With five weeks left in session, the tension and apprehension grows as the hundreds of pieces of legislation move forward and we try to discern which would be good for the state of Missouri. One bill that was passed out of the House last week that I feel strongly about is HB 1549. It would modernize our state’s “no call” list to include cellular phones. The “no call” list, which is designed to prevent unwanted telemarketing calls, currently applies only to landlines. It is a service that nearly 2 million Missourians utilize. However, we have seen the use of landlines diminish as more and more families have moved to using cell phones exclusively and it is apparent that our “no call” list needs to make the transition as well.
Our attorney general’s office, which is responsible for maintaining the list, says it fielded more than 22,000 calls in 2011 complaining about unwanted telemarketing calls. Many of those calls went to Missourians’ cell phones. This year we hope to protect all phone users, both landline and wireless, from these undesirable solicitations. I believe that most Missourians would appreciate this change.
Another piece of legislation passed last week in the House would provide new ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would pave the way for a voter identification requirement here in Missouri. The new language is necessary because of a ruling made by a Cole County Circuit Judge that called the current language insufficient. The judge asked the legislature to revise the language and that is exactly what we did. We believe this is an extremely important issue that Missouri voters will overwhelmingly support. It is imperative that we protect the integrity of our elections process and by requiring a government-issued photo ID to vote we can take an important step toward eliminating any chance of voter fraud. The proposed constitutional amendment would also allow the establishment of an early voting period. These are issues we believe the people of Missouri want and it is our hope they will have the chance to vote on them in November. We now look to the Senate to follow our lead in approving this legislation so the new ballot language can be put in place.
You may not have seen it on any official list of holidays but a significant national observance is scheduled for April 17. This is a symbolic day where Americans can observe what has come to be known as Tax Freedom Day. It is on this day that Americans will have earned enough money to pay their federal, state and local taxes for the year. The total bill amounts to $2.62 trillion in federal taxes and $1.42 trillion in state and local taxes. The April 17 date is based on the idea that Americans collectively would have spent nothing and dedicated all income from January until that date toward paying their taxes. At that point we have earned enough to fulfill our tax obligations and we can then spend the rest of the year spending our money as we see fit. Obviously this is symbolic in nature but illustrates the tax burden that Americans carry and shows why we in Missouri are reluctant to raise taxes in any form. The idea that we lose more than three months of our labor and income each year to taxation is something we should all consider.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 401B State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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