 18] but that it will be closer to zero and maybe a little bit in the positive.”

But even if the state does not hit the consensus revenue estimate for FY 19, there could still be enough collections to meet the obligations laid out in the budget.

How? Because the FY 19 budget is based off the original consensus revenue estimate of $9.418 billion and the state collected $9.47 billion for FY 2018, a 5 percent growth from the previous year and far above the estimate.

“We always want to meet our growth projections, certainly that makes life easier. But because FY 18 was so good, revenues can actually decline by half a percent and that will still provide us enough funds to fully fund the FY 19

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were concerned because they didn’t know why we were having such a strong year. I think we should always be cautious about revenue and be cognizant that there could be factors that we are not thinking about at any given time that are having an impact on state revenue,” said State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick.

It is also hard to compare month-tomonth data, year-from-year because of the variety of factors that play into net revenue numbers. For example, in 2018, the state paid back refunds quicker than in 2017 and the state paid out tax credits in a different month than 2017, all of which plays into monthly revenue figures, according to Kendrick.

Kendrick noted there is always fluctuation with incoming revenues, whether due to structural changes or the economy. For FY 19, there is a multitude of factors to consider, he added.

Missouri has made multiple changes to the tax structure, and rate, in the state — in fact, the FY 18 growth triggered another tax cut from SB 509. But the biggest factor was the federal tax cuts passed in December 2017.

“The Federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act was a major overhaul of the tax system.

It had a dramatic change in how taxes are collected as well as withholding tables,” said Kendrick. “It really changed the system so much that people who didn’t make updates to their W-4s saw potentially significant swings in what was being withheld.”

The change away from itemized deductions to the standard deduction has been pointed as part of the cause for under-withholding in Missouri.

Those who kept the same deductions, or intentionally over-withheld, were seeing less paid to the state per paycheck which will likely result in a small refund or larger bill.

The larger tax bill was dubbed an “April Surprise” by Rep. Robert Ross, who is chairing the special committee looking into the revenue issue. It is part of the reason officials are looking so closely to April 15 to get a better sense of FY 19 funds.

“I am cautiously optimistic that we will continue on that trajectory and get us closer and closer to that consensus revenue estimate as we get closer to the end of the year,” said Fitzpatrick.

“We are going to continue to monitor revenue collections closely and we will make sure we fulfill our constitutional duty to have a balanced budget at the end of the year,” said Haug. “We are prepared to take action as needed to make sure the FY 19 budget is balanced.”

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SOFTBALL 2019

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SOFTBALL 2019

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OPINION

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The Missouri Times

Missouri Conservatives Should Unite Behind Campus Due Process

Tim Jones

As Speaker of the House, my colleagues and I spent session after session combatting bad policies from the Obama Administration.

We fought against Obamacare, efforts to infringe on our 2nd Amendment rights, countless affronts to job creators and battled for the right to life. Time after time, we stood up for the rights of Missourians. Now, the Missouri legislature is fighting yet another, awful vestige of the Obama Administration. The campus due process bills before the Missouri General Assembly would protect students’ rights at our public and private universities from Obama era policies that denied those rights.

As expected, leftwing editorial boards have partnered with liberal colleges and universities to fight these common-sense campus due process reforms. They have called for delay. They have outright lied about the measures. They have questioned motives. And they have attacked due process supporters.

Why? They know they are wrong. These bills would restore due process rights that the Obama

Administration denied students.

Under the Obama guidance, students on public and private college campuses have been denied the right to effective legal counsel, the right to view evidence, know the accusations against them or even cross-examine witnesses.

These protections are fundamental to our country and our legal system and have been enshrined in the US Constitution since our nation’s founding. But because of the reckless guidance from the Obama Administration, these campuses continue this unconscionable practice.

Now, as Missouri’s legislature considers reversing these dangerous policies, and following the lead of the Trump Administration, colleges and universities are throwing a fit. These schools “claim” they will follow the Trump Administration rules but, so far, they have largely ignored the Trump Administration’s guidance instead continuing to follow Obama-era rules. The Missouri legislature, who appropriates millions of dollars each year to public and

private universities, must send a message that student rights must be protected and respected.

The Missouri legislature should not be fooled by the campaign of delay, distract and deceive. These liberal campuses will never restore due process rights until and unless the legislature acts. If they will not follow the guidance from the Trump White House, they will not follow the rules whenever they are finalized. Do not allow liberal campus bureaucracies to wait out the Trump Administration in their continued effort to deny Constitutional rights of due process.

Students’ rights should not be denied simply because they enter a public or private college campus.

Our rights extend wherever we are in our nation, yes, even on college and university campuses. It is time to restore the Constitutional, due process rights of college and university students, wherever they may be pursuing their educational degrees in our United States of America.

Tax Cheats Hurt Taxpayers and Honest Workers Al Bond

Each year as April 15 approaches, I’m reminded of the phrase, “The only certainties in life are death and taxes.” In the construction industry, however, the latter isn’t always true.

The construction industry has the dubious distinction of being a leading contributor to lost tax revenue because workers are often illegally paid off the books or intentionally misclassified as independent contractors.

Put those two together, and the IRS estimates they equate to more than $2.6 billion in lost federal tax dollars each year from the construction industry alone.

Make no mistake: This is intentional.

Corrupt contractors pay workers off the books in order to dodge state, local and federal taxes so they can illegally lower their labor costs and underbid law-abiding competitors. If a contractor is already breaking the law to avoid paying their

fair share of taxes, that should serve as a red flag that they may be operating outside the law in other aspects of their business, too.

Construction projects have predictable material costs.

We can estimate closely how much materials for a certain build project will be. So when a bid comes in significantly lower, it means they’re cutting costs among their workforce.

This hurts workers and their

families.

In fact, according to a 2014 study in California, misclassified workers make only 64 cents for every dollar payroll employees earn. For workers paid off the books, it’s even worse. On average, they make little more than half of what payroll employees earn.

Others aren’t even paid at all.

When contractors cheat the system and don’t pay taxes, it hurts us all: workers, honest business owners and everyday citizens. Misclassified workers are denied benefits like health insurance, unemployment, workers’ compensation protections and employer tax contributions.

By cheating on their taxes, some contractors rob us of funding for programs that could help veterans, rebuild our infrastructure, fund our schools and put more police on the streets.

Instead, tax-paying citizens are asked again and again to make up the difference

with tax increases and bond issues—letting the cheaters off the hook. If the state was collecting the money it’s already owed, Missouri taxpayers wouldn’t have been asked to raise the gas tax in November 2018, and we could fix our failing bridges and crumbling roads.

What can you do to help? Utilize and promote honest contractors and their employees. We’re proud of our contractor partners who play by the rules and pay their fair share—ensuring their employees are classified properly and by paying the taxes that fund important government programs and investment.

Support fair competition in bidding and report violations to the Missouri Department of Labor. You can find the reporting form here: labor. mo.gov/offthebooks.

Visit StopTaxFraud. net or on social media @ StopTaxFraud to learn more.

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OBSERVATIONS ON THE SENATE’S CHARTER SCHOOL DEBATE

Sen. Mike Cunningham

There is a tradition in the Missouri Senate that every senator will be heard.

We are reminded of this as we look around the Senate chamber and see the words inscribed in marble, “Free and fair discussion is the firmest friend of truth.”

Discussion may be the friend of truth, but it sometimes contributes to a lack of sleep. That was the case this week, as the Senate debated the expansion of charter schools late into the night. Senate Bill 292 was brought up for perfection early Tuesday afternoon.

The measure was finally laid on the table at about 1 a.m.

Wednesday, without a final vote.

The charter school concept is probably new to most people living in rural Missouri. Currently, Missouri law only allows these independent public schools in the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City. Charter schools came about as traditional public schools in the metropolitan areas lost statewide accreditation and parents sought alternatives to failing schools.

Although public school districts can apply to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to form a charter school, typically these institutions are sponsored by a university or community college.

They are considered public schools, however. They receive taxpayer funding and admission is open to any student, though often there are waiting lists and lotteries for admission.

Currently, about 25,000 students attend classes at 65 charter schools in St. Louis and Kansas City. The legislation debated this week would permit the formation of charter schools in some cities with populations as small as 30,000 people.

School choice is a popular topic for a number of members of the Missouri Senate. Each year, we consider legislation to provide more education

options for parents. This year is no exception. In addition to the charter schools bill, there is also a measure that would create education savings accounts and allow parents to set aside pre-tax money to pay for private school tuition.

Opponents of these proposals are every bit as determined as their advocates.

School choice is a controversial issue, and neither side seems willing to budge much.

Senators who filibustered the charter schools bill argued against siphoning money away from existing public schools. They also pointed to past failures of charter schools as evidence of a flawed concept. Proponents of charter schools touted high academic achievement and parental satisfaction with these alternative institutions.

Clearly, a case can be made either way.

I did not participate in the marathon debate earlier this week, though I listened as each side stated its case.

I certainly understand how charter schools could address failing schools in big cities. I’m not sure that expanding them to rural areas is practical, however.

Is there enough support in a small town to justify an entirely separate school?

How would rural and small towns schools suffer if per-pupil funding is diverted to charter schools?

My position on this issue is simple: I support our schools. So far, I have not heard a convincing argument that charter schools would work statewide.

Perhaps there is justification for some expansion beyond the current limitations, but it remains to be seen whether we can find the compromise to make that happen.

Judging by the debate I heard in the chamber this week, both sides are firmly entrenched. I’m not sure there’s much common ground to be found.

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The Missouri Times

Flipping the Bird to Science Why are you who you are? It’s the experiences. It’s the good times, the failures, the pain and everything along the way that mold us into who we are. I’ve been blessed with many opportunities in my life. My career journey took me to places I wouldn’t have gone to otherwise.

I’ve worked alongside cattle producers in Egypt trying to be more efficient and modernize the way they feed cattle and water buffalo for beef consumption.

I’ve worked with farmers in Morocco thirsty for knowledge and eager to learn.

I’ve been to a lot of countries that want what we have when it comes to food production. These farmers embrace

technology and desperately want access to it.

I’ve also seen what food insecurity looks like. I’ve watched helplessly as children in Cambodia fought in the middle of the street over a piece of bread. I opened my backpack and grabbed a Snickers to give to a little girl who had blood running down her face from fighting. My host grabbed me aggressively. He told me to let the girl be or they would kill her for that candy bar.

I walked away.

Most of us don’t know what hunger feels like. We are blessed to have the most productive agricultural network

GREATER SERVICE RELIABILITY PROJECTS UNDERWAY Warren Wood Last year around this same time, the Missouri legislature took a major step forward for our state when they overwhelmingly passed a new, bipartisan energy law. This new law, which went into effect last August is helping to secure Missouri’s energy future and transform our state’s aging energy infrastructure into a smart, secure and stable grid, and supports more clean energy generation.

More than 85% of legislators supported the bill, and Ameren Missouri customers are already reaping the benefits of this law, including an expedited rate cut of 6.1%.

The centerpiece of this landmark legislation was consumer protections and oversight, including the aforementioned rate cut, a rate freeze on electric base rates until April 2020, and for the first time ever, a cap on future rate increases until at least 2023. Overall Ameren Missouri’s residential, commercial and industrial customer rates are 18% below the U.S average and 13% below the Midwest average, per most recent report from the Edison Electric Institute.

With these new customer protections in place, it promotes Missouri as a state that continues to offer competitive energy rates for not only current customers, but for those businesses looking to expand or relocate to Missouri.

In August 2018, Ameren Missouri kicked-off our Smart Energy Plan to implement the customer benefits associated with the new law. And in February, we announced the largest energy infrastructure plan in our company’s 100+ year history. An investment plan of $5.3 billion in more than 2,000 infrastructure upgrade projects, in communities across our state, is designed to deliver on promises made

to modernize an aging energy grid, while keeping rates stable and predictable for our customers.

Customers across Ameren Missouri’s service territory will benefit from this Smart Energy Plan. This includes areas that already have strong reliability metrics, compared to the industry standard. Communities such as Dunklin, Pemiscot, Mississippi and Stoddard counties, saw customer reliability improve by 50% since 2010 from infrastructure upgrades. However, Ameren Missouri is pushing to do “even better.” As part of the Smart Energy Plan, we have planned infrastructure upgrades that include more than $8 million for new high capacity substations, new underground cables and smart technology in these four southeast Missouri counties.

This plan comes at a time when Missouri’s critical infrastructure, just like our state’s roads and bridges, are in need of substantial upgrades. A report from the American Society of Civil Engineers recently rated Missouri’s electric infrastructure with a D+, so the Smart Energy Plan is the step in the right direction.

So only one year ago, the discussion was about Missouri’s energy future and how can we all work together to provide customers more stable rates, upgrade the energy grid, introduce new forms of clean energy, boost economic development in local communities and create jobs.

Now we’re happy to say after some great work from legislators, stakeholders, customers and our company, we now have a Smart Energy Plan that will do just that.

in the world because of innovative farm and ranch families. Yet, we have groups like the Missouri Rural Crisis Center who want to roll Missouri agriculture backwards and flip the bird to sound science. They want us to stand still and somehow produce food for the world the same way we farmed decades ago.

They hate progress and expect the next generation to ignore advancements in agriculture and simply buy a mule and a plow.

This hate does more than put farmers out of business. This is about food security. We will need to produce more food in the next 40 years than we have

Mike Deering

in the last 10,000 combined. If our farm and ranch families are going to meet this challenge, we must be innovative and embrace sound science and technology that allow us to do more with less. We need farms and ranches of all sizes and all production methods to meet demands.

Pitting farmer against farmer is a game for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center. It’s dangerous and it needs to stop.

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association is part of a coalition of nearly 30 groups supporting Senate Bill 391.

This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, stops counties from passing scientifically unfounded

rules and regulations more stringent than or inconsistent with the sciencebased regulations promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies. It stops the patchwork of regulations and provides certainty for the next generation of farmers and ranchers responsible for growing and raising food for Missouri and beyond.

Let’s quit gut-punching progress by flipping the bird to science. The erosion of science will mean more empty plates.

Deering is executive vice president of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

Good Neighbor Values Joe Maxwell, Wes Shoemyer

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association clearly proves they lack basic Missouri values and have it all wrong in their “Flipping the Bird to Science” published on this page March 31, 2019.

What every Missourian should know about farmers in this state is there are two very diverse groups. They have polar opposite thoughts about what the face of farming should look like. Senate Bill 391 has nothing to do with science; it has to do with who will make decisions within your community and county.

The first group of Missouri farmers, for which Family Farm Action is proud to be apart, is made up of folks who believe it is their responsibility to be good stewards of what they have under their control. They respect their land, their animals, and their neighbors. They work to ensure the land and the water are in better condition than when they acquired it. They believe you should not have to

cage an animal all its life merely to manage it. They understand their neighbors have property rights just like they do as a farmer. They understand that decisions about issues facing a community are best made within the community.

The second group of farmers include folks like the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. They believe that they have the right to do whatever they want in the name of industrial agriculture: abuse the land, the drinking water, the animals, and their neighbors. They believe their rights are supreme to that of their neighbors. And when rural residents and fellow farmers like those in Callaway County or Lone Jack, Missouri stand up for their rights, The Missouri Cattleman’s and their friends in the legislature attack those rights.

SB 391 strips local communities and counties of the ability to balance the interests of industrial agriculture to con-

struct facilities housing thousands of animals and the rights of local citizens. SB 391 strips local control and gives all the power to the state.

SB 391 flies in the face of the values Family Farm Action believes is central to our way of life. We believe the overwhelming majority of Missourians agree with us.

We call on every farmer, rancher, and citizen to come together around the values of being a good neighbor and help stop SB 391. The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association says Missouri Rural Crisis Center is working to pit farmer against farmer, well they are not, and neither are we. But we will not give up our good neighbor values for a seat at their table.

We stand with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center; we hope you will too in stopping SB 391.

A Missouri value we can all agree on Blake Hurst

Joe Maxwell has weighed in on Missouri values and found large swaths of rural Missouri lacking. Mr. Maxwell is an accomplished and experienced lawyer and advocate, so he surely knows exactly what it is he is saying, and what he is saying isn’t very nice.

Mr. Maxwell accuses his opponents, the vast majority of Missouri farmers, of not respecting their land, their animals, or their neighbors. In other words, of being extraordinarily bad people. This is a serious charge, one made without evidence of any kind. Where are these bad actors? They surely number in the tens of thousands, if the size of the farm organizations who find themselves in disagreement with Mr. Maxwell are any indication.

To hear Mr. Maxwell tell the story, there is a bright moral line dividing Missouri agriculture, one that he and the

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Missouri Rural Crisis Center get to draw.

Interestingly enough, we’ve been running an experiment on both sides of that line for a while now in Missouri, with a patchwork of regulations differing from county to county.

So, the benefits of Mr. Maxwell’s world should be plainly evident for all to see.

Are the counties with County Health Ordinances in a better place than the rest of Missouri? Is their air cleaner, their water purer, their unemployment level less and their property values higher? Are their churches full on Sunday morning while the more benighted counties suffer from a lack of moral values? Are small farms thriving while large commercial operations move elsewhere? Good values should surely result in good things that can be measured. I’d challenge the Missouri Rural Crisis Center and Mr. Maxwell to trumpet their successes and

point out the environmental, economic and social benefits to their values.

Of course they won’t. Senate Bill 391 will make the regulation of agriculture across our state better, and will have the essential Missouri value of fairness, treating all Missouri farmers equally.

That’s a Missouri value we can all agree on.

Oh, and by the way, I’m sure I speak for the Missouri Cattlemen and the other farm organizations in the state when I say that we don’t question the values of our opponents on this issue. We just disagree, and that’s what politics are for. Mr. Maxwell pollutes the political conversation in this state more than any hog farmer does the physical environment, and we all lose when charges like his take the place of reasoned debate.

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CHECK ANY TIME AND SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE CALENDAR IN YOUR EMAIL WEEKLY AT THEMISSOURITIMES.COM/CALENDAR Sent events for included to calendar@themissouritimes.com.

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15 Missouri Music Educators Association Lobby Day 16 Missouri Republican Assembly (MRA) Day at the Capitol 16 Missouri Annual Gun Rights Rally 16 Associated Industries of Missouri Centennial Industry Day 16 A Team Missouri for Sheltered Workshops Lobby Day 16 Missouri Farmers Care Pie and Ice Cream 17 MOFED Lobby Day 17 Youth in Government Lobby Day 17 Mid-Missouri PRSA Lunch & Learn 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

22 Easter Observed 23 Legislature reconvenes – 4:00 p.m.

23 Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation Lobby Day

23 House Crab Boil – Day Solutions Foundation Event/Fundraiser 24 Missouri Electric Cooperative’s Fish Fry Luncheon 24 Missouri REALTORS Capitol Conference – 100 E. High St. Jefferson City 25 Missouri Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day 26 Lafayette County Republican 2019 Lincoln Dinner 29 Standing with Children Luncheon – 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

29 Women in Policy Discussion 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

30 Lake of the Ozarks/ Tri-County Lodging Association Ice Cream Social 30 Concerned Women for America of Missouri (CWA of MO) Day at the Missouri Capitol May 2 National Day of Prayer and Salute to our Military

and Vets – Rotunda – Noon 7 Moms Demand 10 Last day for floor action on appropriations bills 17 Last day of session June 8 Cattlemen’s Steak Fry – State Fairgrounds – Social Hour at 5:00 p.m., Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

July 14 Last Day for Governor to Veto Bills 19 Missouri Soybean Association PAC Golf Tournament – Richmond August 2 Missouri Soybean Association PAC Golf Tournament – Dexter 28 Passed Legislation Goes Into Effect September 25-27 Missouri Insurance Coalition Annual Meeting – Kansas City

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Activity Date Lobbyist Name Status 04/11/2019 Henning, Dane Aaron - L190123 New Registration 04/11/2019 Hammann, Christopher Scott - L190124 New Registration 04/10/2019 McMahon, Tom - L190121 New Registration 04/10/2019 Rabineau, Brian Todd - L190122 New Registration 04/10/2019 Wittenauer, Kurt Spencer - L004101 Terminated 04/09/2019 McBride, Megan - L003806 New Registration 04/09/2019 Kilper, John H. - L190120 New Registration 04/04/2019 Padilla, Julie - L003957 Terminated 04/02/2019 Keller, Robert Gregg L002917 Terminated 04/01/2019 Wagner, Paul D - L000662 New Registration 04/01/2019 Johnson, Laurence - L190117 New Registration 04/01/2019 Brown, Patrick R - L190118 New Registration 04/01/2019 Tipton, Marco A - L190119 New Registration 03/29/2019 Clark, Jacqueline - L002474 Terminated 03/27/2019 Shores, Alice Patricia L190113 New Registration 03/27/2019 Huff , David - L190114 New Registration 03/27/2019 Schaaf, Robert ‘Rob’ Benjamin - L190115 New Registration 03/26/2019 Linton, David - L002968 New Registration 03/25/2019 Sachs, Adam - L001767 New Registration 03/22/2019 Sheppard, Joseph ‘Chip’ D. L190110 New Registration 03/21/2019 Galbraith, Brad - L190112 New Registration 03/18/2019 Scattergood, Virginia ‘Virginia’ Koenig - L190111 New Registration 03/13/2019 DeFlorio, Mary Jo - L003899 Terminated 03/12/2019 Driver, Annette G - L003286 New Registration 03/12/2019 Hall, Tom - L190109 New Registration 03/11/2019 Gill, Molly - L190108 New Registration 03/11/2019 Selby, Laura ‘Page’ - L003759 Terminated 03/11/2019 Franklin, Cecil McKinley - L003964 Terminated 03/11/2019 Bloomfield, Jon - L004268 Terminated 03/10/2019 Lakin, Joe - L190107

New Registration 03/08/2019 Doura, Brianne - L190105 New Registration 03/08/2019 Mustoe, Linda M - L190106 New Registration 03/07/2019 Byrne, Mary - L003591 New Registration 03/06/2019 Dozier, Cheryl Lynne L002004 New Registration 03/06/2019 Call, Calvin W. - L000179 Terminated 03/05/2019 Raffety, Thomas ‘Tom’ L190104 New Registration 03/04/2019 Mikes, James - L003684 Terminated 03/04/2019 Jones-Wisner, Ashley - L004016 Terminated 03/01/2019 Jensen, Scott Richard L190103 New Registration 02/28/2019 Roosa, Bryan - L003603 New Registration 02/28/2019 Gladney, Ronald Craig - L001440 Terminated 02/28/2019 Posey, Jonathan Robert - L190075 Terminated 02/26/2019 Daley, Colleen - L190100 New Registration 02/25/2019 Dickey, Samantha - L190099 New Registration 02/22/2019 Alexander, Brandon L190092 New Registration 02/22/2019 Callicoat, Paul - L190095 New Registration 02/22/2019 Callicoat, Jonathon G.W. L190096 New Registration 02/22/2019 Davis, Douglas W - L190097 New Registration 02/22/2019 Jones, Benjamin W L190098 New Registration 02/22/2019 Epstein, Nicole - L190051 Terminated 02/21/2019 Harrold, Michael D - L002908 New Registration 02/21/2019 Fischer, Marsha - L003599 New Registration 02/21/2019 Callicoat, Wendy Lynn L190093 New Registration 02/21/2019 Huckleberry, Rodney L190094 New Registration 02/19/2019 Coil, Heather Elizabeth L190085 New Registration 02/19/2019 Miget, Allyssa Marie L190089 New Registration 02/19/2019 Burchett, John - L190090 New Registration 02/19/2019 Weaver, Colin - L190091 New Registration 02/18/2019 Walker, Austin - L003724

Former speaker to give Teddy Roosevelt performance this month Rachael Herndon Dunn Jim Kreider, former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and executive director of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association, is putting his Pincenez spectacles back on for a special event later this month at the Missouri River Regional Library in Jefferson City.

“An Evening with Theodore Roosevelt” will be hosted by the Jefferson City library and the Historic City of Jefferson. Kreider will be dressed as Roosevelt with period costume and accessories.

Kreider considers Roosevelt a political mentor and inspiration.

“His desire to lead the strenuous life is the way I have

led mine [by] working hard and getting involved,” Kreider said, adding he read Roosevelt’s “Doer

of Deeds, It Is Not The Critic That Counts” speech every day when he served in the Missouri House.

“I read it every day as inspiration so I could accept the criticism of being in office and

ruling from the Chair during the House debate as Pro Tem,” he said.

Kreider maintains he and Roosevelt are “near matches” in political p h i l o s op h i e s a n d app e ar an c e s .

He first decided to dress up as Roosevelt when people began to point out the two looked alike.

“I purchased a pair of Pincenez glasses, bought a 1990s wool sack suit, an old rough black hat, a pocket watch, and went out into Retired Teacher Land (MRTA) with my act,” he said. “They

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seemed to love it. Now I get asked consistently to perform.

It is a good time and a chance to bring back one of America’s greatest public servants and promote the progressive agenda once again.”

Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States from 1901-1909. He also served as the vice president under President William McKinley, 33rd governor of New York, assistant secretary of the Navy, president of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners, New York State Assembly minority leader, and member of the New York State Assembly – representing Manhattan.

The event will be on Tuesday, April 25 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the MRRL branch downtown at 214 Adams St. in the Art Gallery.

Meet Sallie Hemenway, Nexus Group’s new economic development finance advisor Kaitlyn Schallhorn Sallie Hemenway is bringing her decades of experience with public service — particularly with economic development projects — to the Nexus Group.

Hemenway joins Nexus Group as its economic development finance advisor, the group announced Monday. Previously, Hemenway spent 25 years working for the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), a job she first started during the floods in 1993 to help with community recovery.

Having worked the principals for Nexus Group for several years, Hemenway said she’s most looking forward to working with a slew of its people again.

“My hope is that I can continue to apply what I have learned and assist communities and businesses with development opportunities,”

Hemenway told The Missouri Times.

“If I can help move projects forward or connect the right people in a way that positively impacts a community or region, I will consider it a success.”

Hemenway credits the flood as a “tremendous learning experience” for her to understand “the economic impacts to housing, infrastructure and community fallacies, businesses, and cultural resources at the macrolevel.”

“A disaster really highlights how interconnected these sectors really are and the impacts to the community when one or more of them suffers significant losses,” Hemenway said. “A disaster also highlights perspective. … I learned a lot about the positive impacts that occur when people really lean forward and participate in their community.”

Hemenway said there are very

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few places in Missouri she hasn’t yet visited. At DED, Hemenway managed the division that housed many businesses, community, and redevelopment programs.

“Being at DED during that time period and learning the nuances of the different programs gave me an opportunity to participate in everything from bringing public water to small, rural towns, to working with the generosity of Missouri’s professional sports teams to build houses in Joplin after the tornado, and to working with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency project in St. Louis,” she said.

“I am proud to have been part of all of them.”

When it comes to hurdles Missouri faces pertaining to economic development, Hemenway pointed to a “lack of skilled workforce” and

“broadband in rural Missouri” as well as regional issues.

“Data and analysis show that we have approximately 12 regional economies in the state. Each of those regional economies faces different issues and are offered different opportunities,” she said. “We need to shift the view from the state to the region and allow the resources necessary for communities to work in unison within their region and allow the state to assist in a manner that is tailored to that region.”

Nexus Group said it is approached often regarding project-specific financing strategies in its government relations and lobbying capacity, and Hemenway will “allow us to expand those client services,” it said.

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The Missouri Times

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