Week of March 11, 2024

Closing Out the First Half of Session

Greetings! I hope you have enjoyed the return of spring this last week, I know I have. This year’s legislative session has reached its midpoint, and it’s a good time to look back and see what has been accomplished.

The largest victory in the Senate so far this year has been the passing of Senate Joint Resolution 74. This initiative petition (IP) reform bill requires not only the majority of voters in the state approve an initiative petition, but also a majority in at least five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. I believe this will help protect Missouri from out-of-state interests and ensure the voices of rural voters are heard. Through many long nights and much sacrifice, I took a stand to ensure this priority of conservative Missourians was heard and saw this bill passed out of the Senate.

Another large bill moving through the Senate this week is Senate Bill 727. This education reform bill addresses many concerns that parents have with education throughout the state. First of is the expansion of Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. It works to put students first and make sure funding follows them, allowing parents to have more choice on how their children are educated. Another big win in this bill is a raise in teacher pay, increasing minimum teacher pay from $25,000 to $40,000. This will help attract talented teachers and encourage them to stay in our great state.

This week, in the Committee on Economic Development and Tax Policy, my Senate Bill 1178 was heard. This bill allows investors to claim a tax credit for up to seventy percent of their investment when investing in qualified Missouri businesses. These businesses would be approved by the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), and investors would be free to more aggressively invest. I believe this would build Missouri’s economy and foster more innovative startups in our communities. 

Looking toward the second half of session I have a few large priorities. First of which is reigning in the budget. Five years ago, the State had a budget of roughly $27 billion. The current proposal for this next fiscal year is $52.7 billion. To afford almost doubling the budget in the last few years requires deficit spending, meaning the State is spending more than it is bringing in. I believe this growth in the budget is unmanageable, so I have committed to cutting costs and getting it under control.

I also want to focus on personal property tax cuts like those found in my Senate Bill 725. This bill aims to phase out our state’s hefty personal property tax liability handed down to Missourians. It would do this by lowering the percentage owed on personal property taxes by the same amount that real property revenues increase each year, thereby reducing the overall tax burden on people already being squeezed by the multitude of taxes imposed by the state, in addition to skyrocketing inflation. Organizations that rely on personal property taxes will be able to claim a refund from the state for any loss in revenue. It is a massive win to ease the tax burden on Missouri’s personal property while maintaining current funding. This bill has been heard in committee and I hope to have it or a similar version make its way through the Senate in the second half of session.

I will continue to keep you updated on the legislation that moves through the Senate. The Senate will take a short break of one week but will reconvene on March 25. 

As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at 573-751-4302. You may also email me at denny.hoskins@senate.mo.gov.

L-R: Chief Doug Kenney, EMTP, and Deputy Chief Ben Fundaburg, EMTP, City of Higginsville Emergency Medical Services, visited the Capitol for EMS Day.

I enjoyed visiting with realtors from the Marshall area.

8th grade students from Saints Peter and Paul in Boonville visited the Capitol with their instructors.  

L-R: Marsha Metcalfe, Vicky Van Lue, and Carrie Hiltner, all with the Excelsior Springs Housing Authority, met with me to discuss local and statewide housing and community development issues and MO NAHRO priorities.

L-R:  Morgan Householder, MO Credit Union Assn; Rick Schier, Community America Credit Union; and Laura Eblen, Mazuma Credit Union, met with me to discuss state credit union priorities.