Legislative Actions and Information for the Week of Jan. 22, 2018
| This week, the annual Sex Trafficking Awareness Event was held in the Missouri State Capitol. Attendees were able to meet, network and learn valuable information on one of the biggest problems facing our state. A rally was also held in the Capitol to show our support for survivors and recommit ourselves to ending this silent epidemic of modern slavery in our state. Senator Nasheed was glad to see over 200 people come out and let their voices be heard on this severe threat in Missouri. She is also thankful for the support of over 30 organizations that came out from across the state to discuss the importance of combating sex trafficking in Missouri.
On The Floor The Missouri Senate is working on ways to reform the “circuit breaker” tax credit. The Senior Citizens Property Tax Credit provides essential funds for senior citizens who lack suitable disposable income. Last session, a proposal was put forward to reform the “circuit breaker” program in order to free up funds that would ensure earlier budget cuts to in-home and nursing home care were restored. This deal involving “circuit breaker” was ultimately vetoed, leaving more than 8,000 people without access to in-home health care. Lawmakers did not address this troubling issue facing vulnerable seniors during veto session, so the General Assembly returns to the issue again. On Tuesday, the Senate debated Senate Bill 567. This bill would reform the “circuit breaker” credit by reducing its benefits. This would essentially result in a $42 million tax increase on seniors who live in their homes. Under this plan, participants would receive a smaller tax credit. The savings the state receives from reducing the tax credit would go towards funding programs cut last session for low-income seniors, those with disabilities and those in nursing homes. The bill, in its current form, robs Peter to pay Paul. It pits one vulnerable population against another. Seniors need that tax refund to meet some of their most basic needs. On the other hand, other seniors and those with disabilities need support too, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of other vulnerable seniors. This situation demands a better solution. Missouri seniors deserve a better solution. As the Missouri Senate continues to work on this piece of legislation, Sen. Nasheed hopes a truly beneficial bill can be created that doesn’t balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable. On Wednesday, the Missouri Senate debated a different bill that would drastically change food stamps in our state. Senate Bill 561 would put work requirements in place in order to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Not meeting these work requirements would make someone ineligible for SNAP benefits for a series of months, with each violation increasing the amount of time a person is disqualified until they are permanently ineligible from receiving SNAP benefits. The first offense leads to a disqualification period of three months, the second offense results in a six month disqualification period and the third leaves a person permanently ineligible from receiving SNAP benefits. Additionally, if a disqualified individual is the head of a household, the entire household becomes ineligible to participate in SNAP. In some cases, this would leave entire families in need with few options for providing food on the table. This means that if a parent doesn’t meet the work requirements, not only do they face the possibility of going without food, but just as importantly, so do their children. This legislation punishes children. No child should go hungry in the state of Missouri. Punishing children and making them go without food because of their parents is unacceptable. This bill attacks some of the most vulnerable in our state and does nothing to improve their livelihood. Those receiving SNAP benefits need our help and permanently preventing someone from receiving the help they need to provide for their families is inexcusable. Senator Nasheed, as well as others, are committed to preventing this legislation from passing out of the Missouri Senate.
Bills and Committees Many of Sen. Nasheed’s bills have been second read and referred to committees. In the coming weeks, these bills will be heard before a committee of senators and public testimony will be given on the legislative proposals. Senate Bill 585 – This proposal modifies provisions of state law dealing with unlawful discrimination policies. It is scheduled for a hearing in front of the Senate Small Business and Industry Committee on Jan. 30. Senate Bill 792 – As part of the effort to help solve the issue of human trafficking in our state, Senate Bill 792 was presented before the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Jan. 22. This bill would allow for an individual’s criminal records to be expunged if they were forced into prostitution against their will. Senate Bill 802 – This bill would expand the definition of a “women’s business enterprise” and “minority business enterprise” to include certain nonprofit corporations that have a majority of women or minorities sitting as members of the board of directors or as officers. A hearing for this bill has been scheduled for Jan. 31 before the Senate’s General Laws Committee. Senate Bill 804 – This proposal reauthorizes the Donated Food tax credit until December 31, 2026 and expands it to include food or cash donated to local soup kitchens or local homeless shelters. It is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate’s Economic Development Committee on Jan. 30. Senate Concurrent Resolution 29 – SCR 29 was heard in the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 23. This resolution would create the Joint Committee on the Transition of the St. Louis Public School District for the purpose of transitioning the St. Louis Public School District back under the authority of an elected school board. Since 2007, the district has been under the supervision of the Special Administrative Board (SAB). State statute requires that a joint committee be formed to facilitate this transition.
Appropriations On Jan. 22, the governor unveiled his proposal for the state’s $28 billion dollar budget. The proposal included a $68 million cut to higher education institutions. Additionally, elementary and secondary education would receive only about half of what it would need in order to be considered full-funded according to the state’s school funding formula. Schools could also face a $13 million cut to student transportation costs. At the end of the day, the governor is constitutionally required to present a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but the General Assembly does not have to follow the recommendations and is allowed to create its own state budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee met this week and heard testimony on Senate Bill 775, which deals with a number of sunset clauses. These clauses act as expiration dates for programs and tax credits and need to be updated from time to time. While the committee deals primarily with the budget and appropriation bills, this bill, with its extension of sunsets, touches on the issue of revenue and was passed out of committee.
Other News State of the Judiciary Address The State of the Judiciary has held on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Members of the Missouri House of Representatives, the Missouri Senate and the executive branch heard from Chief Justice Zel Fischer about the status of the state’s judicial branch. Fischer said Missouri continues to be a leader and innovator through the use of technology and transparency. Fischer also spoke of the need to expand treatment courts for those struggling with drug addiction. Overall, Fischer was confident in the ability of the Missouri judicial system to deliver justice. House Budget Committee Within the governor’s funding recommendations was a proposed $250 million short-term loan to help manage cash-flow for the final months of the current fiscal year. Budget officials said the loan would help ensure the state has sufficient cash on hand to send out Missourians’ tax returns and make other payments in a timely manner. This loan proposal has received opposition from the Missouri House Budget Committee as well as other members of the Missouri General Assembly. Board of Education Members Currently, the Missouri State of Board of Education only has three approved members on its board, two members short of what is needed in order to conduct business. The Missouri Senate possesses the responsibility of approving or denying the governor’s appointees to fill the remaining board seats. The five nominees previously sat on the board while the General Assembly was adjourned, but once it was back in session, the governor withdrew the nominees in a procedural move intended to extend the confirmation process. Now that the Senate is back in session, these nominees must be approved before they can once again serve on the board. Senator Nasheed expects there to be a challenge to the confirmation of these nominees. |