The governor has until Thursday, July 14 to take action on bills passed by the Legislature during the 2016 session. As of last week, he had taken action on all the bills I sponsored, choosing to veto several measures I consider important to Missourians.
House Bill 1631, which I handled in the Senate, would implement a photo identification requirement for voters. This year’s bill in the culmination of nearly a decade of working on this issue in the Legislature. Fraud-free elections are the cornerstone of our democratic process, and protecting the integrity of elections is incredibly important.
Currently, voters can use non-photographic identification, such as a utility bill with a name and address, leaving our elections vulnerable to fraud. Because citizens do not have to show a photo when voting, it is nearly impossible to detect voter impersonation fraud.
The governor’s veto of this bill is particularly disappointing because the Legislature worked hard to ensure that those without a photo ID could obtain one free of charge. House Bill 1631 passed with a companion referendum, House Joint Resolution 35, which will be on the ballot this November. If overridden, HB 1631 will only go into effect if the referendum passes. Missourians will have the opportunity to vote to allow the Legislature to require voter photo ID, giving citizens a final say in what election protections they believe are important.
The governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1025, a tax bill I sponsored, will negatively impact hardworking families and small businesses throughout the state. Previously, dance and sports classes were classified as educational under Missouri’s tax code and were therefore exempt from sales tax. The Department of Revenue changed their interpretation of this law and began collecting sales tax on these classes.
This reinterpretation has hurt small business owners running studios and gyms, forcing them to pass the increased costs to their customers. For some families, the cost increase will force them to discontinue these classes for their children. Senate Bill 1025 would return these instructional classes to their tax exempt status, helping keep them affordable for Missouri families. The governor should not have chosen revenue collection over hardworking families.
Both of these bills passed the Legislature with the two-thirds majority needed to override the governor’s veto. I believe both will be considered during veto session and become law despite the governor’s vetoes.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions, and will try to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 573-751-1464, or e-mail at will.kraus@senate.mo.gov.
Senator Will Kraus serves Eastern Jackson County in the 8th State Senatorial District.