JEFFERSON CITY – Last month, the governor called the Legislature back to Jefferson City for an extraordinary session to approve emergency funding for communities devastated by severe storms and entice the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to remain in Missouri. Lawmakers convened from June 2 – June 11, sending three proposals to the governor for consideration.
I’ll start with great news for our community, especially those who are still trying to rebound from tornadoes, flooding and other damage from spring storms. Senate Bill 1 appropriates $100 million to help the 37 Missouri counties impacted by natural disasters recover and rebuild. In our community, those who reside in Bollinger, Iron, Perry, Reynolds or Scott counties may be eligible. Please visit disasterassistance.gov for more information.
This bill also funds a few of the projects that didn’t reach the governor’s desk during the regular session, including nearly $13 million to construct a crime lab in southeast Missouri to help improve law enforcement’s communications and operations. The legislation also allocates $50 million to build a cancer-research center at the University of Missouri and $48 million for a mental health hospital in Kansas City.
Senate Bill 4 provides the mechanism by which to quickly disburse funds the state receives from FEMA through the Missouri Housing Trust Fund. To help more families qualify for assistance, SB 4 raises the income cap from 50% of the geographic area’s median family income to 75%.
The most contentious proposal we debated during the extra session was Senate Bill 3. This measure authorizes tax credits for amateur sporting events and for homestead damage from storms, permitting homeowners to claim $5,000 on their tax returns to help offset the costs of their insurance deductibles. The legislation also allows voters in certain counties to decide at the ballot box to put a property tax cap on increases to their real property tax liability.
The Show-Me Sports Investment Act is the largest and most talked about component of SB 3. I know many of you are frustrated by this provision and feel like taxpayers in our neck of the woods shouldn’t be responsible for building or renovating the Chiefs’ and Royals’ stadiums, and I am inclined to agree. However, after comparing the tens of millions of dollars these teams generate in Missouri each year, for Missourians, to the financial devastation of losing this vital revenue to another state, I was a yes vote.
I am thankful the extra session was brief and that help is on the way to the thousands of Missouri families in need. Please, if my team can assist you, reach out.