To the Constituents of the 125th and new 126th District

We came back to Jefferson City this week to convene in Veto Session, which is mandated by the Missouri constitution. The Governor also called a Special Session to include Agriculture Tax Credits and to work on a state wide tax cut for the people of Missouri. As far as the Veto Session goes, it will likely be uneventful, as we would rarely try and override a veto from the Governor of our own party. Of the few things he did veto, the majority of us understand his reasons and will work next year to make those bills more appealing and not be vetoed. As far as the Special Session goes, that is a little different story, it will take a few days to get the Ag tax credits into a bill that will satisfy the majority and will work for all the parties involved.

The historic tax cut for Missouri taxpayers will also take some time and work to get completed, as there are several ideas on how that should be done, how much it should be and who would benefit from them. The state of Missouri is sitting in good shape financially and I agree that we could lower the tax rate, the question is by how much and that is the dispute between members right now and that will be worked on the next several days, to try and come up with a bill that will be appealing and sensible to all. We also have to keep in mind all the obligations the state has including: education, health care services, transportation and public safety, to name a few, and not put ourselves in a bad place for future years. There is a lot that goes into this and we are trying to cover all the bases when making these important changes.

It’s been a busy interim, as this is an election year, so I was busy campaigning in June and July. I have also been attending many parades, fairs, group meetings and social events to interact with the public. It is truly an honor to serve the district, and try and make as many functions as possible in the district, as I feel it is important to be visible and available to those I represent. If you have an event coming up, I always appreciate a call or email to know about them and I try to support these events.

It was good to be back in Jefferson City and at the Capitol, especially when you can hopefully get something accomplished for the citizens of Missouri that would have an impact on their lives. We will be back in session next week to finish up these bills, so will report again next week, hopefully with good news for all of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of any help on state issues, we don’t always have all the answers, but know who to get a hold of to help us and you out!

I am honored to serve as your Representative in the Missouri House. If at any time, you have questions, concerns or ideas regarding state government, please feel free to contact me at 573-751-4065 or Jim.Kalberloh@house.mo.gov.

State Representative Jim Kalberloh