LEGISLATIVE REPORT March 7, 2018

Last week started out a little stressful with the governor’s indictment being announced. I am in full support of our House leadership team’s decision to form a committee to investigate the incident. We hope to find  the true facts of the incident and be able to make our decisions based on those facts.
The budget is moving on, and many more hours are being put into developing a budget that is fiscally sound and balanced. This is the most important task we handle every year.  Every citizen of Missouri is affected by the budget. My prayer is that we develop the best budget possible for all our people.
This week the House passed to the Senate the following bills:
House Resolution 5565 authorizes the Special Investigative Committee on Oversight to investigate allegations against Gov. Eric R. Greitens.
HB 1268 allows the Missouri Dental Board to issue dental faculty permits to individuals who are employed by accredited dental schools, colleges or programs in Missouri.
HBs 1288, 1377, 2050 extend the sunset for the Champion for Children Tax Credit and modifies provisions of a tax credit for donations to maternity homes.
HB 1428 allows the county commission of non-charter counties to appoint persons to vacated county elected offices.
HB 1945 modifies provisions relating to the confiscation of animals.
HB 1464 authorizes telephone companies to elect to have their tangible personal property assessed in accordance with a depreciation schedule.
HB 1558 creates the offense of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images.
HB 1607 extends the termination date of certain natural resources funds and fees.
HB 1873 specifies that the court may require any person found guilty of chasing, pursuing, taking, transporting, killing, processing or disposing of certain wildlife in violation of the Missouri Conservation Commission’s rules and regulations to make restitution to the state. The moneys collected will be transferred to the State School Moneys Fund.
HB 1896 establishes the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact.
HB 1928 changes laws of professional registration.
Complete bill information can be found on the House website at www.house.mo.gov.
It was great to see Gainesville educator Jon Wilson and Dennis Uhles of Ava last week at the Capitol. These two gentlemen were here for Farm Bureau, and Jon also was here representing his school’s ag program. We had a good visit in my office and again at the Farm Bureau headquarters that evening. Agriculture is the number one industry in our state. As the world population increases our farmers are going to be challenged to produce enough food to feed everyone. God bless our farmers!
As always, it’s a privilege to represent you in state government.

Ozark County Times

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