Missouri Times - January 24, 2018 by Missouri Times

The Missouri Times

GREITENS’ COO:

PREPARE FOR $300 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS “This is our new normal”

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REALTORS WRAP SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE WEEK

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Missouri Times

OPINION

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Could a new rule in policing deter profiling and further criminal justice reform? By Arthur Rizer and Sara Baker Anyone who has watched TV knows the line: “You have a right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law….” These words represent more than a common “Law and Order” trope. Indeed, they embody a cardinal rule for police work: Every defendant in police custody must be notified of his or her rights to be silent and to counsel. When the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision in Miranda v. Arizona in 1966, the law enforcement community vociferously complained that the new rule requiring officers to notify people of their rights would trigger a crime wave. Today, crime rates are incredibly low. In fact, the murder rate is at its lowest since 1966 – the same year Miranda was decided. Law enforcement sentiment toward the Miranda rule has also largely changed. Of course, officers knew the Constitution guaranteed such rights before the Miranda decision. But until then, no officer thought it was part of his or her job to notify defendants of such rights. Today, many police leaders see Miranda as a net positive for police work because it helps inoculate officers from accusations of presumptively coercive questioning. Not only does Miranda clarify the law, it allows courts, police departments and the public to determine which officers are abiding by the Constitution and which are skirting the law in their attempts to ferret out crime. Another policing topic that officers are now looking to the law to clarify is discriminatory policing – also known as racial profiling. In its most basic form, racial profiling is the practice of performing police activity (such as vehicle stops) in a way that disproportionately impacts certain racial groups. It is a controversial subject for many officers, who often feel frustrated because they see racial profiling charges as unfair accusations of racism. Deconstructing all the factors that lead to racial disparities in policing is no simple task. Yet just as the Miranda rule protects both the police and the public, a new racial-profiling rule could ultimately promote public safety by increasing trust between the community and law enforcement. That’s why we need a rule that can guide officers when it comes to racial profiling. One such rule could include a mandate that officers keep records of who they pull over, as well as when and why the stop occurred and what happened after the stop. When compared to demographic benchmarks for a given population, such records can help determine whether an officer is more likely to search, cite or arrest minorities compared to other racial or ethnic groups. Time and time again, we have seen scenarios in which white officers pull over black people for minor traffic violations, it escalates into an unnecessary arrest and sometimes even death. Our nation needs no more examples of deaths of black people such as Mike Brown in St. Louis, Philando Castile in Minneapolis, Minn. or Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Okla., to know that we must improve policing in the U.S. Gathering this kind of data can help bridge the trust gap between police forces and the public at large, a gap that many communities – especially communities of color – are currently experiencing. By making this data available and easy to analyze,

citizens can ensure their officers are protecting and serving. Officers will also benefit from the rule because they will be able to combat any false allegations of racism. And, at the same time, police leadership can use the data to identify officers who have issues and mark them for further training or a different career. Missouri legislators are debating proposals to update the state’s racial profiling law, including laws that would mandate this type of record-keeping. Since 2000, Missouri has documented racial disparities in policing through the Missouri Attorney General’s “Vehicle Stops Report,” which summarizes the data law enforcement agencies across the state gather on driver stops. While the data are comprehensive in their geography (96.9 percent of agencies contributed data in 2016), citizens need data that provide a more comprehensive understanding of how officers make their decisions – and they can only do that if police departments collect and distribute this information. With this in mind, Sen. Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) filed Senate Bill 828, which formally prohibits discrimination in policing and requires law enforcement agencies to put policies in place to eliminate such discrimination. The bill creates accountability by requiring law enforcement agencies to review their vehicle-stop data yearly and report it back to the community. Senate Bill 828 also requires that officers who police unfairly face discipline as well as counseling and training. Finally, the legislation creates a procedure for putting law enforcement agencies under attorney general review when warranted. In 2017, Missouri House Republican Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) proposed racial profiling legislation that created similar requirements. There is widespread, bipartisan support for tackling what is undoubtedly a racial profiling problem in Missouri (in 2016, African Americans were stopped at a rate 75 percent higher than whites.) Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley said in 2016, “Racial profiling threatens that fairness and impartiality the rule of law demands.” In 2015, Democrat Attorney General Chris Koster said the law could use revisions “in the type of data collected and to strengthen the penalties for individual departments that fail to participate in the reporting process.” Officers from around the state, including the Ethical Society of Policing, believe the law needs an update – to protect both law enforcement and the community. In the end, criminal justice reform is making its way across the country, with Texas, California and Louisiana enacting sweeping reforms. As Missouri and other states begin to debate which reforms should be tackled this year, they should bear in mind that police-community interactions are the starting point for almost all criminal justice issues. Reforms that focus on these interactions – including data-collection mandates and others – should be at the forefront of our minds as we look to make the rule of law truly equal and our communities safer for all.

Arthur Rizer is the director of security and criminal justice for the R Street Institute. Arthur also served as a federal prosecutor and civilian police officer, and retired from the US Army WVNG Military Police Corps after 20 years of service (@arthurrizer). Sara Baker is the legislative and policy director at the ACLU of Missouri. During legislative session, she serves as the ACLU’s lobbyist in Jefferson City (@SaraEBaker1).

The Missouri Times

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Highlights in 280 characters or less. Travis Fitzwater @travisfitzwater Considering that Missouri is missing out on #AmazonHQ2, I hope we, as a state, can move forward with providing any of the incentives we would’ve given to @Amazon to Missouri’s own homegrown #entrepreneurs. #ThatsABetterInvestment

“Great news: we found another 86 government cars that weren’t needed, and we’re getting rid of them! $2.2 million of your tax dollars saved. Amazing what can be accomplished with some common sense. It’s your money and we’re fighting to make sure the government doesn’t waste a cent of it.”

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Gov. Eric Greitens on Facebook, Jan. 19, 2018

Richard Callow @publiceyestl Today is @scottfaughn’s bday. He’d like a newsroom of @therachdunn clones and a My Son Plays for the Cardinals t-shirt. He has everything else. 9:16 AM - 19 Jan 2018 Scott Charton @ScottCharton I was asked why Missouri Governor Eric #Greitens has not come out and faced the media for questions, more than one week after scandal broke. The answer is, he does not know what media knows and may ask. Spontaneity is high risk. #mogov #moleg

HOT LIST

REP. DOGAN

Responsible for one of the first bills out of the House, Dogan’s hairbraiding and regulatory reform bill could possibly be one of the first bills to the Governor’s desk.

TONY MESSENGER

You know you’re doing something right when you have one of the most talked about columns in recent weeks, meanwhile he’s maintained his normal fire on general government observance.

REPS. CONWAY, HAEFNER

Agree with them or not, these two women were the courageous first Republican two representatives to publicly call for the Governor’s resignation.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS KANSAS CITY - 38 THE SPOT AT 10:00 A.M. ST. LOUIS - ABC 30 KDNL AT 11:00 A.M. SPRINGFIELD - MCN 22 AT 11:00 A.M. MID-MISSOURI - MCN 22 AT 11:00 A.M.

STREAM ONLINE AT TWMP.TV

The Missouri Times

Greitens’ COO tells cabinet to prepare for $300 million in reductions by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

Missouri’s state departments are looking into ways to tighten the proverbial belt in advance of the 2019 fiscal year’s budget, at the request of the top officials in the Governor’s Office. And it seems to be an indicator of what remains to come in future years. In an email, obtained by the Missouri Times through a Sunshine request, sent to the heads of the state departments and members of the Cabinet, the state’s chief operating officer, Drew Erdmann, thanked the departments for their first response to a call for “potential reductions.” “However, we have a long way to go,” he wrote. “Your first wave yielded ~$108 million in potential additional reductions. We need to prepare for ~$300 million of additional reductions given our Missouri tax revenue situation and the prospects of federal tax reform and rising mandatory expenses (especially in healthcare). And we will continue to face these pressures in the years ahead. “This is our new normal.” Before taking office, Governor Eric Greitens had run on a platform of change, promising to reduce the size of government and cut back on spending in addition to reducing the “red tape” and decreasing taxes. In an effort to identify areas of spending that could be reduced or cut entirely, the Governor created the new position of Chief Operating Officer, selecting Erdmann for the task. One year later, and the Republican-led executive office is once again looking to reduce costs and spending, asking the departments to take a look at ways to address the issue of increased spending and potentially lower revenues. In his email, Erdmann told the Cabinet members it was up to them to make tough decisions to stop some programs, noting that the Department of Health and Senior Services had proposed eliminating Home and Community-Based Services for individuals in residential care and assisted living facilities, freeing up $9,279,827 in general revenue. Erdmann’s letter, sent out on Dec. 11, 2017, asks the cabinet members to regroup their budget teams in order to revise their suggested core reductions and submit them to Dan Haug and the Budget and Planning team on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017. Erdmann recommended that the departments consider their strategic priorities, their FTEs, how to be more efficient with the staff and resources they already have, as well as options where they might transition duties and responsibilities to a nonprofit or private service provider. “Thanks to you all for tackling this unpleasant challenge. We are all in the same boat here as State leaders and citizens,” he finished.

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6 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

House sends three bills to Senate Legislation on anti-human trafficking posters, a ban on lobbyist gifts, and hair braiding get overwhelming approval by Alisha Shurr

alisha@themissouritimes.com

The Missouri House of Representatives got down to business last week, passing the first bills of the session. The legislation was overwhelmingly approved by the Republican-led chamber and not for the first time. All three bills — anti-human trafficking posters, a ban on lobbyist expenditures and loosening hair braiding requirements — have been seen in previous sessions where they have passed the House but stalled in the Senate. The first bill of the year passed by the General Assembly would require truck stops, bus stations, strip clubs and other businesses to hand posters advertising the national human trafficking hotline. Rep. Patricia Pike’s, R-Adrian, bill aims at curbing human trafficking in the Missouri by increasing a victims’ access PIKE to the hotline and promit-

ng awareness of the issue in the state. “We are behind the game in determining that this is a really big issue,” Rep. Mike Butler, D-St. Louis, said. “This is a good step forward.” Missouri ranks in the top 20 of states in human trafficking, or “modern-day slavery” as it was referred to several times in previous debate. Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received nearly 2,000 reports of human trafficking cases in the state and it has identified as many as 1,000 possible victims in Missouri. “It has been shown that when victims use hotline numbers they have a better chance of being rescued,” Pike said. House Bill 1246 would require various establishments, specified in the bill, to display a poster that provides information regarding human trafficking, including what it is and what resources victims have for getting help, in a conspicuous place near the front of the establishment, starting March 1, 2019. The Department of Public Safety will create the poster before January 1, 2019, and make it available for print on the department’s website. In a very emotional committee hearing earlier in January, victims and victims advocated

Eigel, Koenig tag team tax reform in Senate Ways and Means Committee by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

The junior senators from the St. Louis region, Sen. Andrew Koenig and Sen. Bill Eigel, have taken a large task upon themselves in their mission to reform the state’s tax code, and their fellow senators on the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee were more than willing to tell them so. Koenig’s SB 611 and Eigel’s SB 617 both look to bring about reform, an item that has been at the forefront of politics not just statewide, but nationally as well. Eigel’s legislation is a broad and bold proposal, which starts with scrapping the current system of personal income taxation and drop the top income tax rate from 5.9 percent down to 4.8 percent. Eigel explained that his plan would eliminate the bottom four tax brackets to alleviate the burden on those citizens. The plan would, over the course of decades, eventually eliminate Missouri’s individual income tax, which he says would be replaced by the sales tax revenue.

Eigel’s plan also calls for the capping of tax credits and repealing the state deduction for federal income tax liability. In addition to that, his plan includes a few other tax proposals, which he says might never pass the General Assembly unless it’s part of a larger overhaul package. A perfect example of this is raising the states’ fuel tax from 17 cents to 23 cents per gallon. Koenig’s version of the tax overhaul is less dramatic, although it would decrease the top individual income tax rate no Lowe than 4.3 percent. It also would cut the corporate tax rate from 6.25 percent to 4.25 percent, and cap local sales tax rates at 7.275 percent. Hisbill also calls for a streamlined sales tax, a nonrefundable earned income tax, and a four cent gasoline tax increase. As with any tax reform measures, it can be hard to sway colleagues to view the proposal the same way, but the two younger senators both approached the issue with an eagerness.

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shared their stories and stories of other. No one spoke in opposition to the bill. The bill passed the House with a 139-5 vote and is not in the Senate. With ethics as a priority for House leadership, Rep. Justin Alferman’s lobbyist gift ban bill is moving to the Senate. “This is something my constituents have pushed hard for,” Rep. Peter Merideth said during open debate. The bill bans lobbyist expenditures to state public officials. It also would ALFERMAN remove reporting requirements. However, the bill does include provisions to ensure that lobbyists can still make expenditures for the entire General Assembly and it makes an exemption for customary gifts, flowers and plants. Ethics has been a big talking point on both sides of the aisle and most agree that a ban on lobbyist gifts are need but the finer points of this specific bill offered some contention. Some members of the chamber questioned certain aspects of the legislation, saying that removing reporting requirements “will decrease transparency” and “push a lot underground.” Others don’t think it goes far enough and that all gifts from lobbyists should be banned.

The bill is similar to last year’s and just like last years, their is no memtion of the word “gift” but rather “expenditures.” It is now in the hands of the Senate, where it stalled last year. The House seemed to agree that requiring hair braiders to be licensed by the state Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners was over regulation by government. “You shouldn’t have to go to cospotomoly school to braid hair,” Rep. Deb Lavender said. Though Lavender, along with a few others, found the lack educational requirements in any form not up to standard. She said she understands the need to avoid over regulation but “also need to think about the clients.” During perfection of the bill, an amendment reDOGAN quiring 10 hours of online schooling was soundly rejected by the Republican-controlled House. Rep. Shamed Dogan, the sponsor of HB 1500, said, “this overturns burdens that strangle hair braiders.” The bill requires hair braiders to pay $25 state registration and complete a self-test about diseases and infection control.

Asbestos cases, arbitration agreements lead to lively debate by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

If last week’s Special Committee on Litigation Reform is any indicator of how tort reform measures will fare during this legislative session, then one should expect a long and heated debate. Three bills appeared before the committee: Rep. Bruce DeGroot’s HB 1531, which regards interpleaders, as well his bill on asbestos-related damages, as well as Rep. Kevin Corlew’s HB 1512, which addresses arbitration agreements. The committee wasted little time to pass DeGroot’s HB 1531, which passed with a vote of 6-3, with Reps. Mitten, Ellebracht, and Roberts voting nay. But the true story of the hearing was in what followed the vote. HB 1512 First up in the committee was Corlew’s bill, which seeks to make changes to the Uniform Arbitration Act. Presenting his bill before the committee,

Corlew told his colleagues that the bill was similar to legislation that had been heard in previous years, including SB 45 in the previous session and HB 1718 in 2016. He said the purpose of the bill was to strengthen the arbitration agreement process by providing that in the matter between an employer and an “at-will employee”, the arbitrator is authorized to make all decisions as to the arbitrability, which includes: “deciding whether the parties have agreed to arbitrate, whether the arbitration agreement is enforceable, and whether specific claims are arbitrable.” The bill establishes criteria for “when the arbitrator must determine if the arbitration agreement is valid.” By allowing for more agreement to be arbitrated, Corlew said it would free up the dockets in court to handle other litigation. He said the language still allowed the parties to contract, and the court decides whether to stay any action before the court and order the parties to

DEBATE | CONTINUED ON 13

The Missouri Times

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Hannah Kelly withdraws earned paid family leave legislation by Alisha Shurr

alisha@themissouritimes.com

Emery’s utility bill passes committee Romine, Libla still opposing by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

Legislation regarding utilities is moving forward, with the latest news Wednesday afternoon that Sen. Ed Emery’s SB 564 had passed out of its first Senate committee. Just last week, the committee heard hours of testimony on whether the bill should advance, debating the merits of what Emery called a more simplified version of the previous year’s utility bill, SB 190. The bill seeks to push utility companies forward in an endeavor to upgrade their power grids by modifying provisions for rate adjustments and implementing rate caps. It seems that the members of the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment committee agreed with the testimony in favor of the bill, waiting one week to vote the bill “do pass” with a 9-1 vote. “The committee members all agree that something needs to be done, but they all acknowledge, by and large, that we still have some work to do on the bill,” Emery said. Emery said he spoke to the members of the committee beforehand, saying that the intent was to continue working on the bill to address the concerns laid out in the previous hearing. Sen. Dave Schatz spoke in the hearing, saying that the vote was not an approval of the bill as the final product, but echoing the sentiments that the bill was significant enough to move it forward.

“A number of committee members have concerns, and we’re going to address that, but whether they address it sufficiently to satisfy everyone is obviously always a question through the legislative process,” Emery said. “We’ll have floor substitute that we will introduce when the bill actually comes up on the calendar and that floor substitute is what we will work on and debate in the Senate.” He says that any constructive amendments would be welcomed. Only Sen. Gary Romine voted against the bill, holding true to his convictions as he has every time a similar bill has appeared before the committee. “My number one concern with the bill is that it’s not a cap at all, and they’re trying to garner support from all people involved - other senators as well as public opinion,” Romine said later that afternoon. “It’s a milestone. Once they average three percent, the next five years, everything that was not used in the rate case gets carried forward into the next rate case, which could mean a 10 percent per year increase going forward. It’s not anything but a delay tactic.” Romine says that the bill is “fraught with problems” and needs more work to it, perhaps even completely different language. He says he is in the process of trying to draft some legislation using his key points of issue with the bill. “I would like to deal with this issue, but we’re always presented with such a ridiculous proposal that there’s no fixing the bill,” he said. “Maybe I need to draft my own language to address it.” Romine’s inquiries during the hearing

sought to point out that the caps, which had been called for by a number of organizations during the interim, were not truly hard caps. As for the changing of the ratemaking mechanisms, Romine says it’s made difficult because the current system seems to be working well for utility companies in the Show-Me State. Romine also stated that with the caps, they feel more comfortable adding other provisions, or additional charges, as he calls the items. “It’s nothing but a win-win for the utility companies, and all the consumer gets is five years worth of caps,” he said. “But they’re going to see a big spike the following year, possibly.” “In its current form, it’s not a good bill,” he said. That sentiment is shared by fellow Sen. Doug Libla, who, prior to the hearing on Wednesday, issued his analysis of the bill and stated why he opposed the bill. “I don’t disagree that this bill is not in its final form,” Emery said. As to the issue of the rate caps, Emery said it’s one of the key issues they will have to address, trying to find a way to “harden” the rate caps in a manner that is more agreeable. He said has meetings scheduled in the coming weeks to try and find the ways to address the concerns, especially since the bill seems to be coming out so early in the legislative session. “We’re at least in a workable position, and I think we have a lot of support in the Senate to get something done in this regulatory environment,” he said. “I think we’re in a good spot this year.”

Just over a week after it was filed, a bill for earned paid family leave was withdrawn. House Bill 1974 — introduced by Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove — would have established up to eight weeks of paid leave per 12 month period for eligible employees in Missouri who have contributed to the fund. “I agree with President Trump that our nation has long overlooked making childcare more affordable for families, I believe it is time for Missouri to invest in our families,” Kelly said in a news release. “While I agreed to introduce HR 1974, I was very clear in my discussions with stakeholders, a significant amendment was needed. As a result of our inability to reach agreement on the amendment language I will be withdrawing HB 1974.” The United States is the only industrialized country lacking a nation-wide earned paid family and medical leave program. Although, five states — California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York and Washington — have passed laws that are similar in effect. The bill that was introduced was modeled after research the Women’s Foundation conducted on how California’s law — which was implemented in 2004 — impacted businesses and the economy. After the bill was introduced, there was a lot of talk on social media. One Facebook user called the bill “theft.” Another user said that even though the employee, not the government or employer was paying for it, this wasn’t “limited government.” Other’s lept to the defense of the bill. One person wrote, “Workers with paid family leave are happier, more productive, and more loyal to their company. This program will pay for itself monetarily and in other intangible ways.” “I have always believed that those at the kitchen know what is best for their families, not the government,” Kelly said. “A government which governs less, rather than more, is the best form of government. “Since there was no acceptable language presented which we were able to agree upon that meets this standard, I have sent a letter to the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives formally requesting that this bill be withdrawn.”

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A talk with...

Johnny Graham

clectic and adventurous, Revel owner Johnny Graham returned home and four years ago, opened up shop to cater Jefferson City. Graham was booked solid for the first month of the 2018 session and is looking towards a very busy, very adventurous spring. “I think two things people like about us is they’re going to get something different, it’s not going to be the same, but our service, our service is equal to none,” Graham said. “Everybody on our staff cares. We always look for the way to do it better and we don’t take the easy way out. That’s the biggest, biggest thing that we offer is our customer care.” Graham picked up the Governor’s Mansion kitchen in 2017, overseeing offenders. “I took it as a real opportunity to make some difference, one of those guys is getting out of the parole is going to work here full time,” Graham said, who says he’s excited to soon offer a few of his current offenders jobs when they’re paroled.

“I like being part of the celebrations, to be quite honest, and I don’t like the idea of being married to a restaurant.” Born in New Orleans, the unapologetic meat-eating Graham grew up in Jefferson City before traveling the country – and cooking for Bruce Willis, Keith Richards, and even Aerosmith – exploring what he loves most: food. After more than a few years away, he set up shop on High Street, shying away from restauranting. “I like being part of the celebrations, to be quite honest, and I don’t like the idea of being married to a restaurant which I believe you are,” Graham said. “I had a restaurant, even when you’re closed, it’s just always there. It’s such a gamble. Catering sort of takes the gamble out of it financially for me. I don’t buy food until I’ve pretty much

already sold it.” Graham says the catering route allows him to “focus on doing better food and doing a great event and providing great service, and not worrying so much about selling something before it rots on a special, which is what you have to do in the restaurant industry.” In mid-Missouri, Graham has taken full advantage of the agricultural offerings of local farms, ranging from beef from Rocking B Ranch, chicken from the Old Summit Restoration Farms, to seasonal produce from Sullivan Farms from the Columbia Farmer’s Market. Graham enjoys seasonal produce, herbs, and foraging at Blue Fox Farms in Columbia and also regularly gets chicken and beef from Country Neighbors in Fayette. “It’s good when they’re from a happy farm,” Graham said. “Well-cared for animals really do make a difference in the flavor and quality of the meat.” For some of that meat, Graham has a 500 gallon propane tank that has been converted into a smoker. It can cook 44 pork butts at once, but it takes his Ford to move it. The chef, fully in his element at the Revel bar surrounded by taxidermy including a brown raven to a “Meet the Beatles” re-imagining with chickens, looks around at the calm-before-the-storm shop preparing for the night’s events. Graham has found a hole in Jefferson City that the town didn’t know needed filling - and a spot where he, too, can grow and change. “I can start pushing and finding different things and that’s kind of how we grow - with the season. In the same way how we cook for the seasons, we have guest chefs. We’ve got two guest chefs now, old colleagues of mine - one from culinary school and another from Martha’s Vineyard.” Graham has a catering business in Martha’s Vineyard he attends to in the summers.

The Missouri Times Never fear, he’ll be back before veto session. He spent most of his 20s and 30s going back and forth between the Vineyard and Los Angeles, where he started culinary school. “I went to California Culinary Academy (CCA) in San Francisco, California for about four and a half months,” Graham laughs. “And it didn’t seem to be for me, you know. This is when there were only two or three cooking schools out there, now they’re everywhere, now everybody has a culinary program. This is when there was a Culinary Institute of America in New York and CCA in California. It just, for me, I’d already had experience and it seemed like there was a lot of lecture in what is a decidedly lab career. I looked at what my dad was spending, and my advice to the kids now is ‘okay, send them to culinary school, but first take six months, get a job, in the best restaurant, somewhere like New York, LA, instead of spending tuition, get a studio apartment there’ and I tell kids all the time ‘get a job in a restaurant that makes everything from scratch, one of those five star restaurants, they won’t hire you -- volunteer -- they’ll take you.’ Paying to go to culinary school, do that six months, still want to go to culinary school? Then go. Chances are, you may not want to be in the industry anymore after doing that and you save yourself time and money and learn a lot of cool things along the way.” But, don’t get him wrong. Graham says there’s book knowledge like classic “mother sauces” that are vital to cuisine. More importantly, formal culinary education provides networking. Shortly, Graham will be going an another adventure for the sake of the industry: Hawaii. “I’m going on an eating, I shouldn’t say expedition,” Graham said. “The next food trip I’m going on is Hawaii. I don’t know much about Hawaiian food, but I said yes to catering a big YMCA gala in March and it’s a fantasy island theme that’s going to be great. So, in February I’m going to Hawaii to eat for a week.” “Most of my travel is based around work and eating. Cooking and eating, I should say.” But is there anything Graham can’t cook? “There are things I’m not as capable of,” Graham said. “And those turn out to be my favorite foods and I’ll start, usually when I identify an area that’s something I really like. Take for instance, I can do Thai food, and there was a while I couldn’t and so I ate Thai food. I started cooking and trying to emulate it. I’m kinda going through that with Indian food right now, a lot of Indian spices.” Between the Revel location, the Governor’s Mansion, and on-site catering, the demand for Graham and his varying staff of 20 is rivaling the amount of meals in a week.

THE MISSOURI TIMES MAGAZINE PRESENTS

THE MISSOURI TIMES

5TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018, 6:00 P.M. THE MILLBOTTOM, JEFFERSON CITY HONORING

STATESMAN OF THE YEAR

MIKE KEHOE

THE MISSOURI TIMES MAGAZINE 2017 LEGISLATORS OF THE YEAR FOR SPONSORSHIP AND TICKET INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT RACHAEL HERNDON DUNN

Statesman of Year, Best of the Legislature award presentations next Tuesday at anniversary party by Alisha Shurr

alisha@themissouritimes.com

January marks five years of the Missouri Times, a feat that rarely comes to fruition for new news organizations. And what better way to celebrate than with a party and alcohol? On January 30, The Missouri Times’ 5th Anniversary Party will get underway at 6 p.m. at the Millbottom. Don’t worry, there’s been a promise to keep the award ceremonies short. “In five years, Scott went from being Scott to a ‘simple hillbilly from West Butler County,’” editor Rachael Dunn said. “He might want to be humble, but what we’ve been able to grow this paper into is worth celebrating. In 5 years, the Missouri Times has built a vast source network, started a statewide television show, branched out into podcasts and radio, all while maintaining a newspaper at the Capitol focused on Missouri state politics.”

Publisher and co-founder Scott Faughn — who was elected as the youngest mayor in the history of Poplar Bluff, Mo., at the age of 22 — has used his experience and expertise to help grow the publication since its founding in January 2013. “Scott wants to be humble, so we’re taking this as the perfect opportunity to present Sen. Kehoe with his Statesman of the Year Award in front of the most influential people in Missouri politics,” Dunn said. “Additionally, the awards for Missouri Times Magazine’s Best of the Legislature for 2017 will be awarded. You may think award ceremonies are boring, but Scott has made me promise to keep it snappy and focus on celebrating the Statesman and ‘Best of.’” At the event, you can expect special guests, food, and refreshments. “I’m also very excited to use the event for a great cause,” Dunn said. “With such a variety of people from in and around the Capitol and the

annals of Missouri politics, it’s too good of a time to not give back. We will have a silent auction to benefit the Easter Seals with some fantastic Capitol art, sporting tickets, and the opportunity to bid on lunches with some of your favorite elected officials.” The celebration will be catered by Johnny Graham and is open to anyone who wants to join in celebrating 5 years of the Missouri Times. The party is planned and organized by Dunn with influence from the “simple hillbilly from West Butler County.” Tickets can be acquired from Dunn. “Those who love Missouri and politics should obviously attend this event, not just because Scott throws a great party, but because I took a stand and made sure there will be tablecloths,” Dunn said. “Also, expect some very special guests that I personally cannot wait to shake the hands of again.”

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REALTORS tout legislative agenda at conference by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

The Missouri REALTORS have descended upon the Capital City for their annual conference, but this year marks a special occasion for the group: a 50-year-anniversary for the Fair Housing Act, as well as Sam Licklider’s 50th year lobbying for the organization. The event, in conjunction with the organization’s January business conference, drew over 400 attendees, more than 100 of which were attending for the first time. Speaking before the group, state director Nate Johnson delivered a legislative briefing to the members, highlighting three key issues: the historic tax credits and low-income housing tax credits, real estate licensee immunity from liability, and first-time homebuyers’ savings accounts. The first of these, the tax credits, have been a topic of much contention in the past few months as Republicans push forward with tax reform measures. Gov. Eric Greitens made headlines in 2017 when he led the vote to pull the funding for the low-income housing tax credits for the following year. “The Missouri REALTORS has been a champion of Missouri’s historic tax credit since its inception,” Johnson said. “In fact, we were one of the organizations that helped get that initiative passed. It’s been a great resource for our state to revitalize communities, both rural and urban. We wouldn’t have some of the buildings that we do now if not for those tax credits.” “The low-income housing tax credit is critical to our state,” he added. “It provides housing and opportunity to people who might otherwise have any options. It’s just necessary, and it’s the right thing for us to be doing as a state. Some of the developers just wouldn’t do these projects without these tax credits.” “Far too often, at both the state and national level, legislators look at these things in a vacu-

um, and they don’t see this ripple effect because they’re not looking at the big picture,” CEO John Sebree said. As for the Fair Housing Act, it has now been 50 years since it was put in place. For the REALTORS, it’s a monumental anniversary. “Missouri REALTORS is very proud of the work that we have done to further fair housing in our state,” Johnson said. “We certainly have

more work to be done, however, we’ve come a long way over the past 50 years. And we’re very passionate about protecting and preserving private property rights and providing a way for home ownership to be within the reach of the masses. Without the Fair Housing Act, home ownership is something that has been denied to people where it shouldn’t have been, quite frankly.

Johnson says they have some items to commemorate the Fair Housing Act this year, and will continue to support and promote it across the state. “Real estate touches everything,” Sebree said. “There are hundreds of issues that we care about.” On the issue of real estate licensee immunity from liability, Sebree says that there have been issues with frivolous lawsuits against realtors because the square footage of a house was off due to a third party source’s information. “There is an onus on our members to make sure they’re doing the right thing, but it really addresses some frivolous lawsuits,” Sebree said. “It’s not fair that the realtor would be held responsible when they were using information provided to them by county or city tax records,” Johnson said. Legislative agenda items for the REALTORS is the first time home buyers savings account, which Sebree compared to the MOST 529 savings accounts, saying it was a way for first time home buyers to put aside money to help overcome the barrier to owning a home. “It’s much more affordable to own than it is to rent, but getting over that hurdle of the down payment is hard,” he said. “So we’re excited about that. Rep. Becky Ruth has that in the House and Sen. Caleb Rowden in the Senate.” Both men said the event is a great opportunity for their members to connect with the Capitol, saying that they’re the largest trade association in the state, in every community. Sebree said that it was worth noting that 10 legislators in Missouri are realtors. Realtors connect the community to Jefferson City, because they’re ones out there, hearing from people in the community. They know what people are struggling with, so it’s nice to see realtors running for public office,” Sebree said. “And no one does yard signs better than realtors,” he added with a laugh.

Statewide startup investment fund may become reality by Alisha Shurr

alisha@themissouritimes.com

A statewide startup investment fund in Missouri, first proposed last summer by an innovation task force appointed by Gov. Eric Greitens, may become reality. St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce officials are in Jefferson City this week to lobby for the professionally managed fund, which would be the next generation of the Missouri Technology Corporation. “We made a lot of advances in the last couple years,” Andrew Smith, the Chamber’s vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation, said. “We want to get this going so we don’t lose

momentum. “Moving away from the MTC, the key is to get this done quickly and not to have a gap.” Investing in startup ventures would have the biggest economic impact with the most return — early stage investments have the biggest returns — but it does come more risk. “This would be real investment in that state,” Smith said. “Something like 80 percent of all new jobs created are by companies that are five years or newer.” Startup companies in Missouri are disadvantaged compared to those in California and New York and other states because they don’t have the same proximity to Capitol, according to Smith.

“There is a lot of innovation in Missouri,” Smith said. “And a lot of great ideas.” The idea of a statewide startup investment fund came about for two reasons. First, the severe lack funding to the MTC. In the current budget year, the Governor and the General Assembly pulled 90 percent of funding — which decreased funds from roughly $24 million in the fiscal year 2017 to $2.5 million in the fiscal year 2018. Second, the Governor’s innovation task force asked the question, “What comes next?” The answer was the very fund the St. Louis Regional Chamber is advocating for. “There are some well-established models” to go off, according to Smith. Several other states

have created similar programs. And Missouri’s fund would need to be scaled to make a difference. “We are not talking $5 million, or even $10 million, but rather $100 million,” Smith said. “I’ve even heard figures above that thrown around.” Ideally, the investment would be made up of public and private money. The public funds could come about one of two ways: either through bond financing or the general budget. Smith believes that bond financing would be the logical, achievable approach to getting the startup investment fund working. Which again, Smith stressed timeliness, “We simply can’t afford to lose momentum.”

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Spire lays to bed old claims of increased rates with proven savings in latest rate case by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

The Missouri Public Service Commission has been buried deep into documents and papers regarding the natural gas rate case for Spire Missouri, but the company is looking to dispel some of the rumors that preceded the rate case in recent years. Filings in the current Spire case indicate that PSC staff has backed away from previous allegations concerning the company’s acquisitions of other utilities, acquisitions that transformed the company into one of the largest gas utilities in the country. Spire has changed significantly in the past years, completing a number of acquisitions and transforming themselves into one of the largest gas utilities in the country. In 2016, staff alleged that the acquisitions had led to higher rates for Missouri customers, but now, both Spire and the PSC staff seem to agree that the acquisitions have actually led to savings. Steve Lindsey “Several years ago we made the decision to remake this company with the aim of providing better, more cost-effective service to our customers,” said Spire Chief Operating Officer Steve Lindsey. “The results of those efforts have been nothing short of transformational. It’s a testament to the 3,300 dedicated Spire employees that we’ve been able to deliver, and even exceed these ambitious goals.” Back in September of 2016, the Missouri Public Service Commission’ staff released an investigative report, which Spire (formerly known as the Laclede Group) maintains falsely concluded that rates had risen while services decreased for Missouri customers after the company purchased a large natural gas utility company in Alabama. The 77-page report read:

“Staff is of the opinion that the Alagasco acquisition has had effects on Missouri ratepayers, including higher rates due to the effects of increased holding company debt on Laclede Gas’ credit rating; direct allocation of acquisition and transition costs; decreased customer service quality, including billing errors and the ongoing loss of experienced customer service representatives in the call centers. “Staff is of the opinion that the EnergySouth acquisition will have effects on Missouri ratepayers similar to those that the Alagasco acquisition has had.” At the time, the PSC staff said Spire should have sought approval from the Missouri regulatory commission in their $1.6 billion purchase of Alagasco. Spire argued differently, saying that the PSC has no jurisdiction outside of the state. According to the report, Laclede (Spire)

has committed resources as part of the deal. “Laclede Group had no approval from the (PSC) to commit (Laclede Gas) to operate Alagasco or make commitments on its behalf to the Alabama Public Service Commission,” the PSC report read. “The Alabama Public Service Commission nonetheless approved the transaction in part based on these nonauthorized (Laclede Gas) commitments.” The news was reported in several media outlets: Regulators: Laclede Gas customers pay extra for parent company Spire’s out-of-state acquisitions ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch Public Service Commission staff report says Spire increased rates to pay for acquisitions ~ St. Louis Business Journal Fast forward to 2018, and the PSC’s work in the current rate case seems to indicate differ-

ently. “As a result of the acquisitions of Missouri Gas Energy and Alagasco collectively, we will provide savings to our customers in the rough amount of $69 million,” Lindsey continued. Lindsey outlined the savings data the company provided to the PSC for the ongoing rate case, breaking it down to show about $50 million in savings through the acquisitions and integration of Missouri Gas Energy and Laclede Gas, as well as another $19 million from Alagasco and Energy South. The company argues that these savings would not be possible without Spire’s decision to grow. They say that the staff has not contested the financial analysis provided by the company, and say that, instead, staff was forced to admit that rates had not changed since the acquisitions. In fact, Spire says their base natural gas rates have not increased in eight years except for safety-related and mandated public improvements under ISRS. Spire says that, thanks to the savings gained from the acquisitions have helped to offset infrastructure investments as well as inflation costs. That, in turn, has led to better service for their Missouri customers. Now, the staff is looking to lower the rates, an about-face from the position stated back in 2016. “If these rates are fully adopted, a customer’s overall bill will be lower than they were a decade ago,” Lindsey said. Lindsey says the company is continuing to work to invest in their system to improve safety, reliability, and service. He says that their investments are more than just upgrades to their assets; they’re investments in the community, and they want to be in a position to do right by their neighbors. The Missouri Times reached out to the PSC for comment, but as the case is still pending, the commission does not have a comment at this time.

Greitens outlines principles for tax overhaul plan Gov. Eric Greitens announced the principles for his plan for state tax reform last week. “For too long, our tax system has benefited special interests,” said Governor Eric Greitens in a news release. “Our tax plan puts working families first. We’re simplifying the tax code so small shops can compete with big businesses. We’re cutting taxes on people that work hard so they can keep more money in their pocket. And we’re doing it in a responsible, revenue-neutral way so we don’t put our children in debt. It’s the boldest state tax reform in America because it’s

tax reform for working families — not lobbyists and special interests.” In the coming weeks, Greitens and his team will release a detailed tax reform plan that follows the following principles: • Cut taxes for working families. • Lower taxes for businesses to create more jobs. • End loopholes that primarily benefit big businesses and high earners to responsibly cut taxes without breaking our budget. • Cut taxes in a way that is fiscally sound,

maintains our state’s triple-A credit rating, and does not burden our children with debt. This revenue-neutral plan is responsible and bold. It cuts taxes for more than 97% of Missourians. The Governor’s plan cuts the personal income tax rate for anyone earning more than $9,072 a year. For 380,000 low-income working Missourians, the Governor’s plan will eliminate taxes entirely—cutting their tax bill to $0.00. It cuts taxes on businesses to create jobs—

making Missouri one of the best five states in the country for corporate taxes. It does all this responsibly. By ending loopholes and unnecessary, unfair, or out-of-step breaks in our tax code, Missouri can cut taxes without going into debt. In the coming weeks, the Governor will lay out the plan in further detail, work with the general assembly to translate these principles into draft legislation, and travel the state to promote these tax cuts for working families and small businesses.

The Missouri Times

DEBATE | FROM 6

proceed to arbitration. Corlew finished his introduction by stating that the bill was a good policy, saying it was “fair, cost-effective and efficient.” “HB 1512 honors contracts between employees and employers,” he summed up. “But what does your bill do?” Rep. Gina Mitten asked Corlew. “It seems to me that it says issues of arbitrability, they are now decided by the arbitrator.” “That’s essentially it,” Corlew responded. “We’ve also added some safety clauses to ensure fairness.” Mitten pressed Corlew on the issue of an arbitrator’s pay, stating that in a courtroom, a judge has no financial interest and will get paid no matter what. But she questioned whether an arbitrator deciding the case was fair, questioning if they would rule the case is invalid, as they would “lose the case” and not get paid to the fullest extent. Corlew argued that there are ethical codes in place for attorneys, as well as arbitrators. Mitten also expressed concern about this bill limiting a woman’s ability to file sexual harassment claims, an issue brought forward by opponents of the bill as well. The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys called the bill “a way to keep bad behavior secret.” The reason for this is that, unlike court cases, arbitration cases are not typically public record, and sometimes, the outcome is subject to gag orders. Under that pretense, opponents argued that it allows an employer to repeat whatever act initially got them in trouble without fear of a light being shone on their actions. “Forced arbitration is a sexual harasser’s best friend,” Mitten stated, quoting Gretchen Carlson, the woman who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Janet Mark, the associate general counsel at Hallmark, said that arbitration is widely used to decide claims brought by both the employee or the employers. “This bill has nothing to do with placing a gag order on victims, or squelching complaints or keeping them under wraps,” she stated. Opponents of the bill said that arbitration

TAX | FROM 6

“People and money seek out economic freedom,” Koenig told the committee. “The income tax is destructive to economics. Eigel was equally strong in his statements, telling the committee that it was “incumbent upon the General Assembly to describe what a better tomorrow looks like. “We’re spending a record amount these days, yet it’s not improving our economic standing,” he said. Fielding questions from the panel of senators together, they told the committee that the seven states who do not currently have an income tax are growing at a faster rate than Missouri. They stated that their plans were simply an

takes just about as long, and costs roughly the same in time and resources. “It takes away the employees ability to argue against the contract,” Mary Anne Seder, an attorney with Sedey, Harper, Westhoff, P.C., said. A representative from the Missouri AFLCIO testified before the committee, saying that the current laws provide some transparency and called the bill “bad for Missouri workers.” “We feel this would further stack the deck in favor of employers, and it’s not the way to go,” Jeanette Motte-Oxford of Empower Missouri testified. HB 1645 But while the arbitration bill proved to produce some heated debate, it was little when compared to Rep. DeGroot’s HB 1645, which deals with damages related to asbestos. The bill would change a number of provisions in regard to asbestos tort actions. The provisions would apply to actions filed on August 28, 2018, or after, as well as pending cases where the trial has not commenced. The provisions included in the bill are as follows: Requires a claimant to provide all parties in an action a sworn statement indicating that all asbestos trust claims that the claimant can file have been completed and filed. In addition, the claimant shall provide all parties with all trust materials relating to the asbestos exposure and related claims; Allows any defendant in an asbestos tort action to file a motion for an order to stay the proceedings. The motion must contain information the defendant believes supports any additional asbestos trust claim that the claimant may file; Requires trust claims materials and trust governance documents to be admissible in evidence. Claims of privilege do not apply to trust claims materials or trust governance documents; The parties in the asbestos tort action may introduce at trial any trust claims material to prove alternative causation for the exposed person’s claimed injury, death, or loss to person, to prove a basis to allocate responsibility for the claimant’s claimed injury, death, or loss to person, and to prove issues relevant to an adjudication of the asbestos claim, unless the ex-

attempt to model the state’s tax code to those with the most successful plans. Sen. Bob Onder thanked the senators for tackling such a major issue, saying that the question was simply this: “Do we want to be in the biggest winner column or the biggest loser column?” Enter Sen. Jamilah Nasheed. The senator, along with Sen. John Rizzo, led the questioning against the bill, with Nasheed taking the lead. Nasheed noted a number of issues concerning the tax environment of the state, including the recent vote not to fund low-income housing tax credits in the coming fiscal year. She also questioned whether this was simply another break for corporations and the rich. “I don’t have an appetite right now to give tax cuts to corporations,” she

clusion of the trust claims material is otherwise required by the rules of evidence. Settlements with bankruptcy trusts shall reduce the claim by the stipulated amount of the agreement or amount of consideration paid; The court may impose sanctions for the claimant’s failure to comply with these disclosure requirements. A defendant may, within one year after the judgment, move to reopen a judgment in an asbestos action if a claimant files certain additional asbestos trust claims. DeGroot introduced the bill, telling the committee of his experiences earlier in his career, saying he had spent years taking depositions in the matter. He said the goal of HB 1645 was to prevent “double-dipping” among plaintiffs’ lawyers, who often file claims against both asbestos trusts, which cover insolvent companies, and solvent companies in the form of civil suits. He said the matter was simply a matter of fairness. “I will fight tooth and nail for a person to get what they are deserved,” DeGroot said. “I don’t agree with getting two or three times that.” DeGroot said that he was concerned for veterans, widows, and other workers getting shortchanged because others have received money from both the trusts and lawsuits. “They’re essentially double-dipping,” he said. “Without this legislation, we’re basically stealing from them.” Sen. Wayne Wallingford also appeared to testify in favor of DeGroot’s bill, stating that 30 percent of asbestos-related deaths are veterans. He told the committee that 12 other states had enacted similar legislation, and said that under this bill, juries would be better informed. But Mitten once again rose to question the legislation, taking issue with some of the language, which she said unduly allowed for the delaying of cases. “What is the cost of a life?” Rep. Gina Mitten asked. She noted that the language could, in effect, delay the proceedings, when the plaintiffs in these cases, the victims suffering from mesothelioma, may only have a year to live. “Mesothelioma is a death sentence,” one opponent stated. “Anything that puts this off, or makes it harder to file a claim, we’re against.” “It’s just not a simple process,” Lauren Wil-

said. When Sen. Koenig began to respond to one of her queries, she told him not to worry: “Oh, this bill isn’t going anywhere.” She did, however, later state that she hoped they could all find common ground that benefitted everyone. The real issue, however, seemed to be whether or not the tax reform measures would take the Show-Me State down a path similar to that of Kansas. Both Eigel and Koening explained that they believed the difference was that Kansas bit off too much in their mission to cut taxes, and failed to roll back their spending. The hearing, in all, lasted roughly three hours, before the senators headed to the Senate chambers for the session.

liams of SWMW Law said. “You have complex medical and detailed work history and product identification that comes into play. It could be impossible to figure out every occupational exposure that someone might have. “It’s completely unfair, and there’s no reciprocal for disclosure on the other side, and it’s certainly unfair with the delays.” Other opponents argued that the bill was simply another effort of so-called “tort reform”, benefiting big business and puts the burden on the plaintiff. “There were no plaintiffs or victims, or anybody that served on the plaintiff side, that supported this bill in any way. The only people supporting the bill are supporting companies that knowingly poisoned their employees, large corporations who have filed for bankruptcy in various forms,” Irl Scissors, representing the law firm of Simmons Hanly Conroy, said. “Those companies have been found, through court proceedings, to have knowingly poisoned their employees. So, any adjustments to this law, and this bill, in particular, will have an adverse effect and a negative impact on any plaintiffs or victims bringing suit.” Bart Baumstark, an attorney with the O’Brien Law Firm, has represented families of the victims of mesothelioma for years, a good number of whom have been military veterans and has testified against this type of legislation for some time. “The chief purpose is two-fold - to allow defendants to take over and dictate a plaintiff ’s claim, and delay that claim,” he said. “This bill gives them almost unfettered ability to get motions to stay and delays from judges until they die. The second purpose seeks to make solvent companies judgment proof.” “These are hardworking people, blue-collar people who work with their hands. If a defendant is at trial, and a jury finds them liable for 10-15 percent, that’s what they’ll pay. It’s a bill that is unnecessary, and hurts people who are in a bad spot already.” Rep. Corlew argued that the delays were not as substantive as some made them seem, stating that the bill provides some set time limits. The debate on the two bills lasted a little longer than two hours, but the committee did not go to executive session on either bill.

Senate confirms three interim-appointed directors On Thursday, the Missouri Senate confirmed three department directors appointed during the interim by Gov. Eric Greitens. Anna Hui was confirmed to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Rob Dixon to Economic Development and Steve Corsi to Social Services. All have been serving on as acting directors while they awaited Senate confirmation. Greitens tweeted, “Thanks to the Missouri Senate for

confirming three of our directors today. They’re doing great work for our state, and helping to win jobs for Missourians! @ MoDOLIRDirector @DixonRob @SteveCorsi.” The Senate has until Feb. 3 to act on the appointments the Governor made while the General Assembly was not in session. The Associated Press reports that 56 of Greitens’ interim appointments have been confirmed this week.

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THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK

1. Rep. Charlie Davis pulls out from SD 32 race, will run for county clerk. 2. Amazon passes over Missouri for second headquarters. 3. DED releases December 2017 Jobs Report 4. Missouri Rising testifying in support of labor reform in House hearing 5. Abortion dominates Children and Families committee hearing Read on these and more online at www.missouritimes.com. Email your news to pressreleases@themissouritimes.com

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MOST 529 savings program expanded to include tuition for public, private and religious K-12 schools The board governing Missouri’s MOST 529 plan recently passed a resolution acknowledging and welcoming the expansion of the program to include tuition for public, private and religious K-12 schools. A copy of the resolution is available online. “The expansion of the MOST 529 program to include K-12 tuition is one of the most important improvements to Missouri education policy in the past decade,” said State Treasurer Eric Schmitt, who administers the program. “This change will make educational opportunity accessible to more families than ever before and help prepare the next generation of Missourians for the economy of tomorrow.” MOST 529 is a tax-advantaged program that empowers Missouri families to save for a child’s K-12 tuition and other qualified higher education expenses. The plan, which recently surpassed the $3 billion mark for assets under

management, offers federal and state tax benefits, low costs and flexible ways to contribute post-tax dollars. Prior to the passage of federal tax reform in December 2017, MOST 529 plans were limited

getting ahead of the curve, Treasurer Schmitt and his team are setting a national example for how to effectively implement this change on the state level.” Experts say expanding qualified expenses in 529 programs to include K-12 education will result in more opportunity for families to ensure their children get a quality education. “This new law gives Missouri families more education options with their own savings,” said Lindsey Burke, Director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy. “This important change, led by Treasurer Schmitt for Missouri’s 529 plan, puts the attainment of the American Dream within closer reach for students.” Under the new provision, MOST 529 account owners can spend up to $10,000 annually on tuition expenses at a public, private or religious elementary or secondary school. To learn more about MOST, visit MissouriMOST. org.

“By acting immediately and getting ahead of the curve, Treasurer Schmitt and his team are setting a national example for how to effectively implement this change on the state level.” REP. SHAMED DOGAN to higher education expenses. “This reform is a positive development for Missouri students and their parents,” said State Representative Shamed Dogan, who serves on the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. “By acting immediately and

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