Eighteen weeks of legislative work will come down to one final hectic week, as it always does, this year from May 10-14. Many big issues (and a bunch of little ones) have yet to pass and hang in the balance. Here are a few of them.
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Gas Tax: A couple years ago, a gas tax was on the ballot, which was rejected by voters. This year, a senator has proposed a gas tax increase that the legislature would impose without a vote of the people. It would raise the gas tax 12½ cents per gallon over five years, with a rebate mechanism where citizens could claim the extra gas tax as a credit off of their income tax.
Some say an increase is needed to maintain our roads and bridges. Others say they don’t trust that more taxes will lead to better roads, or that no tax increase should occur without a vote of the people who would be taxed.
Vaccine Passports: Some governments are requiring citizens to get a COVID vaccine before allowing them to travel or enjoy the normal privileges of life. Some corporations are requiring their customers to get vaccinated before they can enter their business or requiring their employees to be vaccinated to keep their jobs. The legislature has debated which, if any, of these restrictions are acceptable, and which go too far and violate individual freedom.
Wayfair: Some members want to collect a sales tax from citizens on internet purchases that are not already taxed to raise money from citizens for state and local government. Other members are okay with an internet sales tax to help our Missouri local businesses better compete with their internet rivals, but only if it is offset with some tax reductions so businesses have a level playing field and citizens are not financially harmed. And other members do not want an internet sales tax with or without a tax offset.
Transgender Sports: The legislature has debated whether or not a boy who identifies as a girl should be allowed to play on a girls’ sports team and compete with girls in high school sports, or if that would be unfair to the girls to have to compete with and against biological boys.
Election Integrity: Several bills have been debated to reform elections, including voter photo ID, requiring paper ballots, more secure absentee ballots, and changes to the initiative petition process that puts amendments to our constitution up for a vote.
These are just a few of the issues yet to be hammered out. Which of these measures will pass, and which will fail? We will know in a week, and I will let you know in my capitol reports in the coming weeks.