Citizens of the 125th District,

This week the members of the Missouri House gave approval to a piece of legislation meant to help young people who are not having their educational needs met by their local school. The legislation would create Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) to give parents the option to send their kids to schools that may provide them with a better educational experience.

The sponsor of the bill said ESAs will be “a lifeline for many children in failing schools across our state. And even if their school district is the best school district in the world – I have some very good schools in my district – it’s not always the best school or the right fit for every child. This account would empower those parents with choices and alternatives so they can find the fit that is best for them.”

The House also added several amendments to the bill during debate. One would prohibit the program from going into effect until funding for K-12 public school transportation is increased by approximately $18 million. Another would limit the scholarships to students in cities with a population of 30,000 or more. A third amendment would allow public schools who see students leave the district because of an ESA to continue receiving funding for those students. The provision would end five years after the bill goes into effect.

Missouri House Approves Bill to Reinstate Voter ID Law (HB 334)

The Missouri House has approved legislation that would reinstate a voter ID requirement that was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court last year. When they go to vote, Missourians will need to present a photo ID, but the bill will also allow people without a photo ID to cast a provisional ballot. The bill’s sponsor said, “This bill is a necessity as a response to the Missouri Supreme Court judgement in a case in January 2020 called Priorities USA that utterly and wholly gutted the intent and practicality of the statute.”

“Preventing fraud so legal votes of our constituents are not disenfranchised by allowing in-person fraudulent votes to be cast illegally is the main focus of this bill,” said the bill’s sponsor.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

House Approves Legislation to Prevent Abuse of Eminent Domain (HB 527)

The Missouri House has once again approved legislation meant to protect the rights of land owners. The bill would prevent the use of eminent domain to take property from Missourians for use by the Grain Belt Express power line.

The Grain Belt Express is a wind-energy power line that is planned to run from Kansas to Indiana. The project was approved to use eminent domain to seize land if land owners refuse to sell easements. The Missouri House approved similar legislation last year to protect the rights of land owners. This year’s bill aims to prevent the use of private land for the project without the permission of property owners. It specifically states no entity has the power of eminent domain for the purposes of constructing merchant lines. The bill’s sponsor noted, “This is a private out-of-state company using eminent domain as a public utility and there is very little benefit for the state of Missouri. Only six percent of the power will be used here.”

The bill would not apply to rural electric cooperatives or to power lines that provide energy substations every 50 miles. The bill’s sponsor said the provision is meant to encourage companies to give Missourians greater access to the energy being transmitted.

State Representative Jim Kalberloh

District 125

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