JEFFERSON CITY—Lawmakers saved the most debated bill of the year for the final hours as the 2009 legislative session came to a close last week. After receiving one final passing vote, a wide-ranging economic development bill was sent to the governor’s desk before the 6 p.m. Friday (5/15) deadline.
Economic development was perhaps the most revisited—and heated—issue of the legislative session. House Bill 191 , handled in the Senate by Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington), contains several provisions designed to create jobs and spur economic development while instituting tax credit changes. Some of these provisions include:
- Increasing the cap on the Quality Jobs program from $60 to $80 million annually.
- Limiting the amount of tax credits the Missouri Development Finance Board can issue in a calendar year without outside approval at $10 million while instituting a hard cap of $25 million, regardless of approval.
- Increasing the annual cap on the Business Use Incentives for Large-Scale Development (BUILD) Tax Credit program and the New Markets Tax Credit program from $15 million to $25 million.
- Expanding the eligibility for the Neighborhood Assistance program.
- Prohibiting increases for a four-year period in user fees imposed by the state for obtaining small business licenses (The Big Government Get Off My Back Act).
- Allowing the Department of Economic Development (DED) to include pre-employment training in its new or expanding industry training.
- Capping historic preservation tax credits at $140 million annually. However, smaller projects (receiving less than $275,000 in tax credits) are not included in the cap amount.
- Modifying tax credit reporting requirements by requiring tax credit recipients to report job creation resulting from the use of tax credits. Also, tax credit information must be made available on the DED’s website and through the Missouri Accountability Portal.
In total, the General Assembly sent 162 bills to the governor’s desk over the course of the 2009 legislative session—48 were Senate bills and 114 were House bills. More than 1,700 measures were introduced this year by both chambers. The legislation described below was passed by lawmakers and now awaits the governor’s signature.
Building on last year’s sweeping anti-illegal immigration bill (HB 1549 ), HB 390 , handled by Sen. Scott T. Rupp (R-Wentzville), prohibits college students who are unlawfully present in the U.S. from receiving certain types of financial aid. This includes institutional aid and state-administered post-secondary grants and scholarships. The bill also specifies that post-secondary education public benefits, municipal permits, and contracts or agreements between public utility providers and their customers will not be considered public benefits in the provisions that prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving a state or local public benefit.
Also handled by Sen. Rupp was HB 577 , which changes the laws relating to the regulation of insurance. It includes making information relating to MO HealthNet readily available to the public; creating the crime of knowingly or intentionally producing, manufacturing, selling or distributing a fraudulent insurance identification card (class D felony); and prohibiting life insurance companies from providing coverage to individuals, or restricting their current policy, based on their past or future lawful travel destinations in certain cases.
House Bill 734 , handled by Sen. Brad Lager (R-Savannah), establishes the Joint Committee on Missouri's Energy Future, which will consist of five members from the Senate and five members from the House of Representatives. The committee will prepare and submit a report to the General Assembly on Missouri's energy needs and methods to reduce energy costs in the next 25 years.
Included in HB 734 is language from a bill originally sponsored by Sen. Jeff Smith (D-St. Louis) that requires any appliance purchased with state funds to have earned an Energy Star rating.
Senate Bill 44 , sponsored by Sen. David Pearce (R-Warrensburg), creates new regulations for privately owned jails in the state. These regulations include requiring private jails to immediately notify law enforcement in the event a prisoner has escaped. The bill also requires that private jails arrange for necessary health care for inmates, separate prisoners by gender and type of cause for imprisonment (civil versus criminal), and provide adequate clothing, food and bedding for prisoners.
The General Assembly also passed House Bill 481 , handled by Sen. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis), which is comprehensive legislation that addresses the courts and various judicial proceedings, and Senate Bill 294 , sponsored by Sen. Frank Barnitz (D-Lake Spring), which allows corporate names to only be reserved for 180 days.
The Missouri Senate General Column is written on a regular basis. To follow these and other issues being addressed by the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can research legislation, learn more about their Senate district, and watch video or listen to audio highlights of the First Regular Session of the 95th General Assembly.
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