LMC Legislative Agenda Update
During the 2012 legislative sessions in Missouri and Kansas, our focus was more on preventing certain bills and provisions from passing. Despite a strong push from key legislative leaders in Missouri, neither “right-to-work,” prevailing wage changes came to a floor vote. A cut in the historic tax credit cap did pass the Senate but never came to House vote. In Kansas, we successfully fought back attempts in the budget bill to impose new immigration enforcement requirements on state contractors and to shift funds from the transportation plan.
Federal
•Support construction of a downtown Kansas City, Mo. federal office building.
Results: Construction of a building remains possible but likely several years away
•Support construction of the Keystone pipeline project.
Results: First proposal rejected by the President but a new application has been made and is under consideration. Legislation requiring approval is possible.
Watch List:
•Oppose a benefits tax in federal health care reform; Any future stimulus funds include significant vertical construction projects.
Results: No changes or additional stimulus funds.
Missouri
•The LMC supports reasonable and effective economic development incentives. While the LMC supports ensuring that tax credits and other incentives are cost effective, we want to preserve those tax credits crucial to economic development such as the historic tax credit, tax increment financing. The LMC also supports enhancing the Quality Jobs program. The LMC also supports enhanced education and training tax credits, as long as those programs include existing construction apprenticeship and journeyman training programs. Evaluation of projects supported by the Quality Jobs Act and other tax credit programs should include the impact of construction jobs created by the programs. The LMC also supports cost effective credits for solar energy development.
Result: No significant changes to state economic development policies
•The LMC opposes SB 438 and similar legislation to impose “right-to-work.”
Result: No floor vote taken on any “right-to-work” bill in either house
•The LMC supports maintaining and increasing Medicaid eligibility and adequate provider reimbursement.
Result: No significant changes
•The LMC supports maintaining or increasing funding for programs that foster economic development and provide critical services, particularly education, childcare subsidies for working parents and arts development.
Result: No significant changes
•The LMC supports restoration of Missouri programs that foster economic development and provide critical services such as Medicaid, education, the arts, childcare subsidies for working parents and others.
Result: No significant changes
•The LMC supports state funding for a comprehensive transportation plan.
Result: No new transportation plan moved forward
•The LMC supports Prevailing Wage in its present form.
Result: No changes to Prevailing Wage came to a vote in either house
•The LMC opposes TABOR (taxpayer bill of rights).
Result: No TABOR-like bill passed or will be sent to voters
•The LMC endorses retention of the Missouri Plan for judicial selection and the similar policy that exists in Kansas.
Result:The legislature sent to the ballot a change in the plan for appeals judges that gives the governor an extra appointment rather than a member of the judiciary. While not as significant a change as some proposals, passage of this would further politicize judicial appointments.
•The LMC opposes attempts to ban affirmative action programs.
Result: No action taken
•The LMC supports development of a statutory framework for public employee collective bargaining in Missouri to reduce uncertainty for workers and for public employers.
Result: No action taken.
Watch: Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation, Utility Rates & Energy Capacity, Education/Kansas City School District.
Result: The only legislation passed was to make it more difficult for an employee to sue a fellow employee in a workers’ compensation case.
Kansas
•The LMC supports reasonable and effective economic development incentives.
Result: No significant changes; tax reform retained the angel tax credit and other incentives
•The LMC supports continued funding for the comprehensive transportation plan.
Results: An attempt to shift transportation plan funds to education was opposed by the LMC and was defeated
•The LMC opposes immigration reform proposals that would put the burden of I-9 verification on contractors for subcontractors. Verification responsibility should fall only on the direct employer of those workers.
Result: A proposal to put immigration enforcement burdens on contractors for subcontractors passed the House but was deleted in budget conference committee. The LMC expressed strong opposition.
Watch: Kansas “driveway” tax (proposed requirement for impact study if increasing user fees)
Result: Attorney general issued an opinion against the “driveway” tax but no legislation was passed.
Local
•The LMC opposes elimination of the Kansas City, Mo. city earnings tax until an alternative is in place.
Result: No changes to the earnings tax and none recommended by the Mayor’s revenue commission.
Watch: Bidding practices in local governments, particularly regarding design build in KCMO and Johnson County (KS), KCMO Development Code, Jackson County implementation of PACE.
Result: No significant changes but each issue requires continued attention.
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