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Three-pronged school reform plan offered

January 21, 2010 By

A proposal to make “politically possible” changes in public education has been put before the state senate.

Senator Matt Bartle of Lee’s Summit says his plan is a three-legged stool. One part would allow merit-based teacher compensation statewide. It’s now used only in St. Louis. He says it makes no sense to pay teachers who make extra efforts the same as teachers who do the minimum.

He suggests letting some children enroll in kindergarten after the first semester if they’re among the youngest students who would otherwise enroll in September. Bartle would let parents decide which would be their child’s regular kindergarten start date. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Human Interest

Three Nixon appointees in trouble in Senate

January 21, 2010 By

Three of Governor Nixon’s top-level appointments are running into trouble in the state Senate.

Senator Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau has thrown up a roadblock to Senate confirmations of two of them and promises the third will not be confirmed.

Crowell objects to the appointment of former State Representative Phil Smith of Louisiana to the state administrative hearing commission. Crowell, who served with Smith in the House, says Smith was too political. He says Smith is a former legislator who thinks he’s entitled to a lucrative state job when a governor his party is elected.

Crowell is a Republican. Smith is a Democrat. He says Smith was too partisan when he was in the House. Crowell also threatens to block former Representative Bill Ransdall’s appointment to the state tax commission because Ransdall voted to support recommended reevaluation of Missouri farmland. The Tax Commission has voted to increase the productivity value on about 35% of Missouri’s farmland while lowering the value of about 65%. Crowell says he wants to hold Governor Nixon to his promise not to increase any taxes and since Ransdall voted to support the Tax Commission recommendation, he voted to support a tax increase.

Crowell says Nixon’s appointment of former state Democratic Party chief JohnTemporiti to the Missouri Development Finance Commission is not going to make it. He says the original choice for the appointment was former House Speaker Jim Kreider but Kreider’s state senator refused to sponsor him for confirmation.

Senate leader Charlie Shields of St. Joseph says the appointments of Smith and Ransdall are now down the drain. But he says they’re in the curved pipe under the sink. A spokesman for Governor Nixon is confident the appointments will be confirmed.

AUDIO: Discussion on Senate floor with Sens. Shoemyer, Crowell, and Shields 11:47 mp3

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government, Taxes

Move underway in House to reject tax change for Missouri farmland

January 21, 2010 By

A move is underway in the House to reject a tax increase on farmland proposed by the State Tax Commission, even as sponsors acknowledge that in doing so they reject a tax cut for some farmers. If anything is to be done, it must be done fast.

House Agri-Business Committee Chairman Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown) put it simply.

“I just feel this is not the time to be raising taxes,” Munzlinger testified in front of his committee on HCR 7, a resolution that would reject the State Tax Commission recommendation.

The commission recommends a 30% tax increase on the top four categories of farmland, mostly the state’s best cropland, but not necessarily confined to row crops. Some is in pasture. The commission recommends a 24% tax decrease on three categories of the least valuable Missouri farmland. The commission made its recommendation based on a Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) study that indicated the productive value of cropland had risen with the rise of the ethanol industry. A depressed livestock industry led the commission to recommend the tax cut for pasture land. Farmland is assessed based on its productive value.

Two other representatives appeared before the committee on the issue, both proposing rejection of the State Tax Commission recommendation. Rep. Casey Guernsey (R-Bethany) sponsors HCR 3. Rep. Mike Lair (R-Chillicothe) sponsors HCR 17.

During testimony before the committee, Munzlinger contended that even though ethanol might have increased the productive value of cropland, it hasn’t pushed it up enough to absorb a big tax hike.

“With the current economic situation that we are facing in general, but also in the agricultural economy where farmers carry a very heavy debt load, we feel this is just no time at all to be putting especially a 30% tax increase on a lot of our land we have in this state,” said Munzlinger.

If lawmakers are to stop the tax increase, as well as the tax cut, they must act quickly. State law gives the legislature 60 days from the beginning of the session to reject the Tax Commission’s proposal.

AUDIO: Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Agriculture, Legislature

Four Missouri businesses crack Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for” list

January 21, 2010 By

Four Missouri companies make Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2010 list. Leading the Missouri businesses is the Edward Jones investment firm, which comes in at number 2. Scottrade brokerage house is number 27, Monsanto ranks 59th on the list, and Build-A-Bear Workshop checks in at number 80. All are based in St. Louis.

Jim Weddle, Managing Partner of Edward Jones, says one of the reasons his company makes the list is that many of the people working for Edward Jones own a piece of the company. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business

Missouri schools in running for ‘Race to the Top’ funds

January 21, 2010 By

Missouri is one of 40 states competing for a grant to enhance our public schools. Education Commissioner Chris NiCastro gave the legislature an update.

Race to the Top is a competitive grant initiative announced last year by President Obama. NiCastro says Missouri started on the 1,000 page application process last fall.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Legislature, Politics & Government
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