Capitol Report by Missouri Representative Randy W. Pike – District 126
VISIT THE CAPITOL: Constituents are invited to visit the capitol. I am planning a special tour day on Tuesday, May 7ththat will include visiting the capitol, viewing the legislature in session, a meet and greet in my office, lunch and specials tours. Other special visits will be scheduled throughout the year as well. Contact Beth Rohrbach, my Legislative Assistant, at 573-751-5388for more information.
It is a busy time for the Missouri House of Representatives with the legislative session concluding in four weeks. Here is an update:
Nixon Administration Confirms Sharing Data with Federal Government
In the last several weeks, there has been questioning that Missouri’s Department of Revenue, which operates the Division of Motor Vehicles, has been scanning, storing, and sharing private information with the federal government regarding our source documents for driver’s licenses (birth certificates) and for citizens who are permitted to carry concealed weapons. Just last week, it was confirmed that on two occasions the complete list of Missouri CCW holders was provided to the federal government. There are a number of reasons why this issue is extremely important. First, it is against the law. The Missouri General Assembly, in 2009, passed HB 361, which specifically states “no citizen of this state shall have his or her privacy compromised by the state or agents of the state.” Second, although the government might have good interest in certain data at the group level (tracking and mitigating disease, for example), It concerns me regarding pinpointing CCW holders individually. Having a CCW is not a crime or grounds for an investigation. The House has responded with Representative Richardson’s (R-Poplar Bluff) House Bill 787, which would further prohibit the Department of Revenue from retaining copies of source documents used to obtain driver's licenses and non-driver's licenses. On the Senate side, Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) has led the investigative charge and continues to garner information from the Nixon Administration regarding this apparent breach of privacy and trust.
Second Amendment Preservation Act – HB 436– Establishes the Second Amendment Preservation Act which rejects all federal acts that infringe on a Missouri citizens' rights under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The bill is about protecting a Missourian's right to keep and bear arms from the federal government's overreach.
HB 343 – Changes the laws regarding public assistance benefits.
HB 218 - Changes the laws regarding the sale and possession of controlled substances.
HB 253 – Establishes the Broad-Based Tax Relief Act of 2013 that reduces the tax on corporate business income and business income for sole proprietors, partners, and shareholders in S-corporations.
HB 103 – Allows a municipality to adopt a resolution or ordinance that allows all-terrain and utility vehicles to operate on the streets and highways under its jurisdiction.
HB 114 – Requires institutions of higher education to award educational credits to a veteran for certain courses that were a part of his or her military training or service.
HB 505 – Changes the laws regarding child abuse and neglect. The bill will tighten the laws regarding when a forensic rape kit can be performed on a child.
HB 850 – Establishes the Bring Jobs Home Act, which authorizes a tax deduction for out-of-state businesses that relocate to Missouri.
HBs 374 & 434 – Allows the Missouri Supreme Court to make permanent transfers of a circuit judge or associate circuit judge position from one circuit to another as needed with certain restrictions.
HBs 373 & 435 – Grants the authority to redraw the circuit and appellate judicial districts every 10 years to the Supreme Court.
HB 322 – Allows the insurance identification card that contains proof of insurance information for a motor vehicle and certain policies and endorsements to be available electronically.
HB 197 – The STAR Bonds Financing Act provides another important economic development tool for local governments.
HB 526 – Creates rural regional development grants. The total grants are not to exceed $5 million on an annual basis.
HB 194 - Authorizes a one-time individual income tax deduction for the purchase of a new home used as the principal residence of the taxpayer for at least two years.
HB 290 – Adds licensed professional counselors and psychologists to the list of people authorized to conduct an investigation into whether an individual is suitable as an adoptive parent.
HB 510 – Allows a limited liability company to establish a designated series of members, managers, and company interests having separate rights and duties regarding specified property.
HB 175 – Changes the laws regarding the collection of special assessments and delinquent property taxes.
HB 252 – Changes the laws regarding adoptions. The bill gives birth parents the opportunity to provide a medical history form and contact preference form as the child is placed for adoption.
HB 813 – Requires the Department of Economic Development to distribute money to early stage business development corporations for grants to newly formed businesses that have the potential for national or international sales or the development of new technology.
HB 468 - Changes the laws regarding public safety. The bill will eliminate problems relating to the serving process under the direction of the courts.
HB 351 - The bill reduces redundancies in inspections and requirements for hospitals and helps hospitals know the provisions of law that have been violated and how it was violated.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I have appreciated talking with constituents as I have visited throughout District 126 (Bates and Vernon Counties). CONTACT me at: MO House of Representatives, 201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 400CB, Jefferson City MO 65101 or call 573-751-5388 or Randy.Pike@house.mo.gov.
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