State Rep. Dane Diehl 125th District

We are back from Spring Break and the second half of legislative session is underway. The house was very busy this week with many bills being passed out and sent over to the house.
A highlight of the week was sports wagering – HB 556/581. It passed out of the house like many years before and now awaits its fate in the Senate. The majority of our surrounding states have passed legislation that legalizes sports wagering. Living so close to Kansas we know firsthand about losing business to bordering states. Hopefully this year, Missouri can make it happen.
We also passed HB 816/660 out of the house, which was a massive tax cut bill. A few of the main things addressed in the bill that I believe will really affect people in my district include; elimination of state income taxes to seniors on social security, a cut to personal income tax, and dropping the corporate income tax rate to further attract more businesses to invest in Missouri and invest that money back into employees.
My Beginning Farmer legislation, HB 1023, also made its way out of the rules committee this week. The next stop for the bill is the floor for debate. I believe we have a great amount of support across the body to invest in the future generations of farmers and ranchers across the state. This also brings a new experience for me as a legislator, navigation the bill on the floor though debate is a process I’m very much looking forward to.
I appreciate all the support, visits, and guidance I’ve received thus far in my legislative career. I’m here to serve and that’s my dedication to everyone in Bates, Vernon, and Cedar Counties. We will resume the second half of session on Monday March 20, 2023. Please stop by office 114 if you are near Jefferson City, or contact us with any questions.
Please stop by office 114 if you are near Jefferson City, or contact us with any questions.
Lawmakers Approve Historic Tax Relief Package (HBs 816 & 660)
The Missouri House has voted to provide more than $1 billion of tax relief to Missouri families, retirees, and businesses. By a vote of 111-48, House members approved HBs 816 & 660 to cut both the personal income tax and corporate income tax, and exempt social security benefits from state tax.
The sponsor of the bill said it is important to reduce the tax rate in Missouri to ensure the state and its economy continue to grow.
He said, “If you look at the states that are growing, look at states like Tennessee and Texas and Florida, and you look at what they are doing, they’re growing their economy. There’s more jobs, more business investment, more growth, more population growth. What are those states doing? They’re cutting taxes. They’re giving more money back to their people, keeping it in the pockets of the people and not of the government. They’re not growing the government. They’re growing their communities and the economies and their businesses, and that’s what we need to do.”
Under HBs 816 & 660 the state’s top personal income tax rate of 4.95% would drop to 4.5% on January 1 of next year. The bill preserves triggers put into place when the General Assembly approved a tax relief package last year. If revenues grow at a healthy rate and all triggers are met, the top tax rate would be reduced to 4.05%.
The bill also includes a reduction for the corporate income tax that currently stands at 4%. The bill would drop the rate to 2% beginning January 1, 2024. The plan includes additional triggers that could eventually phase out the corporate income tax entirely if state revenues grow at a robust rate.
The bill sponsor said, “This tax cut on businesses means a stronger Missouri, stronger Missouri businesses, more jobs, the stronger possibility that the businesses yet to be created will be created right here in Missouri.”
The final component of the bill would exempt social security benefits from state tax.
One supporter noted, “The trend nationally is at the state level to not tax social security and we would like to make Missouri the next domino in that path. We want to encourage retirees to come to the state of Missouri.”
The sponsor of the bill noted his legislation not only helps put money back in the pockets of Missourians, it also serves as an effective check on the growth of government. He noted the size of the state budget has grown by $19 billion during the five years he has served in the legislature.
“The more time we go and have greater and greater balances in the treasury, government grows at a greater and greater rate. The budget grows at a greater and greater rate,” he said. “With more dollars it is more likely that we’re going to find waste in our government similar to what we see at the federal level.”
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
House Members Support Legislation to Legalize Sports Betting (HBs 556 & 581)
Members of the Missouri House gave bipartisan support to a legislative proposal that would legalize sports wagering in the state. By a vote of 118-35, lawmakers approved HBs 556 & 581 to allow Missouri to join the more than 30 other states that have already approved a legalized framework for sports betting.
One of the sponsors of the bill said it will provide a legal and regulated framework for sports wagering that will help bring in millions in additional revenue to help fund the state’s priorities.
He said, “Everyone is doing this on their phones illegally in the state of Missouri, and they’re doing it through unlicensed, unregulated apps. Those apps are based out of the Cayman Islands, or eastern European nations. Who knows what that money is funding? But let me tell you what it’s not funding, and that is Missouri students, or Missouri priorities, or Missouri infrastructure.”
The bill approved by the House would allow licensed casinos to offer sports wagering. It would also allow anyone over 21 to download a sports wagering app offered by one of the state’s casinos or professional sports teams to place bets from anywhere in the state through their computer, tablet, or phone.
The Missouri Gaming Commission would have full jurisdiction to supervise all gambling operators and adopt rules to implement the provisions of the bill. Under the bill, sports betting would be taxed at 10%. Revenue generated by the tax would go to the state’s education fund. The bill also requires the state to establish treatment and recovery programs for compulsive gambling.
The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

State Representative

Please contact me at:
201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 114B
Jefferson City, MO 65101-6806
Phone: 573-751-4065
Email: Dane.Diehl@house.mo.gov