State Rep. Chris Dinkins Report 3/18/2021

March 19, 2021
Constituents from Wayne County came to the Capitol to advocate for Secure Missouri. Secure Missouri is an organization that strives to create the standard for election integrity in Missouri. From the (far right) Sue, Michael, and their son Corey Henry stopped by to  visit with Representative Dinkins (middle).  Chuck Dodson, (far left) is the GOP Chair for St. Francois County.  	
(State Photos)
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Greeting Friends! This week my House Bill 564 was heard in the Conservation Committee. This bill is the mining royalties’ bill that would ensure all royalty money paid for mining would remain in the county where the mining actually occurred. Currently the royalty money is divided between 29 counties, the same manner as timber with every county with federal forest land receiving a portion of the money whether or not they had mining or not. A big thanks to Presiding Commissioners Jim Scaggs of Iron County and Joe Loyd of Reynolds County for making the trip to Jefferson City to testify in support of this important piece of legislation for our area.

My House Bill 1046 was voted out of committee this week and will hopefully be on the floor after Spring Break. As many of you will remember, a few years back former Gov. Nixon used the money from the Asarco Lead mining settlement fund to purchase land for a park in Oregon County. This money was meant for lead remediation efforts in the affected areas, not for a new park. Our area could have used this money for many projects, yet it was used to purchase 4,175 acres for a new park. Currently the sale of this park is under litigation due to a federal easement along the river-way. My bill requires that the easement be sold once the appeals process is complete. This settlement money needs to be returned to be used for the settlements intended purpose.
House Completes Highly Productive First Half of the 2021 Legislative Session

As the legislative session reached its midpoint, House members had approved and sent to the Senate more than 45 pieces of legislation, including the Speaker’s priority issues. The House also used the first half of the legislative session to tackle important issues such as protecting the Second Amendment rights of Missouri citizens, preventing the abuse of burdensome mandates issued by unelected bureaucrats, and supporting the state’s agriculture industry. The House and Senate also gave final approval to a supplemental budget bill that was signed into law by the governor.

House members will now spend time in their districts during their annual spring break and will return to the State Capitol on March 22. When they return they will focus their efforts on approving the state operating budget. Lawmakers have a deadline of May 7 to complete the state budget. The bills sent to the Senate by the House have until May 14, when the legislative session officially concludes, to receive approval from both chambers.

Highlights of the first half of session include:

Providing Financial Support to Foster and Adoptive Parents (HB 429 and HB 430) - The House has passed two pieces of legislation that would offer financial assistance to families that provide a stable home to children in need. HB 429 would authorize an income tax deduction for Missouri taxpayers for the expenses related to providing care as a foster parent. The bill would authorize a deduction of $2,500 for an individual and $5,000 for a married couple if foster care is provided for at least six months. HB 430 would expand the state’s existing $10,000 tax credit to any adoption. 

Second Amendment Preservation Act (HBs 85 & 310) - Another bill passed this session would protect the Second Amendment rights of Missourians against an overreaching federal government. The Second Amendment Preservation Act is meant to protect law-abiding gun owners from potential gun control legislation that could be passed in Washington, D.C. It states that laws and other actions that prohibit the manufacture, ownership, and use of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition within Missouri exceed the powers granted to the federal government. It also declares that all federal laws, acts, and orders that infringe on Missourians’ second amendment rights are invalid in the state.

Forgiving Unemployment Overpayments (HBs 1083, 1085, 1050, 1035, 1036, 873 & 1097) -Thousands of Missourians who received unemployment overpayments would have the federal portion of their debt forgiven under legislation approved by the House. The bill would ensure Missourians who received the overpayments non-fraudulently do not have to repay the federal dollars they received. The bill passed by the House would instruct the department to waive repayment of the federal portion of the overpayments for those who received them non-fraudulently. If the department determines a recipient received money through fraud, those overpayments would not be waived. Under this bill, the department would still seek repayment of the state portion of the overpayments. However the repayments would be made without interest and without penalties and the department would work out an affordable payment plan with each recipient. In effect, the state portion will end up being a zero interest loan.

Rent and Utility Assistance (HB 16) - A supplemental spending plan that will provide assistance to renters has already been passed by both chambers and signed into law by the governor. The bill appropriates more than $324 million to the Missouri Housing Development Commission to help Missourians with rental assistance and utility assistance. The bill allocates Missouri’s share of a $25 billion federal aid package for housing that was passed in December. Missouri’s portion of the federal funds will be disbursed by the Missouri Housing Development Commission and can be used to pay landlords and utilities in arrears or to help keep renters current. The aid can provide up to 12 months of rent and utility assistance, ongoing rent and utilities for up to three months, and help cover missed rent or utilities since March 1.

Online Sales Tax and Income Tax Cut (HB 554) - The House has approved legislation to level the playing field so Missouri-based businesses can better compete with their online counterparts. Commonly referred to as the Wayfair bill, it would allow the state to collect use tax on items purchased over the Internet. The bill would balance this new tax collection by cutting personal income tax for Missouri taxpayers. It would reduce the state’s top income tax rate from 5.4 percent to 5.3 percent. Under legislation previously approved by the General Assembly, the income tax rate could continue to drop to as low as 5 percent if revenues continue to grow at a healthy rate.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you might have. As your Representative, I am here to assist you however I can. I can be reached by email at Chris.Dinkins@house.mo.gov or by phone at 573-751-2112. Please do not contact me via social media. These messages are easy to overlook and may not be responded to in a timely manner.