MOScout Daily Update: Session Starts - Vescovo Wants More Adoption Support - How To Pass a Gas Tax - Post-Trump GOP - December Receipts and more....

The House and Senate convene at noon for speeches and general organizing.  Session starts today…

MOIndy Previews Session

Missouri Independent’s preview of the upcoming session (see it here) ran through hot topics, but what’s most interesting may be this quote… “We lost a large part of last year’s session to COVID. And I think there’s a real risk that we could lose a portion of this year due to COVID,” said House Majority Leader Dean Plocher, R-Town and Country.

What It Means

There’s no certainty that this session will adhere to the usual rhythm of a legislative session.  With the risk looming that there may be an elongated COVID break or the session itself might be suddenly truncated, there’s a premium on getting your agenda moving early and into position for passage as soon as possible.

And

MOIndy tags Speaker Rob Vescovo’s top priority as expanding state support for adoption services.  See it here.

·         “I spent the first 15 months of my life in foster care,” Vescovo, R-Arnold, said in an interview with The Independent. “My sisters were adopted. My brothers were adopted. We were all adopted out of foster care. There are 14,000 children in foster care in this state, and I think we should do everything we can to give these children the opportunities that I had.”

·         When Vescovo discusses his top priorities, he specifically points to two bills sponsored by Republican Rep. Hannah Kelly of Mountain Grove. One would authorize an income tax deduction for expenses connected to providing care as a foster parent. If the foster parent provides care for at least six months, the deduction would be $2,500 for an individual or $5,000 for a married couple.   The other creates a tax credit for adoptive parents…

But

Remember, in addition to the public policy, there’s also drama in the pipeline…

·         The House will have to consider the report from the Ethics Committee concerning Rep. Wiley Price.

·         And the Ethic Committee will investigate the allegations of child abuse against Rep. Rick Roeber.

MOChamber’s Session Preview

At the Missouri Chamber’s virtual session preview yesterday, experts from across the country spoke about specific issues on the Chamber’s agenda.  Some interesting nuggets…

Beth Kadoun, Vice President, Tax & Fiscal Policy of Minnesota Chamber of Commerce talking about passing Wayfair.

·         Internet sales are clearly a growing source of revenue.

·         Missouri one of two states without a “Wayfair” fix.  Florida is the other.

·         There’s obviously the case to be made that it levels the playing field for retailers.

·         But they also believed it leveled the tax on buyers as well.  Older residents are less likely to buy online so without a fix they carry a larger burden of the sales tax.

Ted Pitts, President and CEO of South Carolina Chamber of Commerce talking about passing a gas tax.

·         South Carolina rolled out an education campaign on “the cost of doing nothing,” to explain why inaction was hurting the state’s businesses.

·         They emphasized the out-of-state users of the roads who would pay their share.

·         Ronald Reagan, when governor of California, said that a user fee is the best way to pay for roads and a gas tax is the most efficient means of collection.

·         South Carolina implemented a gas tax rebate.  Although few residents actually collected receipts to claim it, it allowed the discussion to change from tax increase to fixing the roads.

·         Phasing in the tax is useful so there’s capacity to use the new revenue.

December Revenue Steady

State tax receipts held steady in the month of December, rising 6.2% compared to December 2019.  Both the sales tax and individual income tax receipts were positive.

What It Means

The state budget is now running over $900 million ahead of the previous fiscal year.  While a good chunk of that ($700M+) is due to a second Tax Day getting pushed into this fiscal year, it’s still has reduced anxiety of a COVID-induced budget crunch this year.

·         Yesterday on the Chamber’s preview, Senate Floor Leader Caleb Rowden said he worries less about the current fiscal year, but eyes FY23 warily as a possible problem.

·         Likewise, budget watcher Jim Moody (see the Moody Report here) frets in his latest missive not bout this year, but the next: “One piece of bad news is that the movement of tax due dates will trigger the third tax cut under Senate Bill 509 on January 1, 2022.   In our view that means that it is probably that FY 2023 will be a negative growth year for General Revenue.”

Congratulations

Lobbyist Sarah Wood Martin will be unopposed in her re-election to the Board of Aldermen in the City of St. Louis.  Her opponent failed to gather the required number of signatures to make the ballot.  Three potential mayoral candidates were also disqualified.

Dowd Vacancy Applicants

The Appellate Judicial Commission announces the applicants for the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, created by the December 31, 2020, retirement of Judge Robert G. Dowd Jr.

They are: Thomas C. Clark II, Peter W. Gullborg, Kathleen S. Hamilton, Susan Aylward Jotte, Douglas W. King, Joseph B. Kloecker Jr., Ellen S. Levy, Jeffery T. McPherson, Darrell E. Missey, Michael W. Noble, Eric S. Peterson, David E. Roland, Jason M. Sengheiser, John P. Torbitzky, David R. Truman, M. Celeste Vossmeyer, and Carl M. Ward.

eMailbag Future of the GOP…

One Republican consultant replied with his take on the future of the Republican Party after Trump…

·         You mentioned in today’s report, “Will the Republican Party belittle higher education…” I think the GOP is winning with voters that work with their hands. I think you’ll see them NOT belittle higher education, but hold up technical training with the same regard as colleges and universities… anyone that has had to hire a plumber or electrician lately will agree this is not necessarily bad policy or messaging.

·         As far as fake news, is it the GOP’s fault that media personalities often show their bias in personal Tweets, etc.? I feel like the Media takes very little responsibility for their own failures to come across as fair and balanced and they’re partly to blame for where things stand today. I believe journalism is important. I just think both sides are to somewhat to blame.

·         GOP will likely return to a pro free trade stance as farm country is our base and on industry benefits more from free trade than Midwestern agriculture.

·         I think you are correct on the anti-immigration stance, unfortunately. The only inconstancy there will be frustration by employers in finding workers willing to put in the hours. See my comment on technical training, above. This includes the trades and farm laborers as well.

Lobbyists Registrations

Aaron Baker and Hannah Beers Sutton added Missouri Soybean Association.

Clark Brown added SEIU (Service Employees Intl. Union) Mo/Ks State Council.

Gamble & Schlemeier added Greater St. Louis Inc.

Tom Dempsey added Greater St. Louis Inc.

Doug Galloway added Galloway Consulting Group.

Patrick Arnold Feeney added Patrick Feeney.

McClain Bryant Macklin added Health Forward Foundation.      

Estil Fretwell and James Garrett Hawkins added Missouri Farm Bureau.

Stephen Nittler added Microsoft Corporation, Expedia Group, and ACT, Inc.

Sarah Hackman added Missouri Community Action Network.     

Kathryn Harness added National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Mallory Schwarz and Brian Wingbermuehle added NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri.

Sarah Wood Martin added Vantage Airport Group.

Sean Ostrow added BetMGM LLC.

Danelle Porter added Stray Dog Capital LLC, and Stray Dog Policy Inc.

Andy Blunt and Jay Reichard deleted B & B Amusement of Illinois, Clay County, Maritz Motivation Solutions, Powerhouse Gaming, The Accountants Coalition, and CoSo Health.

Jay Reichard deleted JR Consulting LLC, Rave Wireless Inc. DBA Rave Mobile Safety, and Sentinel Robotic Solutions.

Travis Brown deleted Fair Trade Missouri, Gate Way Group, Pelopidas LLC, and St. Louis Science Center Foundation.

Scott Penman and Kaycee Nail deleted Lafaver & Associates LLC, and Missouri Association of Convention and Visitors' Bureaus.

Austin Walker deleted St. Louis Regional Chamber.

Charles Thornbrugh deleted QuikTrip Corporation.

$5K+ Contributions

Together KC (pro-earning tax renewal) - $100,000 from Heavy Constructors Association.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Speaker Rob Vescoco, Sen. Bob Onder, former Reps. Genise Montecillo and Mike Daus.