L E G I S L AT I V E P R I O R I T I E S
The Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, the third largest chamber in the Kansas City metropolitan area, represents 1,000 business and professional organizations that employ a combined total of more than 30,000 people living in and around the city of Lee’s Summit. The Chamber is intensely focused on the economic prosperity of the business community by fostering and promoting significant job growth, increased revenues, superior infrastructure and an exceptional quality of life.
Mission Statement
We create opportunities for business success through networking and advocacy, as well as business and professional development. We provide leadership by serving as a catalyst for the economic growth and prosperity of the Lee’s Summit community.
Legislative Advocacy & Public Policy The Lee’s Summit Chamber is actively engaged in and committed to representing the business community at all levels of government. Our legislative program is interconnected to all aspects of the Chamber’s activities. The Chamber offers immediate access to the expertise of our adept staff. The participation of the Governmental Relations Committee and the Legislative Committee is critical to ensuring economic success, prosperity and quality of life for businesses and residents alike. The mission of those volunteer leaders for each committee is to review, debate and make recommendations to the Chamber’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The Chamber is continually monitoring legislation and political affairs at all levels of government. We strive to effectively communicate relevant information to assist our members in making the appropriate day-to-day and long-term decisions that impact their business.
Table of Contents State Legislative Priorities Transportation
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Economic Development
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Education
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Health Care
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Missouri Government Directory
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Legislative Priorities TRANSPORTATION Support and actively pursue a comprehensive and sustainable statewide transportation funding plan that enhances public safety and spurs economic activity. Background: MoDOT is responsible for the 7th largest road system in America and is funded with the 6th lowest state fuel tax in the country. MoDOT’s construction program has fallen from more than $1.3 billion in 2010 to just over $600 million today and is estimated to level out to $237 million by 2017. This will not be enough revenue to maintain the State’s existing system, much less tackle projects that create jobs, increase safety, ease congestion and foster economic development. In 2010-11, the Missouri Department of Transportation conducted a major restructuring of the agency and its goals and objectives due to the looming unprecedented transportation funding crisis. These moves underscore the urgent need to resolve Missouri’s transportation funding shortfall. MoDOT’s Long Range Transportation plan has identified at least $70 billion worth of both needed and desired transportation projects for the next 20 years. MoDOT estimates that there will be only $17 billion available based upon current revenue sources. The Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on Missouri Transportation Needs, created in 2012 by House Speaker Tilley, held public meetings across the state examining current and future transportation needs and exploring possible solutions. The committee concluded that an “additional $600 million to $1 billion per year will more adequately address our State’s growing transportation needs and vital to Missouri’s Economic Growth, and that the voters of Missouri should be given the opportunity to make that investment.” Impact: Missouri continues to be among the states with the largest losses in manufacturing and construction jobs. Improved and expanded infrastructure will position Missouri and local communities to be much more competitive in the global marketplace creating opportunities for attracting new businesses and creating jobs. A comprehensive transportation funding plan will have an immediate and profound impact on the economy in every region of the state. Not only will thousands of immediate construction jobs be created, but thousands of new, good paying jobs would be added by attracting and leveraging private investment. Additionally, Missourians will experience enhanced public safety and added convenience and choice. Action Needed: Passage of legislation that creates a comprehensive, sustainable transportation funding strategy that addresses Missouri’s immediate and long-term transportation infrastructure needs.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Support a comprehensive economic development strategy that includes tax credit restructuring that incentivizes private investment, quality business development and job creation targeting: 1) data centers considering locating or expanding in the State of Missouri, 2) investments made by Angel Tax groups, 3) business/corporate tax reform; and 4) workforce training Background: Missouri continues to lag behind nationally in net jobs created and continues to have a high unemployment rate hovering at 5.9%. Job creation numbers reflect Missouri in the lower 30% of states. Lee’s Summit is poised to attract and leverage significant private investment, create high paying jobs and establish 4
a breakthrough model for preparing its future workforce for the jobs of tomorrow. For the past five years, the Missouri General Assembly has been unable to reach consensus on comprehensive and meaningful Economic Development and Tax Credit Reform legislation. The present situation continues to create an environment that inhibits the ability to attract much needed private investment and create sustainable job growth. Impact: The strategic restructuring of economic development incentive programs, coupled with reasoned business tax reform would allow the city of Lee’s Summit to attract knowledge-based industries, thereby creating quality jobs and experiencing significant private investment in building and equipment infrastructure. Action Needed: Advocate for a comprehensive Missouri pro-growth strategy that includes the following: •
Restructures economic development incentives, specifically targeting emerging job growth and knowledge-based industries (i.e., data centers)
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Leverages private investments made by Angel Tax groups
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Invests in workforce training initiatives that turn out a skilled workforce targeted at knowledge-based, cutting-edge technology-based industries
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Reforms Missouri’s antiquated business and corporate tax code
EDUCATION Support funding for the Missouri’s educational system (Pre K-12 and higher education) that will prepare students to become suitably competent and “workforce ready” to meet the expectations and workforce needs of employers. Background: A quality education opens the door to opportunity and an educated workforce is vital to a successful economy. Quality schools are essential to the health of every community. Schools need to be equipped to provide the necessary support to their student populations through advanced curriculum offerings, experiential and interactive learning processes, superiorly competent educators and advanced equipment and facilities. Impact: The current state funding mechanisms for financing Missouri’s public education institutions does not adequately provide resources that meet the needs of today’s employers. An acceptable legislative remedy would be the development of a comprehensive and sustainable funding strategy and emphasis on creating successful education systems that focus on cutting-edge sciences and technologies, math and engineering, healthcare and advanced information systems. Action Needed: The following actions are needed to meet the demands of Missouri’s employers in their efforts to successfully compete in a continuing complex and competitive global economy: •
Support appropriations that achieve full funding for the Foundation Formula and avoid adjustments that would significantly alter the manner in which the formula funding is distributed
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Support legislation that provides flexibility for local school districts to streamline Missouri’s mathematics, technology and science curricula
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Support legislation that increases funding to fulfill the STEM initiative signed into statue in 2012
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Support legislation that provides for the expansion of the pool of students motivated to pursue careers through increased scholarship opportunities and outreach, advanced education experiences, and higher education incentives 5
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Support legislation that would increase and improve the use of advanced technology in the classroom
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Support legislation that would expand valuable internship and apprenticeship opportunities that provide Missouri’s students with a variety of career pathway experiences that encourage pre-professional development and enhanced job placement.
HEALTH CARE Support funding for MOHealthNet that ensures the ongoing viability of all health care providers who provide care to the uninsured and underinsured Missourians, and that ensures MOHealthNet is structured to maximize all available resources outside Missouri general revenue, including federal matching dollars and Missouri’s FRA program. Background: A healthy workforce and a healthy community are critical to the economic vitality of Lee’s Summit. Uninsured residents are a huge burden on our health care providers, and an added cost to anyone with health insurance. The Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA) is now law. Expanding Medicaid under AHCA is a choice of the Missouri legislature. Lack of expansion would result in added revenue loss to Missouri hospitals equaling over $400 million annually. Impact: •
Medicaid expansion would cover an additional 220,000 Missourians, providing better healthcare and eventually decreasing their costs through preventive measures
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Create 24,000 jobs in its first year, generating $977 million in wages
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Federal funds totaling $8.2 billion would come into Missouri over 6 years, with less than $300 million funding required from the State
Action Needed: Advocate and support legislative action to:
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Maximize coverage under the Medicaid program to those newly eligible under the ACA by utilizing the federal funds contributed by employers and workers that are available to the State of Missouri
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Encourage local control over health care decisions and in the hands of local workforce and employers
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Reward improved health outcomes without jeopardizing the viability of local health care providers
STATE GOVERNMENT DIRECTORY MISSOURI GOVERNOR
MISSOURI STATE CAPITOL
STATE SENATORS
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
S. Kiki Curls - District 9 Room 434 1(573)751-3158 shalonn.curls@senate.mo.gov
Rick Brattin - District 55 Room 114-C 1(573)751-3783 rick.brattin@house.mo.gov
Ed Emery - District 31 Room 431 1(573)751-2108 ed.emery@senate.mo.gov
Mike Cierpiot - District 30 Room 302-B 1(573)751-0907 mike.cierpiot@house.mo.gov
Jason Holsman - District 7 Room 329 1(573)751-6607 jason.holsman@senate.mo.gov
Gary Cross - District 35 Room 112 1(573)751-1459 gary.cross@house.mo.gov
Will Kraus - District 8 Room 418 1(573)751-1464 will.kraus@senate.mo.gov
Rebecca Roeber - District 34 Room 116-3 1(573)751-1456 rebecca.roeber@house.mo.gov
Paul LeVota - District 11 Room 421 1(573)751-3074 paul.levota@senate.mo.gov
Joe Runions - District 37 Room 101-F 1(573)751-9469 joe.runions@house.mo.gov
Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon Room 216 1(573)751-3222
201 W. Capitol Avenue Jefferson City, MO 65101 www.mo.gov
Sheila Solon - District 31 Room 305-B 1(573)751-8636 sheila.solon@house.mo.gov
LOCAL GOVERNMENT DIRECTORY MAYOR
Randall L. Rhoads (816)524-8245 randy.rhoads@cityofls.net
DISTRICT ONE
DISTRICT THREE
Rob Binney (816)289-1929 rob.binney@me.com
Derek Holland (816)309-8008 derek.holland@cityofls.net
Diane Forte (816)537-8958 diane.forte@cityofls.net
Diane Seif (816)668-3658 diane.seif@cityofls.net
DISTRICT TWO
DISTRICT FOUR
Trish Carlyle (816)309-6364 trish.carlyle@cityofls.net
Bob Johnson bjohnsond4@gmail.com (816)225-6126
Allan S. Gray II (816)695-8845 allangrayd2@me.com
Dave Mosby (816)246-1315 davemosbyd4@me.com 7
220 SE Main Street • Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 816.524.2424 • LSchamber.com • LSchambervote4biz.com