Rep. Perkins Supports Bills in House that Will Bring More Tax Relief to Missouri Citizens and Businesses

Several bills are being discussed that will be a great benefit to Missourians. First, Rep. Perkins supports a bill that will involve removing the tax that seniors pay on their Social Security. Rep. Perkins said, “This is a commonsense measure that will benefit some of the most vulnerable citizens among us. Those who have retired and cannot work anymore, and those on a fixed income. We are only one of twelve states in the entire country that impose this tax and it is about time we stop.” Perkins concluded, “I look forward to advancing this legislation. People have paid into Social Security their whole lives only to have it be taxed by the state when they need it most. This is an unacceptable situation and we need to remedy it immediately.”

The other tax break that could be considered by the House is an elimination of the state corporate income tax. On this topic, Rep. Perkins stated, “Missouri needs to maintain an advantage in this increasingly competitive economic environment that we find ourselves in. Instead of carving out tax breaks for individual groups or special interests, I believe in providing real economic relief for all businesses in our state.” Perkins concluded, “This tax cut will help create jobs for Missourians and that’s always a top priority for me.”

Rep. Perkins Supports the Legislature Having More Fiscal Oversight of State Agencies

“We, as elected officials, have an obligation to oversee the finances of state agencies.” “The appropriate use of money is expected when it is being allocated to these agencies, but it is incumbent upon us to verify that.” Perkins said this upon passage of HJR 37 this week. This amendment would allow the legislature to have more oversight regarding funding of road maintenance  and construction.

Lawmakers Conclude Highly Productive First Half of Session

As the 2023 session reached its midpoint lawmakers headed into their brief break from legislative action with a long list of accomplishments. From vital public safety legislation to measures that would improve access to healthcare to a bill that would expand educational opportunities, House members gave their stamp of approval to legislative proposals that would positively impact Missourians from all walks of life in all parts of the state.

House Speaker Dean Plocher praised his colleagues for the work they did in the first half of the legislative session. He said, “We began the session with an ambitious agenda focused on building a more prosperous Missouri with opportunities for all. Our members have made good on that promise by working diligently and deliberatively to advance commonsense reforms and solutions that will ensure a quality education for our children, grow our economy, and keep our streets safe. I’m proud of the work we’ve done and ready to work with the Senate and Governor Parson to make sure these proposals make their way into law.”

Legislators begin their one-week break with 30 House Bills sent to the Senate including one piece of legislation truly agreed to by both chambers and signed into law by the governor. Lawmakers will have until Friday, May 12 to have their legislative priorities approved by both the House and Senate and sent to the governor’s desk.

Protecting the Constitution – HJR 43 is designed to protect the state constitution from the influence of out-of-state interests by allowing voters to decide if the state should raise the threshold to modify the constitution in the future. The measure would change the threshold required to approve changes to the state constitution. Currently, changes to the constitution require only a simple majority for approval. If approved by the legislature and voters, HJR 43 would raise the threshold to 60 percent voter approval for passage.

Proponents say the increased threshold will help minimize the influence of out-of-state groups that have no ties to Missouri but spend millions of dollars to change the state constitution. The sponsor of HJR 43 said the groups “try to reimagine Missouri in their vision.” He said, “I think it should be in the vision of the people of the state of Missouri.”

Supporting Law Enforcement – HBs 702, 53, 213, 216, 306 & 359 will take the politics out of policing by placing the St. Louis Police Department under the control of a state-appointed board of commissioners, which will stabilize the department so it can perform the basic job of law enforcement. The bill also specifies that the board must appoint and employ a permanent police force of no less than 1,313 patrolmen. Additionally, the bill requires the board to increase annual salaries for officers by at least $4,000 by July 1, 2024.

The bill sponsor said his legislation is “going to re-fund the police department, and increase the morale, and increase employment – more officers, more funding, more support for that department so they can do their jobs.”

Improving Police Officer Pay – HBs 640 & 729 will help the Kansas City Police Department attract and retain the very best law enforcement personnel by allowing the department to offer better pay to officers and the chief of police. The legislation would eliminate the current authorized salary ceiling for the Kansas City police chief and allow the Board of Police Commissioners to establish a salary ceiling by resolution. The bill would also eliminate the existing salary ceilings for police officers, computed according to rank, and empower the board to use the salary minimums as a base in pay ranges for officers in crafting their comprehensive pay schedule program.

Working on your behalf,