Vaccination Event Updates and the Beginning of Tax Season
On Thursday, Feb. 25, Walmart began administering COVID-19 vaccines at the Harris-Stowe State University Emerson Performance Center, located at 3026 Laclede Avenue. This event will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day and ends on Monday, March 1. You can call 833-886-0023 to schedule your appointment. No walk-ups will be allowed. Insurance is not required, and there is no cost to receive the vaccine. On the day of your appointment, you will need to bring your ID, proof of vaccine eligibility if applicable – for example, a work ID – and an insurance card if you have one. Every person who receives a vaccine must stay on-site for at least 15 minutes to be monitored in case of an allergic reaction. If you are not currently eligible to receive the vaccine, you can still register with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to be notified when you are eligible by visiting stlcorona.com or calling 314-615-2660.
With the April 6 election coming up, I again wanted to express my support for Proposition E. In my opinion, voting “yes” on Proposition E would give the Riverview Gardens School District the funding it needs to fully invest in their students and implement additional programs and services to achieve full accreditation. I believe we cannot give up on schools simply because they are failing. The students who attend these schools deserve an equitable, quality education, and I believe the funding generated from Proposition E will help the school district achieve full accreditation. I would encourage you to learn more about Proposition E and the other issues and candidates on the April ballot by visiting stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-government/board-of-elections.
This year’s tax season began a little differently than in years past. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) both began accepting electronically filed tax returns on Friday, Feb. 12, which is later than usual. With this brief delay in accepting tax returns, customers who filed taxes early in the season may notice they are not receiving their tax refunds as quickly as usual. Filing electronically and choosing to have your tax refund directly deposited into your bank account will help speed up the process of receiving your refund. The deadline to file your taxes is still April 15, 2021, and any amount you owe to the state or federal government will still be due by April 15.
There are a number of resources available to help with filing your taxes. You can visit dor.mo.gov/personal/individual/vendors to see if you qualify to e-file your state and federal tax returns free of charge. If you want to receive updates on the status of your state tax return, you can sign up by visiting dor.mo.gov/returnstatus. Eligible senior citizens and disabled individuals may qualify for the Missouri Property Tax Credit (PTC) Claim, which provides a credit for a portion of the real estate taxes or rent paid during the year. You can visit DOR’s website to find out if you qualify for this tax credit. The department has also provided resources at dor.mo.gov/personal/relief-resources for those who may have been especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are worried about meeting their tax obligations.
This week, the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus met with Gov. Mike Parson to discuss the legislative session and the caucus’ priorities moving forward. There are a number of issues facing the Black community in Missouri, and I believe it is important for the Black Caucus to express our concerns with the governor and other leaders in state government.
I am thrilled the governor is willing to have these conversations with members of the Legislature so together we can move Missouri forward. I believe by having these tough conversations, we can collaborate and discuss solutions to the challenges facing Black Missourians. I look forward to the opportunity for the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus to have future conversations with the governor and other state leaders.
For more information on Sen. Walton Mosley’s legislative actions, visit her official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/Mosley.