Love note from Jeff City

Greetings, My Fellow Missourians

I headed to Osceola for an announcement made by the USDA Rural Development that the City of Osceola has been awarded Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant funding.  It will be used to update the city’s water distribution system which will improve water pressure and quality for everyone living in Osceola.  Citizens are asked to be patient through the construction phase and progress, which according to Mayor Heckenlively should be completed in November, 2018.

Sunday was Earth Day, and after church, my wife, Marla, and I attended a very special tree planting that is part of the Liberty Tree Project.  The original Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood near Boston Common during the Revolutionary Era.  The first act of defiance against British rule took place under this tree in 1765.   Along the way, several other towns in the 13 colonies designated their own Liberty Trees.  A symbol of American Independence, St. Clair County 4-H received two of 20 bud-grafted trees donated to Missouri 4-H clubs; these trees are from original Liberty Tree seedlings.  One was planted at Daffodil Park, and the other was planted near the museum in Roscoe.  Congratulations to the St. Clair County 4-H for being one of very few selected to participate in the Liberty Tree Project.

Legislation this week:

The House and Senate took major steps this week toward the completion of the Fiscal Year 2019 state operating budget.  Both chambers must reach an agreement on the spending plan by May 11. The House sent its version of the budget to the Senate at the end of March.  The Senate then approved its version of the budget and sent it to the House this week.  On Thursday, the House approved motions to send the majority of the appropriations bills to conference committees where lead negotiators from both sides will meet to iron out differences between the two chambers.

As the bills head to conference, one of the primary differences each side will work through concerns funding for K-12 education.  The version of the budget approved by the House provided full funding for the school foundation formula.  The House plan boosted funding for the formula by $98.9 million. The Senate’s version of the spending plan reduces that funding by $50 million and redirects some of the savings to other areas of the budgets.  The Senate plan would instead increase K-12 transportation funding by $25 million, as well as provide additional funding for nursing home services.

Once the Senate agrees to meet in conference with the House, members will work through their differences to reach a compromise version of the budget that can receive final approval from both chambers.

Last week the House approved an important piece of legislation (SB 573) that would provide additional support to members of the National Guard and the state’s veterans.  While the bill started as an expansion of the military income tax deduction, House members added several amendments during floor debate that greatly expanded the scope of the bill.  One of the amendments would allow veteran-owned small businesses to participate in the Missouri Linked Deposit Program. It would also require eligible lending institutions to give priority to veteran-owned small businesses when considering which eligible small businesses should receive reduced-rate loans. The change is meant to provide veterans with an opportunity to start their own business and contribute to the state’s economy.  Another amendment extends the period of assistance in the Show-Me Heroes Program from one year to five years following discharge; establish the Veterans’ Bill of Rights; and establish the Missouri Military Community Reinvestment Program Act to assist military communities in supporting and sustaining their installations.

HCR 96 would     designate May as “Move Over and Slow Down Awareness Month.” The awareness month would encourage the citizens of this state to remember the “Move Over or Slow Down” law when approaching a Missouri State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement vehicles, emergency vehicles, and Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety emergency response or motorist assist vehicles when displaying emergency lights or flashing amber and white lights and parked or stopped on the side of the road.