Democrats in the Missouri House say it’s time the Republican-dominated legislature did something for consumers—particularly for home-buyers and home-owners. They’re doing what Governor Blunt is doing—revealing legislative priorities one news conference at a time. Gets more publicity that way.

This installment focuses on limiting property tax shocks during reassessment years and with helping consumers avoid predators when they buy homes. Representative Clint Zweifel of Florissant says Democrats want consumers to have more leverage at the bargaining table and more power when it comes to making mortgage decisions. He says state licensing of every real estate brokerage and every individual broker will help Democrats also want to authorize professional buyers’ brokers, a person hired to negotiate with real estate sellers to make sure the final deal is not just to the benefit of the seller’s real estate agent. He says real estate agents can take a broker’s status now…and it’s fair for the state to allow buyers to have someone to negotiate from an equal position.

Other parts of the Democrat package limits windfalls that local governments can get through property reassessment and increases eligibility for the circuit breaker tax credit program.

Democrats say they’ll file their bills next week. The 2008 legislative session starts three weeks from today.