| JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Angela Walton Mosley, D-Florissant, discussed Senate Bill 44 with several concerned constituent groups this week, as well as Proposition Y, which was scheduled to be placed on the June 2 ballot last year in St. Louis City and County before it was removed. “Before I make a decision about any piece of legislation, I believe it is important to speak with stakeholders on both sides of the issue,” Sen. Mosley said. “It is vital to understand how each bill will affect those impacted by it, so I was happy to have those discussions this week.” Proposition Y is a $500 million bond issue, proposed by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD), that would authorize funding to make improvements to the City’s sewer system, including correcting deficiencies in sewers, pump stations and treatment plans. If voters pass this proposal, MSD would use $500 million in bonds and $550 million in cash for the improvement projects. If the voters reject the proposal, MSD would have to rely solely on cash for the projects, possibly resulting in higher sewer bills for affected residents. Senate Bill 44 establishes the Missouri Water and Infrastructure Act. This legislation allows a water or sewer corporation that serves more than 8,000 customers to file a petition with the Public Service Commission in order to create or change a water and sewer infrastructure rate adjustment that would allow for the recovery of pretax revenues associated with infrastructure projects. “The MSD requested that Proposition Y be taken off the June ballot last year because of concerns that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, they would not have enough time to adequately educate the public on the implications of the proposal,” Sen. Mosley said. “I think voters should be able to vote on increases to their utility bills, and they should know the full implications of Proposition Y before voting on it. Additionally, the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee has scheduled a hearing for SB 44 next week. I look forward to continuing conversations with the interested parties and ensuring the outcome has Missourians’ best interests in mind.” For more information on Sen. Walton Mosley’s legislative actions, visit her official Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Mosley. |