This year’s session ends Friday, May 13, at 6 p.m. The last four months have been busy in Jefferson City. Lawmakers tackled a number of high-profile issues, along with approving the annual state budget, which was signed by the governor last week. I was proud to see a number of my sponsored measures cross the legislative finish line this year.
One of the most important bills adds more fairness into our civil judicial system. Senate Bill 591 aligns Missouri’s expert witness rules with the federal model, implementing a principle known as the Daubert Standard, which guarantees that only people who are truly expert witnesses are able to provide expert testimony to juries and judges.
Missouri is only one of 10 states that has not adopted this kind of standard. The bill is a key part of tort reform, which aims to end the alarming number of lawsuits in this state that threaten businesses’ ability to succeed. My bill ensures cases are judged by factual, relevant information delivered by true experts.
The General Assembly approved a measure this year that would implement voter ID requirements in order to cast a ballot. The bill and its companion joint resolution would require a citizen to present a photo ID at the polls, or sign a statement under threat of perjury affirming their identity, to vote. Studies show that around 80 percent of the public supports voter ID measures, and with good reason. Voting is one of our most sacred rights. This will protect the integrity of our elections.
I carried multiple proposals this year to help agriculture, which continues to be Missouri’s No. 1 industry, with an estimated $9 billion economic impact to the state. The global demand for quality produce, and especially beef, makes it important for us to support our farmers and livestock operations as we move into the 21st Century.
Senate Bill 844 protects responsible livestock owners from civil liability if their animals escape through no fault of the owner. This adds fairness into the law and protects responsible livestock owners.
I also carried legislation that renews a number of beneficial tax credit programs for agriculture, including the Qualified Beef Tax Credit, the Agricultural Product Utilization Contributor Tax Credit and the New Generation Cooperative Incentive Tax Credit. Additionally, the act creates the Meat Processing Facility Investment Tax Credit to help processing facilities grow and expand, and limits the revenue received from the AgriMissouri trademark logo to just the cost of running the program.
Another piece of legislation I sponsored to eliminate red tape for family farm corporations. Every year, these farms are required to file an annual registration report, even though the location and ownership rarely, if ever, change. Senate Bill 664 would only make these farms file a report if there’s new information. It cuts down on unnecessary paperwork and lets our farmers focus on what they do best: feeding our state and the world.