Missouri Times - April 9, 2018

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The Missouri Times

APRIL 9, 2018

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HOUSE INVESTIGATION

REPORT DUE

After 40 days and dozens of witnesses, House committee investigating the Governor expected to submit report due today to the Speaker PAGE 5

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129 E. High Street, Suite D, Jefferson City, MO | 573-746-2912

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Scott Faughn, Publisher | scott@themissouritimes.com | @ScottFaughn Rachael Herndon Dunn, Editor | rachael@themissouritimes.com | @RachaelHernDunn Benjamin Peters, Reporter | benjamin@themissouritimes.com | @BenjaminDPeters Alisha Shurr, Reporter | alisha@themissouritimes.com | @AlishaShurr Riley Herigon, Intern | riley@themissouritimes.com

COMMENTARY

Missouri lawmakers should maximize federal tax cuts

Carl Bearden Executive Director - United For Missouri During the second part of Missouri’s legislative session the Republican-super majorities in Jefferson City have a golden opportunity for maximizing the federal tax cuts. Now that our federal lawmakers have delivered this huge fiscal win for Missourians, it’s time for Missouri lawmakers to step up to the plate. If successful, this would return more than $100 million back into the pockets of Missourians by lowering electric bills 4-5%.

After years of talking about cutting taxes in DC, Donald Trump delivered landmark tax reform. These tax cuts will help Missouri families and businesses alike.

Among others, public utilities in Missouri are saving millions due to corporate tax rates being cut. Under Missouri law, those savings should be passed on to utility customers. Unfortunately, Missouri is still regulated by an outdated 100-year-old utility structure set of laws and it could take years for these savings to find their way to customers.

An official with the state’s Office of Public Counsel recently was quoted as saying they hope by the end of the year to determine exactly how much each utility should eventually give back to customers. With all due respect, this is garbage. That money belongs to Missourians and it needs to be back in their hands, stimulating our economy as soon as possible.

Thankfully conservative energy legislation has been filed that will return these savings directly to customers within 90 days of becoming law. It’s not often Missouri lawmakers can put more than $100 million back into the pockets of Missourians with a single vote.

After cutting electric rates for Missourians by 4-5%, the legislation would for the first time in Missouri cap the amount utilities could raise rates on Missourians over the next 5-10 years. According to the Associated Press, Missouri electric rates have risen by an average of 5.2% annually over the past decade. These unpredictable rate spikes are simply unsustainable for Missourians.

Senate Bill 564 and House Bill 2265 caps rate increases at an average annual rate of just 2.85% for Ameren and 3% for KCP&L. SB564 passed the Missouri Senate with an overwhelming bipartisan 25-6 vote. HB 2265 passed the House with a 110-22 vote.

The House bill is going through the Senate process. The Senate bill is on the House calendar and only a couple of votes away from going to the Governor’s desk. Both will force Missouri utilities to return more than $100 million to families and businesses. Legislators will hopefully see and understand the wisdom in making sure $100 million goes back into the pockets of Missourians and not sitting in the bank accounts of monopoly utilities.

State lawmakers have one chance this year to maximize the newly-passed federal tax cuts on behalf of their constituents.

Please take time over the next week or two to urge your state representative to support HB 2265 and SB 564, so that more than $100 million is returned to customers and electric rates are cut by 4-5%.

The irony is not lost on me that our organization is asking Missouri legislators to follow D.C.’s lead, but when it comes to cutting taxes and lowering energy bills, that’s exactly what our friends in Jefferson City should do.

You can find information on both bills at http://www.unitedformissouri. org/?s=gridmodernization

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TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Highlights in 280 characters or less.

Palm Strategic @PalmStrategic Congratulations to our client, Greg Steinhoff, for winning his election to the Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees tonight!

Photo credit: @BrianJGrace

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Rich Chrismer @RichChrismer “Hate at any point is a cancer that gnaws away at the very vital center of your life and your existence. It is like eroding acid that eats away the best and the objective center of your life.” #MLK50 Jack Cardetti @jackcardetti Is there a particular reason that @lincolnhough is the only voice of reason in Greene County government?

Richard Callow @publiceyestl It is important to note that the earliest media coverage of Ms Ames was of the protest of her views. Speaking out matters.

HOT LIST

THE SPEAKER

The lower chamber’s leader will get the first look at the investigative committee’s report and all eyes are on him and what he’ll do next. He’s led the chamber to be the first to take first real action when his tenure was again disrupted by scandal, inking the pen for tribulations for what never could have been historic leadership for the Show-Me State’s legislature.

SEN. SCHAAF

He finally joined TWMP on April 1 and it’s a show worth watching. On top of being everything we hoped for and more, he’s been at the forefront of the campaign to replace him in the tenure - and even been called out of order for the prospect for more of him in the legislature. See: term limits, page 11.

REP. QUADE

The filing deadline has passed, yet she’s become an official non-candidate candidate with many buzzing about her running against Lincoln Hough to replace Sen. Dixon. She hasn’t filed, but, man, a lot of people hope she somehow runs.

No pressure, but this freshman rock star has made a big impression in her first term.

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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

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HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT DUE History gubernatorial investigatory committee expected to turn report over to House Speaker in midst of multiple ongoing investigations outside of the Capitol Benjamin Peters Roughly one month has passed since the House Special Investigative Committee on Oversight began its work looking into the allegations stemming from Gov. Eric Greitens’ 2015 extramarital affair, and now, the deadline for the committee to complete its work is looming overhead.

The committee was created and tasked with investigating the Governor after a St. Louis grand jury indicted Greitens in February, charging him with felony invasion of privacy for taking a picture of a partially nude woman without her consent. Greitens has admitted to having an affair but denied blackmailing the woman.

On March 1, the House approved a resolution creating the investigative task force, chaired by Rep. Jay Barnes and consisting of Reps. Kevin Austin, Shawn Rhoads, Don Phillips, Jeanie Later, Gina Mitten, and Tommie Pierson, Jr. Since the first hearing on March 7, the investigative committee has met almost exclusively at the Jefferson City Police Department, conducting their hearings behind closed doors. To date, only one hearing has taken place outside of JCPD, with a hearing taking place in the Capitol basement in late March in the House

Human Resources and Accounting office.

In all hearings, the doors leading in and out have been covered so as to prevent the identities inside being seen.

The committee’s 40-day deadline falls on a weekend, to which Barnes told reporters that the deadline would effectively be Monday, April 9, 2018.

Early on in the process, Barnes said that the panel would issue the required report with its findings, though the identities of some witnesses and potentially some comments would be redacted.

Over the course of those hearings, attorney Al Watkins confirmed that his client, the ex-husband of the woman involved, has testified, and Barnes has confirmed that subpoenas have been issued, though he wouldn’t say to whom or what they applied.

Barnes has not disclosed how many witnesses had been interviewed, who has been interviewed, or if the probe has been expanded to include other allegations involving campaign finances or the use of the text-deleting Confide app.

Attorney General Josh Hawley, however, told reporters in March that his office had shared information with the House

committee about their investigation into the use of the Confide app, as well as about their probe into the operations of The Mission Continues, a charity serving veterans that Greitens founded in 2007.

In the most recent news, Washington, D.C.-based attorney Ross Garber said that he is being paid by the state to represent the Governor’s Office in the House investigation, though a spokeswoman with the Attorney General’s Office says they haven’t received a request for Garber to be paid from the state legal defense fund.

And just days after the Governor’s campaign committee aired radio ads, his legal team requested that the House investigation report be delayed in its release, citing the trial and potentially tampering the the jury. Greitens also will not agree to testify before the committee before the trial, saying that by doing so, it could also taint the jury pool. He did say he would testify for the committee after the trial.

But Rep. Barnes told reporters after the last committee hearing on Wednesday that they would not comply with the request to delay the issuing of the report.

Hawley calls situation with Greitens 'very grave' in FOX NEWS interview Benjamin Peters Attorney General Josh Hawley is continuing his hardened stance in regard to the investigations against Gov. Eric Greitens.

Appearing on The Story with Martha MacCallum, Hawley addressed questions regarding the U.S. Senate race, saying that incumbent Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill votes party lines every time, but the topic of the conversation quickly switched to Greitens.

As Attorney General, Hawley has investigated some of the claims against the Republican governor, though Hawley seemingly has sought to distance himself from the embattled governor as he seeks the U.S. Senate seat in recent weeks. Still, some have criticized the Attorney General for his investigations, saying his office took it easy on Greitens, particularly in the case of his office’s investigation of the use of the Confide app.

“I’ve soft-pedaled nothing. I take my responsibilities as Missouri’s chief law enforcement officer very seriously,” he said.

“This is bad for the state, there’s no way around it.”

When asked whether he believed the Governor should step down, Hawley responded, saying that he didn’t want to say anything to compromise the investigation, but called the situation “very grave.”

MacCallum also asked Hawley if Greitens was one of the 15 entities that had been subpoenaed, as he had announced last week, but Hawley said he had better not say who all had been subpoenaed.

“We will subpoena anyone and everyone who is relevant to this investigation, and we will not stop until we get all of the facts,” he said. “And we will not be put off by any invocation of executive privilege or anything else. We will get the facts.”

Watch the interview online at themissouritimes.com.

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6 EXECUTIVE BRANCH

AG issues subpoena to Facebook seeking answers on data sharing Alisha Shurr

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has issued an investigative subpoena to Facebook in a wide-ranging probe seeking answers to the sharing and tracking of consumers’ user data.

The investigation — coming on the heels of reports that Cambridge Analytica gained access to 50 million Facebook users’ personal data — will look into whether the social-media giant violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. The civil investigative demand issued by the Attorney General’s Office includes some 60 queries, according to Hawley. He wants to know what Facebook is doing with user information and whom they are sharing it with.

“I want to know does Facebook truly disclose to its users the kind of data that it collects,” Hawley said in a press conference. “Does it disclose how it uses this information? Does it disclose how it shares this information? For that matter, whom precisely is Facebook sharing this information and on what terms? And is Facebook taking the necessary precautions to protect the personal information of its us-

ers?”

The investigation is also looking into the collection between Android phones and the Facebook app. The AGO wants to know how much information Facebook tracks on Android phones, whether users are aware of the tracking, and whether they consented to the tracking.

Hawley said he has tried at various points to read Facebook’s terms and conditions of agreement, which changes all the time. Part of his query is looking into what the company is required to tell users under the law and if Facebook is appropriately disclosing what it is doing with collected data, what it is collecting, and what it tells users.

Part of the probe includes President Barack Obama’s use of Facebook data when he ran for re-election in 2012. Hawley wants to know what Facebook shared with Obama’s campaign outside of advertisement data and is seeking all communications and documents about meetings.

“There is no excuse for this irresponsible

handling of user data,” Hawley said in a statement. “Missourians need to know that they can trust the companies and platforms that have access to as much user information as Facebook does.”

Facebook faces a May 29 deadline to respond to the investigative subpoena.

Hawley’s probe is one of a several actions being taken by states, federal officials, and other countries.

In March, 37 state attorneys general, including Missouri, signed a letter requesting information about Facebook’s policies and practices for protecting consumer data.

Authorities in Britain and the United States are investigating whether Cambridge Analytica may have used the improperly obtained data to try to influence elections. Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is slated to testify before Congress in the coming weeks and has been requested to appear before a parliamentary committee in London. Germany’s justice minister recently said she wants more oversight of companies such as Facebook.

Zuckerberg said it will take “a few years” to solve the issues plaguing the social media company.

When asked about opening an investigation in addition to the one being conducted on a federal level, Hawley said his offices “will take all appropriate steps and use all tools at our disposal to ensure Missouri law is followed and consumers are protected.” “[The investigation] is needed because Missouri consumers are affected. It is needed because Missouri law protects these consumers.

It is needed because it is this offices responsibility to enforce that law for the protection of Missouri consumers,” Hawley said.

In November, the AGO announced an investigation into Google’s business practices.

The Office is also investigating recent data breaches at Equifax and Uber.

Watch the full press conference online on the Missouri Times Facebook page or at themissouritimes.com.

AG Hawley announces investigation into St. Louis Housing Authority Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley today announced his Office is launching an investigation into the conditions of the Clinton-Peabody housing complex in St. Louis. The Attorney General’s Office has issued a civil investigative demand—a civil subpoena—to the St. Louis Housing Authority to determine whether condi-

tions at the Clinton-Peabody housing complex violate the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) by creating an uninhabitable living environment.

Missouri law requires that residential rental property be safe and appropriate for habitation. A landlord’s failure to comply with that requirement can

constitute an unfair trade practice that violates the MMPA. Recent reports and complaints by residents demonstrate there is a significant problem with rodent infestation in the Clinton-Peabody housing complex.

“My Office is standing up for residents of the Clinton-Peabody Housing Com-

plex who don’t have the power to do this for themselves,” Hawley said. “If these allegations are true, this must be fixed.

No Missourian should have to live in an uninhabitable environment.”

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EXECUTIVE BRANCH

World Wide Technology challenging Missouri in court on loss of large state contract Alisha Shurr

A St. Louis-based technology company is alleging Missouri’s Office of Administration (OA) used an unlawful, arbitrary, and unfair scoring method in the awarding a large state contract.

World Wide Technology (WWT) has held the PC Prime Vendor Services contract with the Show-Me State since 2001, a relationship that has been “overall positive.” The contract allows state agencies to purchase computer hardware, software, software maintenance, and value-added services on an as-needed basis through WWT. The state’s contract with WWT was originally scheduled to end June 30, 2016, but after several contract extensions, was scheduled to end March 31, 2018. Missouri issued a Request For Proposals in June 2016. WWT, along with two other companies, New Jersey-based SHI International and Kansas-based Technology Group Solutions, submitted bids for the contract.

OA used a scoring system of a total of 200 points between four categories, of which a maximum of 100 points could be awards for cost, 40 points for experience of the organization, 50 points for method of performance, and 10 points for Minority Business Enterprise/Woman-owned Business Enterprise participation commitment. In the final score, SHI was awarded 197.620 points, WWT 188.572, and TGS 126.960 points.

On February 9, 2018, Missouri awarded the contract to SHI. SHI is represented by the Nexus Group. Nexus has a wide portfolio at the feet of former OA Commissioner Simmons and partners Kate Casas, Brian Grace, and Boyd, bringing a wealth of experience to contracts.

“We are excited to partner with the state to bring innovative IT solutions to Missouri State Government,” said Denise Verdicchio, public sector senior director at SHI. “Our contract will provide Missourians with more effective and efficient

IT services and support, while saving taxpayers a significant amount of money over what the state is currently paying.”

Subsequently, WWT lodged a formal bid protest and filed a lawsuit in Cole County to void “an unlawful procurement for state services and preliminarily and permanently enjoining the Office of Administration from entering into any contract resulting from the unlawful procurement.”

The lawsuit alleges that the state violated procurement requirements in six instances: by applying unpromulgated rules; by unlawfully calculating MBE/WBE participation points; by failing to treat offerors equally; by unreasonably, arbitrarily, and capriciously calculating cost points; by failing to give WWT preference as a Missouri company; and by awarding the contract to a non-responsive offeror.

Earlier this year, Gov. Eric Greitens declared that he was going to focus on growing the companies already here in Missouri. A New Jersey-based firm being awarded the contract contradicts the statements made by the Governor and his administration.

The lawsuit also points out that the Missouri Statutes express a preference for Missouri companies in competitive bidding. However, the RFP has no meaningful way of recognizing a Missouri-base company for the economic impact.

This contract award provides the state with the opportunity to look at how the reality of supporting Missouri-based companies in relation to cost and economic potential and how the contract procurement process plays a role is administrative declarations.

One allegation is that OA failed to treat offerors equally. The discrepancy that WWT identified is in the evaluation of references.

The revised request for proposal (RFP) provided that: “The evaluator’s inability to

contact a reference due to incorrect or inaccurate reference information or failure of the reference contact person to respond may be considered an invalid reference.”

According to OA’s Division of Purchasing’s award summary, two of SHI references were contacted but did not respond to the state’s request while they did not contact two of WWT references since directed contact was not provided.

Since SHI was awarded full points, the lawsuit alleges OA “did not treat SHI and World Wide’s alleged reference deficiencies equally.”

WWT, who has been represented by Flotron & McIntosh’s Richard McIntosh as a lobbyist since 2000, was awarded 35 out 40 points, while SHI was awarded 40 out of 40 points. Flotron & McIntosh have represented a variety of clients in purchasing for almost the past two decades, particularly with technology clients.

WWT further contends that in their original proposal, they “provided a total of 14 reference projects. Including the State of Missouri contact information provided above, 11 of the 14 may be contacted directly by the State, unmediated by WWT. Contact for two reference projects (MEDCOM and MODOT) must be mediated by WWT. One project (U.S.- based Global Aeronautics Manufacturer) is provided as a case study only as the customer prohibits contact of any kind.”

“We cannot comment on what motivated our competition to burden the taxpayers of Missouri with defending a lawsuit,” Verdicchio said. "We are comfortable knowing that we competed in a fair and clearly defined marketplace and were awarded business based on the merit of our proposal. SHI is now looking forward to delivering world-class IT products and services to the benefit of the taxpayers of the State of Missouri as soon as possible."

Under contention by WWT is also the

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Audit finds inaccuracies in unemployment insurance program financial activities Alisha Shurr The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is unable to accurately reports millions in unemployment insurance program financial activities, according to a report released by State Auditor Nicole Galloway.

The annual report also found a continued failure by the state to properly account for federal dollars used for several state programs.

The Department of Labor does not have adequate controls and procedures over financial reporting of Unemployment Compensation Fund financial activities following the implementation of the computerized Unemployment Insurance system, UInteract, in November 2016, the reports states. Incorrect calculations and inconsistencies resulted in $2 million in potential inaccuracies.

The new system, which cost more than $40 million, was not fully developed or tested before implementation the audit alleges. As a result, the Department delayed generating financial reports and ultimately provided inaccurate information on required state and federal filings.

At least $134,000 in overpayments to claimants who had exceeded their maximum unemployment benefit the audit found. It was just the unemployment program functions that were affected by the system.

"Businesses throughout Missouri pay millions into the unemployment system, which is why it is so disconcerting to find that there are funds being managed without proper oversight or accountability," Galloway said.

"Even simple checks and balances have not been implemented, leaving the Department of Labor unable to accurately provide basic financial information."

The annual audit also noted an increasing number of concerns throughout state agencies and identified hundreds of millions of dollars in questionable costs in social safety net programs, like Medicaid. The 2016 report had

CONTINUED AT MISSOURITIMES.COM

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Restaurant association brings ‘Taste of Missouri’ to Capitol

Story and photos by Alisha Shurr

The Missouri Restaurant Association kicked off their Legislative Day with an address from the Lieutenant Governor and rounding out the evening showcasing food made in Missouri’s restaurants.

The annual event is designed to bring together restaurant operators throughout the Show-Me State to Jefferson City in order to promote the industry’s legislative initiatives and priorities to Senators and Representatives.

“I think of how many people start out in your business that you help somebody upon their careers be good citizens, to be good workers,” Parson said.

One-third of Americans get their first job in a restaurant. In Missouri, restaurants employ 11 percent of the state’s workforce — 302,500 people. The industry is the second largest private sector employer in the state and across the country.

Sen. Doug Libla and Rep. Dan Shaul also briefed members on issues and bills working their way through the General Assembly.

“We are going to have to start teaching students what they need to know in the 21st century,” said Libla. “In the past couple hundred years, we pretty much taught the same way and we are 18 years into the 21st century. It is time to move forward.

“The opportunity for young people to learn how to get up, go the work, whether you are waiting tables, or cooking in the back or washing dishes.”

The MRA is focused on several bills in the legislature this year, one of which is Rep. Elijah Haahr’s tax overhaul bill.The main provision in that legislation is the altering the timely-filing allowance where businesses retain 2 percent of sales taxes collected.

In Haahr’s original bill, it was completely eliminated and in the committee substitute, the 2 percent was capped at $1,000 per company.

Rep. Dan Shaul told the members that not altering the timely-filing allowance was ideal, but he had been working on a compromise for businesses. Hours after talking to the MRA, Shaul successfully got this amendment on the tax bill that would cap it at $1,500 per location, per month.

The MRA is also focused on HB 1397, which prohibits a political subdivision from requiring an employer to alter or adjust an employee’s schedule unless required by state or federal law, and HB 1357, which creates a state earned income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal credit or the taxpayer’s Missouri income tax liability, whichever amount is lessm along with SB 989 and HB 1943, which authorizes a state sales and use tax exemption for utilities used or consumed in the preparation of food ultimately sold to customers for consumption among others.

They rounded out their Legislative Day will Taste of Missouri, which drew in several hundred people who work in the Capitol. The food-focused event was enjoyed by state Senators, Representatives, and staff who explored fare from Missouri’s restaurants.

10 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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Senate committee hears Senate committee signs off on asbestos, venue Berry's utility bill as and joinder bills House holds Senate version on standby Benjamin Peters

Benjamin Peters It’s been nearly a decade since a bill dealing with utilities passed through the Missouri General Assembly, according to Rep. T.J. Berry, but 2018 has seen a more targeted push to pass rate adjustment mechanisms for ShowMe State utilities.

The Senate has already passed Sen. Ed Emery’s SB 564, which is now sitting in the House.

And the House has taken HB 2256, which began as a carbon copy of the Senate bill, has now been amended and passed out of that chamber and turned over to the Senate.

That bill was heard for the first time in the upper chamber on Wednesday, as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment took up the legislation.

The bill has some subtle differences from the original version, with the Senate version allowing for 85 percent recovery by the utilities compared to the House’s 50 percent recovery. The difference between the two is because the House bill has no offsets, where the Senate version still carries some. It also includes a provision for programs or rate adjustments to assist low-income residential customers and smart metering.

But knowing that everyone was already familiar with the language, the conversation turned to what changes might be made to the House version. Berry, as the sponsor of the House bill, was asked about a number of possible changes and whether he would be open to the amendments, including some opt-out clauses and other provisions.

Sen. Gary Romine asked if the offsets had been inadvertently left out, to which Berry replied that he believed so.

“Several parties, both sides of the issue, came to me and said the House language was not good language,” he told Romine.

He explained that he asked both sides for language, and swapped it out, but within hours, one group was back saying it wasn’t good.

Romine asked if the Senate could reset the bill and have those offsets added back in, to which Berry replied that they would have to, as the House is no longer in a position to amend the language.

Romine also inquired about the number of surcharges and what would happen if they

exceeded the proposed cap rates, which would then be deferred.

“We may have caps, but in these particular issues, the utility companies will be able to retrieve those,” Romine said.

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed asked about the common ground for the bill, and whether a bill could pass this year, as this has been an ongoing attempt for years. She inquired about how far apart the two sides were, to which Berry replied that the language has remained the same, the only debate was the amendments.

“Not everybody likes this bill, I understand that. But both sides gave pieces to get to this point,” he said. There’s still plenty of disagreement, but not the heat that has been there in previous years.”

He noted that in prior years, the bill has been in excess of 80 pages. This year, it started at roughly 17, and now sits at 30 or so. Berry told the committee that he believed his bill is a better bill than the Senate version that had been passed out of the chamber earlier this session, but that sentiment was not shared by all.

David Woodsmall, representing the Midwest Energy Consumers Group, said the House version was actually worse for customers than the Senate bill. He argued that, because of the missing offsets, it could cost customers up to $30 million per year.

To address the issues he saw, he suggested the five following fixes: 1. Apply PISA to 50 percent of the investment, but apply the offsets 2. Make the rate caps a hard cap 3. Return the definition of eligible customers in the decoupling mechanism 4. Make it competitive bidding provision to both Ameren and KCP&L by eliminating the 1 million customer threshold 5. Eliminate provisions for nuclear environments Still, Berry explained that the House’s intent was to hold the Senate version of the bill at the ready for when the Senate cannot get the House version to a place where everyone can agree. For some, this means a second chance for the Senate to try to reach a new compromise, but in that process, they’ll be doing so with their prior bill being held over their head.

Two House tort reform bills are now making their way through the Senate, passing out of the Senate Committee on Government Reform on Wednesday.

With two votes of 5-2 each, the committee signed off both HB 1645, Rep. Bruce DeGroot’s measure dealing with asbestos claims, and HB 1578, Rep. Glen Kolkmeyer’s venue and joinder legislation. Both bills passed the House in March and now look to the Senate for approval.

DeGroot’s bill would require plaintiffs to file claims against every potentially liable company or bankrupt company’s trust fund at once.

Under current law, those injured by asbestos could potentially win compensation from one company and then at a later time pursue a separate claim against a different defendant. DeGroot says the intent of his bill is to prevent “double-dipping.”

Kolkmeyer’s bill looks to change the state’s laws regarding venue and joinder, seeking to limit how and where plaintiffs can join together in certain civil cases. The intent is to prevent what some legislators are calling “venue shopping” by plaintiffs attorneys.

Both bills are major pieces of the tort reform package that Republicans have been pushing an attempt to change the legal system in an effort to make the state “more business friendly” for companies.

The committee heard DeGroot’s bill in the prior week, but Kolkmeyer’s bill was brought before the committee for the first time. However, it was not the first time the senators had been exposed to that kind of legislation. As noted by Sen. Scott Sifton, the issue of venue and joinder has been heard on the Senate floor three times now during the legislative session, in the form of Sen. Brian Munzlinger’s SB 546.

Munzlinger sits on the committee that heard the bill, as well.

A number of supporters appeared to testify on the bill, while the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys stood once again in opposition of the legislation. But, unlike past hearings on the issue of venue joinder, nearly everyone in attendance simply made themselves available for the committee’s questions, as the bill is nearly identical to Munzlinger’s, excepting an effective date contained in the House version.

The only opposing votes cast against the two bills on Wednesday morning were those of Sen. John Rizzo and Sen. Scott Sifton, the two Democrats on the committee.

The committee also heard two other bills in the hearing: Sen. Dan Hegeman’s SB 1079 and Sen. Mike Kehoe’s SB 1102.

Hegeman’s bill, titled the “Silica Claims Priority Act” would stop a plaintiff from bringing an injury claim caused by silica forward unless they can present certain evidence, proving a prima facie showing physical impairment.

The prima facie showing would include: 1) evidence verifying the physician has taken occupational, exposure, medical, and smoking history from the exposed person 2) evidence verifying that the exposed person has silicosis 3) evidence verifying there has been a sufficient latency period 4) a determination that the exposed person had a permanent respiratory impairment rating of at least Class 2 5) evidence verifying that the exposed person's impairment was not more probably caused by something other than silica exposure.

Sifton shared his concerns about the language of the bill in regard to latency periods, pointing to the asbestos cases as a similar example, saying that some cases do not manifest until decades later.

Speaking on behalf of MATA, President David Zevan noted that a physician could use a number of ways to test for silicosis - a lung fibrosis caused by the inhalation of dust containing silica- saying that the provision in the bill called for invasive procedures, requiring radiological and pathological evidence. Zevan questioned the need for that and told the committee that while researching this legislation, he encountered very few trial attorneys in Missouri dealing with these types of cases.

Questioning Zevan, Sen. Dave Schatz predicted that as mesothelioma cases eventually come to an end, the silica cases could potentially replace those suits as a source of revenue for plaintiffs attorneys.

Kehoe’s SB 1102, a Christmas tree of tort reform measures packed into one bill, was also heard, with tort reform supporters calling it an “all-star lineup.”

The bill addressed a plethora of issues, from contingency fee contracts, unlawful merchandising practices, arbitration agreements, interpleader actions, venue and joinder, punitive damages, products liability and time limitations for filing certain claims, to name a few.

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Senate perfects resolution to change term limits Benjamin Peters Should Missouri’s term limits on elected officials stand?

A resolution filed in the Senate is seeking to modify the term limits that were put in effect after the passage of the Missouri State Congressional Term Limits Amendment, also known as Amendment 12, on the November 1992 ballot.

More than two decades later, lawmakers are still debating the merits of term limits.

SJR 27, filed this session by Sen. Jason Holsman, would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, letting voters decide whether to change the state’s term limit laws to allow members to serve all 16 years in one chamber, instead of the current law which limits them to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate.

At issue is the effectiveness of the term limits. The law’s intent is to keep legislators from accumulating too much power, while also allowing new members and new ideas to flow into the Legislature.

But on the other side, inexperienced legislators have less knowledge of the issues, with many inside the Capitol lamenting the loss of institutional knowledge with outgoing legislators.

Holsman said that the resolution would allow voters to make the decision, to decide whether term limits as they are have been effective.

“What we’re trying to do is let the voters re-evaluate a decision made 20 years ago. We’re not trying to undo them, we’re just trying to give a member the chance to serve their entire time in one chamber,” he said.

Holsman compared the state to a $27 billion company that replaces their CFO and CEO every two years, asking his colleagues how that was a solid business plan, knowing that the legislative leaders were routinely limited to twoyear terms upon arriving in the offices.

But his legislation also included a complete lobbyist gift ban for all 197 members of the Legislature, their staff, and family. The combination of the two ideas into one piece of legislation did not seem to sit well with some members, however.

Sen. Bob Onder did not favor changing term limits but said he was in favor of a gift ban.

CONTINUED AT MISSOURITIMES.COM

11 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

House perfects Haahr's tax overhaul bill Alisha Shurr Over the course of four hours, the Missouri House made legislation to overhaul Missouri’s tax code their own as more than ten amendments were added to Rep. Elijah Haar’s bill.

The House Speaker Pro Tem’s legislation, if passed, lowers the corporate tax rate from 6.25 percent to 5 percent and the individual income tax rate for most Missourians from 5.9 percent to 5 percent. HB 2540 also aims to provide funding for the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges through fee increases.

“The fourth pillar of this bill is to do all this in a fiscally responsible way,” Haahr said. He called the tax overhaul a “big deal.”

In order to make up the revenue losses from the tax cuts, Missouri would join the Streamline Sales Compact, renters would no longer be eligible for the circuit breaker tax, the timely-filing allowance would be capped, and certain deductions would be eliminated among other revenue-generating provisions.

Of the nearly four hour debate, most of the discussion was spent on amendments to the bill — with less than half of the

40 plus amendments filed offered on the floor — and only a fraction of the time on the bill itself.

Haahr offered the first amendment which made several technical changes to the committee substitute to the bill that moved out of Ways and Means.

A point of contention on the floor was the provision dealing with the timely-filing allowance for businesses.

Rep. Dan Shaul argued that limiting the 2 percent to $1,000 per store wouldn’t come close to covering the fees businesses incur by doing the state’s job and collecting taxes. He said it would hurt small businesses.

To that point, he offered an amendment that would up the cap to $1,500 per month per locations.

“It is much closer to covering retailers costs,” said Shaul. He noted that for all credit card and debit card transactions the companies pay a percentage of the sales tax they collect. They are also responsible for records and collecting the correct amount per item — Shaul pointed out that the temperature of chicken affects its tax rate.

Others argued the constitutionality of not offering businesses compensation for doing work on behalf of the state.

“Constitutionality of it, U.S. constitution when you talk about involuntary servitude, for example, not giving anybody compensation for work you require of them would probably fall into that,” Rep. Paul Curtman said in an exchange with Rep. David Gregory. “To the point in general of requiring people to perform a government function without any compensation whatsoever is highly unconstitutional.”

But the opposition to the amendment wasn’t so much on not compensating the businesses — though there were some in the chamber who oppose the timely-filing allowance — but rather upping the cap to $1,500 per month per location.

For a business to hit the cap, they would have to be doing about a million dollars in sales per month, according to math sited on the floor.

“A million dollars in sales a month is not a small business,” said Rep. Deb Lavender.

CONTINUED AT MISSOURITIMES.COM

General Assembly rolls back restrictions on college degree programs Benjamin Peters The House and Senate have truly agreed and passed a new piece of legislation that would allow certain universities to grant degrees that they had previously been unable to.

HB 1645, sponsored by Rep. Steve Cookson, is the result of several years of work but received final approval from the House on Wednesday after returning from the Senate.

The legislation would create a framework to reform degree offerings and program approval processes for public universities and community colleges throughout the state.

Under the bill, community colleges would be able to grant baccalaureate degrees if authorized by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, as well as allow other state institutions to offer new degree programs that previously were only offered as part of a collaboration with the University of Missouri.

Instead of limiting certain degree programs to certain universities, supporters say the bill encourages collaboration while eliminating

unnecessary and costly program duplication.

The goal is to streamline higher education and make the process more efficient while also reducing administrative costs.

For some universities, it opens up new opportunities. Missouri State University has been prohibited by state law from offering new professional doctorate degrees.

“No other university has that prohibition, although some have a kind of implied prohibition because they say can do graduate degrees in X and Y,” Missouri State University President Clif Smart said.

But this bill eliminates that prohibition, getting rid of all of the implied prohibitions, and instead creating a pathway for the university to expand their doctorate offerings. It carves out seven professional degree programs for the University of Missouri, meaning they’re the only ones doing law or medicine among other things.

Smart says that MSU currently has four pro-

fessional doctorates in health, but now, they don’t have to get MU’s permission or collaborate with them. That being said, Smart also noted remove any of the processes for collaboration, meaning that option is still available as well.

Smart says that not only is the bill a big step in helping to grow universities but is also good for workforce development.

But the big win here, Smart says, is the ability to make degrees more available to potential students at a lesser cost.

“Even if you’re doing the collaborative program in Springfield, you’re still going to have to spend some time in Columbia,” Smart said.

“And the price structure is set for the University of Missouri. So, the result of that is driving people to private universities who can compete based on convenience and price. We think that we have the potential to provide a high-quality program at a lesser cost, which would benefit the people in our area.”

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THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Are Republicans abandoning opposition to the Missouri Plan?

Benjamin Peters

In 2017, Republicans strongly questioned the effectiveness of the Missouri nonpartisan court plan while the Appellate Judicial Commission sought to fill the vacancy left by the late Judge Richard Teitelman.

Republicans argue that the Missouri Plan, as it is called, gives trial lawyers too much control over the appointment process of the same judges they would be arguing their cases before.

Their opposition of the nonpartisan court plan marks yet another instance of how legislatures have been looking to rein in the judiciary, through numerous measures of reform. A recent survey, funded by the National Science Foundation, found that during the years of 2008 and 2016, more roughly 1,700 “court-curbing” bills had been introduced throughout states. The measures dealt with things such as rules for recusal of judges, campaign contributions, judge appointment, and legislative overrides for court decisions.

Breaking down the Court Plan The Missouri Plan, first adopted in 1940, works by putting the power into the hands of a nonpartisan panel. The panel is composed of three lawyer members from each of the three regions across the state, elected by the Missouri Bar, and three members selected by the governor. All six serve for one six-year term. The current chair of the Supreme Court chairs the commission. That commission then interviews potential candidates, determining their merits and faults as a judge, and selects the three most qualified to the Governor for consideration.

The Governor then selects from that group, and after a year in office, voters get the chance to confirm the judge. If, however, the Governor should not select from the group within 60 days, the commission makes the pick.

The plan has served as a model for more than half of the state, and 22 states use the method or a variant of the Plan for the selection of their state Supreme Court judges.

The opposition Gov. Eric Greitens has been opposed to the current system, with his policy director saying that he favored the idea of Missouri moving away to a different model before his election in November 2016. Republicans have criticized the plan as what they call a sort of liberal shifting of the state’s judges, noting that most candidates seem to either be Democratic or affili-

ated with them. In short, they believe that the “non-partisan” designation does not fit.

Republican political consultant James Harris of the J. Harris Company has also been a vocal opponent of the Missouri Plan.

Harris says that the Missouri Plan’s original intent was to help get politics out of the selection process, but now, it simply puts politics out of reach of the public. He says that the plaintiffs' attorneys have gamed the system to get the judges they want, representing a small portion of Missourians instead of judges for the more than six million citizens of the state.

Harris says that over the past two decades, only three nominees have been “verifiable Republicans” and says that every panel between 2002 and 2012 included at least one former member of the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, who have been staunch opponents of so-called tort reform laws that have been pushed by Republicans in recent years in an effort to create a “more friendly business climate.”

“Everyone wants access to fair and impartial judges,” Harris said. “The problem is we don’t have that today.”

In support While opposition to the plan may get more discussion these days than support in the State Capitol, one would be hard-pressed to find a judge in support of changing the Missouri Plan. And the interesting thing to note is among lawyers, support for the Missouri Plan comes from both plaintiffs and defense attorneys, from both sides of the respective courtrooms.

“I think the plan is one of the best in the country. It serves its purpose of keeping politics out of the courts for which it is applied,” Steve Gorny, MATA’s president-elect, said.“How often is it that MATA and MODL get together in support or opposition of the same piece of legislation?”

Both the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers both testified, together, against Hegeman’s bill when it was brought up in committee earlier this session.

“The Plaintiffs’ Bar doesn’t want this, the Defense Bar doesn’t want this, the judges don’t want any changes to the plan, and if you ask your constituents whether they want more politics in the court, they’re all going to tell you no,” Gorny said.

“What we see is, from time to time, when there is a party that has a majority, they want to tweak what is a non-biased system in such a way to give those in power a greater opportunity to stack the courts the way they want,” Gorny concluded. “Look at the vote the last time it was put on the ballot and the overwhelming support for the plan.”

Where is the legislation this year?

While the question was one of much discussion in the previous legislative session, most likely due to the ongoing searches, there has been very little discussion during the current year.

Currently, there is only one piece of legislation in the General Assembly that deals with the bill: Sen. Dan Hegeman’s SJR 28.

That resolution proposes that a constitutional amendment should be put before Missouri voters proposing that when a judicial vacancy occurs in a court under the nonpartisan court plan, the governor shall appoint the new judge from a list of names of all qualified applicants instead of only three names. There would be no limit as to how many names would be submitted, but a minimum of three would be required.

But that begs the question: has this issue become less of a priority this year?

Harris says he suspects that it’s not an issue of less importance, but rather that the legislature feels there are larger priorities to deal with first.

The Senate Majority Floor Leader, Sen. Mike Kehoe, echoed that sentiment but noted that the issue always becomes more prevalent when the Plan is actually being put to use.

“It’s one of those issues that ebbs and flows based on judges’ appointments and everything,” Kehoe said. “I don’t think it’s gone away.”

Other options?

Harris says a better plan would be to have something more like that of the federal plan, where an executive chooses judges and then they are held accountable for those judges’ actions, or to simply allow people to vote on judges. Kehoe, meanwhile, acknowledges that he believes the Missouri Plan could use some tweaking, though he says he is not looking to throw it out.

“I don’t think I would be in favor of throwing the whole thing out,” Kehoe said. “And I

know that Missouri is highly recognized for this plan, I hear that all of the time from various people. But, I still think there’s some room to fine tune that plan.”

He said that he would like to see some checks and balances in the building, particularly seeing advice and consent of the Senate being added to the process.

In North Carolina, changing the appointments process was the subject of a special legislative session, with four different plans put forward.

The Blue Plan would be based loosely on the federal model, with the Governor nominating a candidate and the House and Senate approving with a majority vote.

The Orange Plan is based on the Missouri Plan, with a 15-member commission selecting two candidates for the Governor to choose from.

The Red Plan would allow the General Assembly to appoint a candidate from those nominated by the people.

The Purple Plan is the most complicated, taking pieces from the other plans. It lets the people nominate candidates, who would then be put before a commission who would the send all qualified candidates to the General Assembly, who would then send at least three to the Governor to choose from.

So what’s next?

Will Hegeman’s resolution move forward?

That remains to be seen, especially since the resolution lies in the state’s upper chamber, but Kehoe said that the resolution will be getting some time on the Senate floor during the current legislative session.

Kehoe also noted that the current Senate structure only has two lawyers as members, and says that typically is where that informative conversation comes from on the floor.

As to whether it’s a partisan issue, Kehoe says that he knows members of both parties that oppose changing the Missouri Plan, as well as members of both parties who do support changing it.

“I don’t know a whole lot of people who say we should throw it out and start from scratch,” he said.

He hopes that even if the bill does not pass or come up this year, that both sides can sit down and discuss whether there is any work that might be done to compromise or improve the Missouri Plan.

13

The Missouri Times

CAMPAIGNS

Franklin goes all in with $100K donation to her Senate bid Alisha Shurr Diane Franklin is showing she is all in in her bid for state Senate with a donation of $100,000 to own campaign, according to filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The term-limited representative from the 123rd District will faceoff with Justin Brown and Keith Frederick in the Republican primary in August. Ryan Dillon is the Democrat candidate. They are all running to replace Sen. Dan Brown, who is term-limited.

As of last quarter filings on January 15, 2018 with the MEC, Brown had $200,118.85, Frederick had $18,303.07, and Franklin has $11,481.28 cash on hand. Dillon had $56,663.72 on hand as of January 15. The next quarterly filing date is April 15, 2018.

It is not uncommon for candidates to make substantial donations to their own campaigns, particularly in competitive races.

Candidate for state Senate Cindy O’Laughlin has contributed upwards of $100,000 to her campaign for the 2018 elections and a few years back, in his bid for state Senate Casey Guernsey donated $100,000 to his campaign.

GOP cries foul over Democrat filing as a Republican for state Senate Alisha Shurr Some conservatives are calling an elected-Democrat filing to run for state office as a Republican an attempt to disrupt the primary and steal votes.

On the last day of filing, Scot Van Meter, Buchanan County’s Democrat assessor (pictured, right), jumped into the race for Senate District 34 as a Republican.

He joined Tony Luetkemeyer and Harry Roberts (pictured, above) on the GOP ballot and the three will face off in the August primary.

“I'm running for State Senate to take on the political insiders like Tony Luetkemeyer, and the liberal career politicians like Scott Van Meter. Missouri faces many challenges, and we need elected officials that can make tough decisions and do the right thing instead of worrying about getting re-elected,” said Roberts. “Voters will see through this scheme. They want a prolife, pro-gun, conservative, small businesses owner, not a lifelong Democrat.

“It's no surprise that the liberals are up to their dirty tricks to try and slow down our conservative campaign for State Sen-

ate. Unfortunately for Scott Van Meter, Jefferson City is already full of hot air and liberal career politicians. The last thing we need is another liberal politician who has spent the past 18-years ripping off the taxpayers by continually voting to increase his own pay, then inflating that salary.”

Roberts was elected Republican Presiding Commissioner of Buchanan County in 2014 and also serves as president of the Northwest Missouri Republican Club.

A 15th Ward Committeewoman for the Buchanan County Republican Central Committee called it “shameful” for a someone who is currently an elected Democrat officeholder to “masquerade” as a Republican.

"This lifelong liberal Democrat is simply trying to disrupt the Republican primary and steal votes from proven conservative Harry Roberts," said Kristi Green.

She went on to urge the Missouri Republican Party to put an end to the “sham.”

Term-limited Sen. Rob Schaaf, who is the current holder of the hotly contested seat, took to Twitter to note his displeasure and cry foul.

Running a democrat from Buchanan as a republican for my seat in order to split the vote and advantage the machine's candidate Leutkemeyer shows their desperation and total lack of honor.

— Rob Schaaf (@robschaaf) March 27, 2018 I'm told that Van Meter's father worked for Herzog, Leutkemeyer's big contributor. Van Meter is a five-time elected democrat. It's not hard to connect those dots! #moleg — Rob Schaaf (@robschaaf) March 27, 2018 Hard to believe that Todd Graves, head of MO GOP, past employer of Leutkemeyer's wife, and on the board of Herzog, employer of Van Meter's father and brother, didn't OK recruiting the democrat to run against a staunch Republican. #moleg — Rob Schaaf (@robschaaf) March 28, 2018

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14

THINGS THAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED HAPPEN LAST WEEK THIS WEEK

Haffner, a career U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter pilot and owner of Pumpkins and Pines, files to replace Brattin

Greitens’ legal team asks for delay of investigative report until after trial Missouri Chamber celebrates 95th anniversary Lawmakers consider legislation that would allow death row inmates to donate organs Democratic Buchanan County Assessor Scot Van Meter files as a Republican for SD34

9 Capitol Pride Day – Paddy Malone’s – 7:00 p.m.

11 Donna Baringer Breakfast – Heartland Credit Union – 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

11 Charity Softball Tourney – Binder Park – games begin at 5:30 p.m. (rain out 4/18) 12 Last day for House Consent bills on Senate Calendar 12 Fundraiser in Honor of Lieutenant Governor Parson – Jefferson City Country Club – 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

13 Friends of the Missouri State Museum Trivia Night – 1st Floor of the Capitol READ MORE AT MISSOURITIMES. COM/CALENDAR SEND YOUR EVENTS TO BE ADDED TO THE CAPITOL CALENDAR TO

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The Missouri Times

Beers joins Clout Public Affairs Hannah Beers will be joining Clout Public Affairs, a subsidiary of Axiom Strategies, in the role of Senior Associate. Based in Jefferson City, Beers will work alongside Clout Vice President Aaron Baker to work towards the company’s priorities in the state capitol and beyond.

“We’re excited to have a talented problem-solver with a record of great results joining us,” said Aaron Baker, Vice President of Clout Public Affairs. “Hannah’s unique experience and skill set make her an ideal match for Clout. She has a love for Missouri’s grassroots leaders that care about public policy.”

At Clout, Beers will connect with the more than 80 candidates that are Axiom Strategies clients in Missouri.

“I’m eager to join a team of skilled advocates,” Beers said. “By implementing my experience from the Missouri Senate, connections with various grassroots movements, and communications knowledge, I can work effectively for Clout’s clients and the good of Missourians."

Prior to Clout, Beers served as Chief

of Staff in the official office for Sen. Ryan Silvey and on two statewide races in 2016, including now-Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s campaign.

Beers’ background not only includes legislative and communications experience, but she is also deeply involved in digital advertising campaigns as well as graphic design and photography.

Beers holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising & Public Relations from Evangel University. While studying at Evangel, Beers served as Evangel Student Body President and Chairman of the Missouri Federation of College Republicans.

The Steelville, Missouri, native is a daughter of a pastor and a known operative in Missouri campaigns.

Beers will replace Kristian Starner as one of Clout’s champions in the state capitol. Starner now lobbies for Cerner in several western states.

To learn more about Clout Public Affairs, visit http://www.cloutpublicaffairs. com.

M O N DAY, A P R I L 9 : O N E N I G H T O N LY !

Razer, Hannegan to host first Capitol Pride event Alisha Shurr

Two representatives from opposite sides of the aisle, and opposite sides of the state, are joining forces to host Missouri’s first Capitol Pride event.

Since the General Assembly is typically not in session in June, when Pride in the LGBTQ community is celebrated, there has not been Capitol Pride event. This will be the first.

“No one has ever done this. When an organization like PROMO comes in, they are bringing in outsiders into the Capitol.

We wanted to have a moment where the members, the House members, Senate members, staff, the lobbyists, everyone here inside the building could come and

have a night for ourselves,” Rep. Greg Razer said.

On Monday, April 9, at 7 p.m. or upon adjournment, whichever is later, Capitol workers will take over Paddy Malone’s to celebrate Pride. Razer, along with Rep. Tom Hannegan, is playing host to the event.

The event is being sponsored by ACLU of Missouri, AARP, the Catalyst Group, PROMO, and Zach Brunnert. Appetizers will be provided, the music and decorations will be fabulous, and speeches will be made. There will be a cash bar.

“We really want it to be bipartisan. So Greg invited the Democrat side, I invited

my side, the Republican side, and we are just going to have a good time,” said Hannegan on the #moleg podcast.

Last year, Razer and Hannegan got together with former-Rep. Randy Dunn and invited other openly-gay staff members to dinner and drinks one night. They got to talking this year and wanted to do something similar again. From there, dinner and drinks evolved into an actual event.

“It’s gonna be a great time,” Hannegan said.

To hear the full #moleg podcast, visit missouritimes.com or subscribe in the iTunes Store.

Lobbyist Moves Courtesy of the Gate Way Group

Changes on: 04/04/2018 Alex T Eaton Added WARBY PARKER Alex T Eaton Added SIMPLE CONTACTS Maureen Mahoney Added CONSUMER REPORTS INC Daniel R Pfeifer Added WARBY PARKER Daniel R Pfeifer Added SIMPLE CONTACTS Casey Pick Added AMERICAN UNITY FUND Gregory Porter Added WARBY PARKER Gregory Porter Added SIMPLE CONTACTS Pamela Rice Walker Added ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND Salvatore Panettiere Added EMPOWER MISSOURI Changes on: 04/03/2018 Jean Paul Bradshaw Added HELENA AGRIENTERPRISES LLC Jeffery N Brooks Added EMPOWER MISSOURI Mark J Bruns Added HISTORIC REVITALIZATION FOR MISSOURI Gary L Burton Added HISTORIC REVITALIZATION FOR MISSOURI Heath C Clarkston Added HELENA AGRIENTERPRISES LLC Heath C Clarkston Added NAVIGANT CONSULTING INC Heath C Clarkston Added RENAISSANCE LEARNING INC Tony R Dugger Added HISTORIC REVITALIZATION FOR MISSOURI Neal English Added HISTORIC REVITALIZATION FOR MISSOURI Andrew Foley Added HISTORIC REVITALIZATION FOR MISSOURI James M Foley Added HISTORIC REVITALIZATION FOR MISSOURI Harry Gallagher Added HELENA AGRIENTERPRISES LLC Kathryn Gamble Added EMPOWER MISSOURI Harry G Hill Added MO CORRECTIONS OFFICERS ASSN Harry G Hill Added MISSOURI RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION Harry G Hill Added HARRY HILL Harry G Hill Added MERCK SHARP DOHME CORP AND ITS AFFILIATES Harry G Hill Added HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION Jeremy Lafaver Added EMPOWER MISSOURI Jeremy Lafaver Added LAFAVER ASSOCIATES LLC

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Paid for by Missouri REALTORS®, John Sebree, CEO.

Support the Missouri First-Time Homebuyer Initiative Here’s how the program works:

Most Americans still dream of owning their own home. Homeownership strengthens communities, provides stability for families and helps build financial strength.

But saving enough money for a down payment and closing costs is too hard for many Missourians—especially for young people and those looking to buy their first home.

Low paying jobs, the cost of living and high student loan payments are tough obstacles to overcome. Many people don’t know where to start.

That’s why we need the Missouri FirstTime Homebuyer Initiative—a new idea to help prospective homebuyers save for their first home.

• Individuals could deposit up to $1,600 ($3,200 for couples) annually into a savings account to go toward a first home purchase.

We should be doing more to help first-time homebuyers— not with government handouts but by providing incentives to encourage people to save more of their own money towards the cost of a home.

That’s why we need to ask our legislators to approve the Missouri First-Time Homebuyer Initiative.

• The maximum amount that can be deposited over the life of the account is $25,000; the maximum total amount in the account is limited to $50,000.

• Parents or grandparents can contribute to this account as well.

• An amount equal to 50% of the annual contribution may be deducted from the contributor’s taxable gross income and any gain within the account would not be subject to state income taxes.

• Money from the savings account would have to be used toward the purchase or construction of a first home.

Ask Your Legislator to Support the Missouri First-Time Homebuyer Initiative (HB 1796) Today! MissouriFirstHome.com MO_FTHB_MOTimes_9.75x11.indd 1

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