Carthage Archives - Missourinet

A top state lawmaker says Missourians have already paid their share for stimulus checks

February 15, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s House Budget Committee chairman says you shouldn’t be taxed on federal stimulus checks.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on January 28, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Budget Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says under Missouri’s tax code, federal stimulus checks related to COVID are subject to personal income tax.

“This legislation would waive that personal income tax not only on the most recent round of stimulus related to COVID-19, but on anything going forward related to this pandemic specifically,” Smith says.

Eligible Americans have been receiving $600 stimulus checks, which are part of the $900 billion stimulus package signed on December 27 by former President Donald Trump.

Chairman Smith says Missourians have already paid their share for the stimulus checks.

“They’ve either already paid these tax dollars or will pay them in the future, and they shouldn’t be taxed again on these stimulus checks especially in a time of need if they can put the money to better use,” says Smith.

Unless state lawmakers take action this session, the federal stimulus checks will cause your state income tax liability to increase. But Smith says he’s “very optimistic” that lawmakers will approve his bill or a similar version.

Click here to read Chairman Smith’s House Bill 991. It’s a seven-page bill.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri House Budget Committee chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, which was recorded on February 13, 2021:

UPDATE: Haug to present 124-page supplemental budget request to Missouri lawmakers on Monday

January 31, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s state budget director will testify Monday morning in Jefferson City about a proposed supplemental budget. Budget director Dan Haug will summarize a 124-page report, and we’ll learn the final details about the total amount of the supplemental at that time.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the Missouri House floor on November 9, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The House Budget Committee meets Monday morning at 11 at the Statehouse, and they’ll hear Director Haug’s budget presentation and testimony. No public testimony will be taken, at the hearing.

Missouri’s current state operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes about $7.4 billion in supplemental budgets with federal money. The proposed supplemental budget that will be outlined on Monday is in addition to that.

Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet that the supplemental “will be a cross section of the overall budget,” adding that there will be a little bit of everything in it.

For instance, the Parson administration is requesting $6.4 million in supplemental funding for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Office of Special Education.

The 124-page report says the supplemental funding is needed due to a shortfall in funding for early childhood special education (ECSE) reimbursement from fiscal year 2020 and an anticipated shortfall in funding for FY 2021 ECSE reimbursement. The ECSE program provides individual instruction and therapy services to preschool aged children with disabilities.

Governor Mike Parson’s (R) administration is also recommending $1.6 million to cover COVID-19-related revenue losses impacting the Missouri State Fair fee fund. The report says the State Fair in Sedalia has lost significant revenue due to cancellations of off-season and fair events. That includes event rental fees, gate admissions, camping fees, entry fees and sponsorship fees.

The report also notes the Missouri State Fair has had to buy substantial amounts of janitorial and sanitizing supplies, along with a large quantity of additional signage to help ensure the safety of staff and event participants. The report notes that the State Fair has a long history of meeting its operational costs with its own fee revenues, which is the State Fair fee fund.

But because of COVID losses, the Parson administration says additional funding is needed to sustain State Fair operations through FY 2021 and to ensure that a full fair week can be done this year, including grandstand events and a carnival.

The supplemental budget request also includes about $223,000 for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, for the April municipal election.

The report notes that state law requires mailing envelopes used for returning ballots to local election authorities to incorporate a business reply permit so that no ballot that’s returned by mail requires postage. Missouri law requires that all fees and costs for establishing and maintaining the business reply permit be covered by the Secretary of State’s office. The report says that because of the pandemic, more voters than ever will vote using the absentee option.

Missouri Medicaid expansion implementation discussion to begin after State of State address

January 24, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House Budget Committee is expected to hold its first meeting of 2021 this week in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chair Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on November 9, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, has released a revised House schedule. A technical session has been added on Friday, which will allow the Budget Committee to meet that day.

Missouri’s current operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes two supplemental budgets with federal money.

Governor Mike Parson (R) will deliver his State of the State Address on Wednesday afternoon at 3 in Jefferson City, before a joint session of the Legislature. The governor will outline his 2021 legislative priorities at that time, and will also unveil his proposed budget blueprint.

The implementation of Medicaid expansion is expected to be a key issue this session.

“We will wait until after the state of the state (speech) to discuss new budget items like medex (Medicaid expansion). We need to see what the department (state Department of Social Services) proposes and spend a little time unpacking it,” House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet.

Medicaid is formally called MO HealthNet. It’s a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents with limited incomes.

About 53 percent of Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion in August. Amendment Two expands Medicaid for residents between the ages of 19 and 64 with an income level at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Medicaid expansion supporters say the measure will provide healthcare to Missourians who earn less than $18,000 annually.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, speaks on the Missouri House floor on January 6, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Medicaid expansion implementation is a top 2021 priority for House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, and other House Democrats. She notes Medicaid expansion will extend health care coverage to more than 200,000 Missourians.

“As we head into our second year of the (COVID) pandemic, we must take the lessons learned so far about what works and what doesn’t and translate it into action,” Leader Quade said on January 6, opening day for the Legislature. “We must work together to ensure Missourians can get vaccinated as quickly as possible. And the need to expand health care access as commanded by voters has never been more critical.”

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and many labor unions endorsed Amendment Two. The Chamber frequently quoted a study from the Missouri Foundation for Health, which says Medicaid expansion will create more than 16,000 new jobs annually during its first five years. The Chamber says many of those jobs will be in rural Missouri.

However, Medicaid expansion failed in 105 of the state’s 114 counties. All 105 counties that voted against it are in rural Missouri, which is a GOP stronghold.

House Budget Committee Chairman Smith warned before the August election that Amendment Two was projected to cost $200 million in state general revenue, and $1.8 billion in federal funding each year.

While GOP Governor Parson campaigned against Medicaid expansion, he has told Capitol reporters several times that Medicaid expansion will be implemented because that was the will of the voters.

Missouri’s governor and legislative leaders announce consensus revenue estimates

December 10, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor has announced consensus revenue estimates (CRE) for fiscal year 2022, which is expected to be a tight budget year.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on November 9, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The annual CRE is one of the basic projections used by the governor and legislative leaders in both chambers to prepare for the state operating budget.

Governor Mike Parson (R) says the CRE projects a net decrease of about $419 million in net general revenue collections. Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says Missouri is in the “midst of the most trying economic times in a generation,” emphasizing the importance of a conservative revenue estimate.

“I want to thank Senator Dan Hegeman (of Cosby) and Representative Cody Smith for their hard work and cooperation in developing this revenue estimate,” the governor said, in a written statement. “COVID-19 has had an overwhelming impact on our economy, but we are already making a strong recovery and remain optimistic for the coming year. We look forward to working with the General Assembly this session to create a balanced and responsible budget for the people of Missouri.”

Missouri’s current operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes two supplemental budgets with federal money.

Governor Parson will outline his proposed budget blueprint during his January State of the State Address in Jefferson City.

Outgoing Missouri State Rep. Deb Lavender reflects on her six years in Jefferson City (AUDIO)

December 9, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A veteran Democrat on the Missouri House Budget Committee will be leaving Jefferson City at the end of the month, after losing a Senate race to State Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester.

State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 15, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, was elected to the House in 2014 and served three terms. She’s most proud that Missourians approved Medicaid expansion in August.

“I guess what I can say I’m proud about is my individual district (the 90th in St. Louis County) passed that by 70 percent,” Lavender says. “So I think my six years of educating my district why Medicaid expansion is important, I think that’s the first thing for the state of Missouri that I think is the best thing that’s happened in a long time.”

Medicaid is a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents with limited incomes. 53 percent of Missouri voters approved Amendment Two, which will provide healthcare to Missourians who earn less than $18,000 annually.

Lavender is hopeful that some of the rural hospitals that have closed in recent years will re-open, now that Missouri voters have approved Medicaid expansion. She says the issue is important statewide.

“We’ve closed ten hospitals over the last decade and especially in our day of the COVID virus right now, people are traveling to St. Louis for their medical care,” says Lavender.

Amendment Two expands Medicaid for residents between the ages of 19 and 64 with an income level at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

The implementation of Medicaid expansion will take place in 2021. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, has said it’s projected to cost $200 million in state general revenue and $1.8 billion in federal funding each year.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Lavender and other supporters say Medicaid expansion will create more than 16,000 new jobs annually during its first five years, while increasing personal income by $1.1 billion annually.

Another issue Representative Lavender has tried to raise awareness about is fund balances. She is the ranking Democrat on the Missouri House Appropriations Subcommittee on health and social services.

Lavender says Missouri currently has more than 450 individual bank accounts, with $6.8 billion in the bank. She’s disappointed that more hasn’t been done in Jefferson City with the fund balances.

“What I have figured out is that there’s no one person accountable for fund balances,” Lavender says. “But in some cases, I think it’s a place where we have learned to hide money.”

Lavender questions whether all of that money is needed. She says if it’s not needed, it should be spent appropriately. She also supports decreasing some professional license fees.

Lavender says her future is still to be determined. She notes she has always practiced as a physical therapist during her time in Legislature, and has kept her physical therapy practice during the last 18 months of campaigning.

She’s also still interested in state government and in the fund balances. She emphasizes that she has enjoyed serving on the House Budget Committee, and in the Legislature.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, which was recorded on December 7, 2020:

Federal funds to help Missouri school districts dealing with COVID pandemic; lawmakers say resources are needed (AUDIO)

December 7, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

About $76 million in federal money will be heading to Missouri’s k-12 schools, once Governor Mike Parson signs the supplemental budget bill.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the House floor in Jefferson City on November 10, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says the $1.27 billion supplemental budget includes $75.6 million for school nutrition services.

“i.e., paying for meals in k-12 education,” Smith says. “So this is a supplement, an additional federal fund that we’re appropriating for that will go to help compensate schools for the cost of those meals.”

The $75.6 million will reimburse Missouri’s k-12 schools, for feeding students during the COVID pandemic.

Missouri lawmakers approved the supplemental budget with large bipartisan votes in both chambers. The Missouri House approved it by a 133-4 vote in November, and the Senate approved it last week on a 23-1 vote.

Chairman Smith says an additional $266,463 in federal money will also be going to Missouri’s K-12 schools. He notes state lawmakers appropriated federal grant money for the Missouri Healthy School program.

“This is to disseminate the COVID-19 guidance that comes down from the CDC, so that we can help schools administer the guidance as it is issued by the CDC,” says Smith.

The CDC is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is good news to school superintendents across the state, who have been dealing with tight budgets because of the pandemic. Some local superintendents in northeast Missouri reached out to our Quincy affiliate WGEM on Friday, seeking information on when the money will start flowing.

Chairman Smith tells Missourinet the funding is very important to local school districts.

“We know that it’s been a tremendous challenge to try to educate our children in the face of a pandemic, and so all these resources are sorely needed across the state,” Smith says.

The largest part of the $1.27 billion supplemental budget is $764 million for the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to help the agency respond to the ongoing pandemic. Another $23 million will go toward the community development block grant program, to support local community projects.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, which was recorded on December 4, 2020:

Severe storms/hail possible Saturday in southern Missouri’s Springfield, Joplin and West Plains (AUDIO)

November 13, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) says some strong to severe storms are possible Saturday afternoon and evening across southwest and south-central Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield says strong to severe storms are possible Saturday afternoon and evening across southwest and south-central Missouri (November 13, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Springfield Twitter)

NWS Springfield meteorologist Cory Rothstein describes it as a conditional risk, depending on what happens with showers earlier on Saturday afternoon.

“If those showers do clear up by the early to mid-afternoon hours, we could see the potential for some severe weather, at least on a scattered basis during the afternoon and evening,” Rothstein says.

He says residents in Joplin, Springfield, Branson, Carthage, Marshfield, Ava and West Plains could see damaging wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour on Saturday. Rothstein cannot rule out a tornado threat, but says it will be limited in nature.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) says there’s a slight risk of severe weather Saturday afternoon and evening across the Ozarks. The NWS says quarter-sized hail will be possible with a few of the stronger storms.

“The main threat for these damaging winds, quarter-sized hail, would be primarily during about the 4 pm into the evening rush hour (on Saturday) and maybe lingering into about the 8 to 10 o’clock timeframe as it moves southeast across portions of southwest Missouri,” says Rothstein.

He’s also urging you to have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Springfield meteorologist Cory Rothstein, which was recorded on November 13, 2020:

Look for Missouri Senate to vote on $1.27 billion supplemental next week (AUDIO)

November 13, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate is expected to debate and vote on the proposed $1.27 billion supplemental budget next Thursday and Friday. That’s according to Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

Missouri House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, (left) speaks to House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, in the House chamber in Jefferson City on November 10, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The House gave final approval to the supplemental budget this week, with a bipartisan 133-4 vote. That pleases House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage.

“It (the budget) was more of a what I call ‘keep the trains running on time supplemental budget bill.’ The deployment of federal resources across a variety of state departments is mostly what the bill was about,” Smith says.

He says the budget also provides more authority to spend federal dollars on personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing. Chairman Smith says it also addresses Missouri’s unemployment fund shortage.

“Our plans for unemployment program ran short with higher than expected unemployment,” says Smith.

If the Senate approves the supplemental budget as is, it would head straight to the governor’s desk. If changes are made by the Senate, the budget would head to a Senate-House conference committee.

Smith is hopeful the Senate will send it to Governor Parson’s desk, saying he doesn’t expect it to be controversial in the upper chamber.

Meantime, the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says there have been 25,961 new COVID cases in Missouri in the past seven days, along with 63 new deaths in the past week.

State Rep. Jon Carpenter, D-Gladstone, a senior Democrat in the Missouri House, addressed the issue on the floor this week. He’s warning his colleagues that COVID hospitalizations are skyrocketing in the Midwest.

“We now have twice as many people getting infected with coronavirus in our region (the Midwest) than any other region in this country at any point during the pandemic,” Carpenter says.

During his House floor speech, Carpenter called on the Parson administration to address the pandemic itself and to use some of the $1.2 billion supplemental to address economic hardships, school hardships and food hardships in Missouri.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, which was recorded on November 10, 2020 at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City:

Missouri’s state budget director to testify Monday in-detail about supplemental budget

November 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

We’ll learn more details about Missouri’s proposed $1.27 billion supplemental budget on Monday afternoon, during the House Budget Committee’s hearing in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (right) talks with House Budget Committee Chair Cody Smith, R-Carthage, and Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, on
May 7, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The committee plans a noon hearing in the Missouri House chamber. The funding will provide additional resources to respond to COVID.

Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, is expecting a four to six-hour hearing on Monday. Smith tells Missourinet that state budget director Dan Haug will be the primary person testifying on Monday, adding that state departments with appropriations in the bill will be at the Capitol to answer questions from committee members.

Governor Mike Parson (R) has called the special session, which began on Thursday. The governor notes there is still CARES Act funding that needs to be distributed to Missourians.

The governor says the supplemental budget includes funding for several items, including school nutrition service programs, job training grants, funding for a domestic violence grant and child support payments.

Governor Parson has spoken to both House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, about the special session. Parson says he is working with the Legislature to ensure that these funds are distributed across Missouri as quickly as possible.

The governor says since the Legislature approved the $35 billion state operating budget in May, additional CARES Act funding has been made available to the state.

During Monday’s hearing, Missouri House Budget Committee members will also hear testimony from the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) about nursing home family access. Smith says DHSS staff members will testify, about that issue.

Monday will also be the first meeting that new committee vice chairman Rep. Dirk Deaton attends, as vice chair.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, appointed Rep. Deaton, R-Noel, to the post last week, saying Representative Deaton will be ready to assist in the committee’s work to appropriate funding during the special session to combat COVID.

Speaker Haahr says it was important to name a vice chairman ahead of the special session.

UPDATE: Missouri lawmakers to consider $1.27 billion supplemental, to provide more resources for COVID

November 4, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor is asking state lawmakers to approve a more than $1 billion supplemental budget during the upcoming special session, which begins Thursday in Jefferson City. The funding will provide additional resources to COVID-19.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks at the Capitol in Jefferson City on May 7, 2020, as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, listens (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) tells Missourinet that the total amount of the supplemental budget is $1.27 billion.

Governor Mike Parson (R) says there’s still CARES Act funding that needs to be distributed to Missourians. The supplemental budget will include school nutrition service programs, job training grants and funding for a domestic violence grant.

The governor also says the supplemental budget will also include funding for child support payments. He says since the Legislature approved the $35 billion state operating budget in May, additional CARES Act funding has been made available to the state.