2004 Legislative Issues | 2005 Legislative Issues | 2006 Legislative Issues | 2007 Legislative Issues | 2008 Legislative Issues

2009 Legislative Issues

Wastewater Treatment

Action: Continue and expand funding for communities to meet EPA/DNR standards. Revisit minimum water rate eligibility criteria to allow hardship exceptions and gradual implementation.

Regional Water Partnership Project

Action: Continue support for the development of water access throughout NWMO. Possible actions to consider are exemptions on taxes for construction materials associated with the project or the possibility of additional grant funds to help develop the infrastructure.

Senate Bill 711

Action: Mirror the Missouri Municipal League’s stance on the issue.

The Statute that was signed into law in 2008 has implications on local governments and their ability to stack locally approved taxes such as capital improvement or general sales taxes. The law also has property tax implications on counties bearing the expenses of an estimated tax bill.

Phone Classification / 911 Funding

Action: Support the House’s 2007 Interim Committee’s Report on 9-1-1. This includes support of an on-going revenue source utilizing a recovery fee from wired lines, wireless telephones, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and any other device that may call Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP); update the State’s definition of technology as it relates to 9-1-1 communication, as well as statewide informational campaign to garner support for a statewide referendum.

Currently the law reads that a tax shall be charged on a “phone” and the technical classification of a cell phone is a “communication device” The legislature needs to more accurately define the language in the statute to include cell phones and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) as the increasing use of these technologies will maintain the same burden on the 911 system but will reduce funding of these systems as consumers drop land lines.

Additionally

As a region, Northwest Missouri supports the continued work of the Rural High Speed Internet Task Force to improve rural access to broadband internet. Special attention is needed throughout rural areas to address lack of consistent access to broadband internet capability. The broadband infrastructure of rural Missouri is critical to develop efficiencies and improve the effectiveness of Missouri’s health care, education, and economic development systems.

Return to Top

2008 Legislative Issues

WASTEWATER TREATMENT

REGIONAL WATER COALITION

a. Seek State assistance for 12-county water partnership [Details: Support the 12-county Northwest Missouri Water Partnership. The partnership is a grassroots effort created to develop a regional water plan to ensure the communities and rural water systems of northwest Missouri will have an abundant source of safe, clean drinking water for the foreseeable future.]
b. Support NW Water Partnership Sketch 7 [Details: Seek state financial assistance for the Water Partnership’s regional water plan. The plan, known as “Sketch 7”, prescribes a series of transmission lines interconnecting seven primary water producers in northwest Missouri , and the development of a regional water plant in Atchison County, Missouri.]
c. Increase SRF Funding limits/reduce interest rates [Details: Modify the Department of Natural Resources’ State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) requirements to promote regional projects.]

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

a. Establish Missouri Economic Development Code for voluntary local tax incentives
b. Establish Small Business & Entrepreneurial Growth Act for small employers
c. Economic Development Org. Tax Credit for donations to economic development organizations
d. School District Bonding Capacity to include abated properties in assessed valuation
e. Funding for training and development in rural areas
f. Employer incentives for employees to seek post-secondary education

PREVAILING WAGE

a. Eliminate for rural communities and counties for public facilities
b. Eliminate for rural school improvements
c. Mandate local wage reporting to obtain accurate local wage averages

Return to Top

2007 Legislative Issues

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Passage of Missouri Economic Development Code legislation allowing local authority for economic incentives.
• Additional Workforce Development funding- specific to industry and job-skills development training
• Micro-Loan Seed money and/or vehicle to encourage capital investment for business start-ups and incubator residents

WATER-WASTEWATER

• Increase State Revolving Loan Fund to help communities meet Clean Water Act requirements and prioritize rural projects.

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Approve Lewis and Clark initiative for funding for capital projects for Northwest Missouri public colleges and universities
• Support proposal to fund two years of post-secondary education in Missouri.

PREVAILING WAGE

• Exempt education, wastewater or other specific projects
• Require wage reports by all contractors prior to issuance of building permits or occupations licenses at local level.

Return to Top

2006 Legislative Issues

ALTERNATIVE FUELS:
Promote alternative fuel by legislation to mandate use of ethanol and bio-diesel in the State’s vehicles – including MoDOT.

INCENTIVES:
Allow green fields for potential development utilizing TIF finance in rural areas as "blight" is redefined. (Local incentive, local control)

Support Missouri Quality Jobs initiative as a true positive economic development tool to both rural and urban areas.

Business Retention:

• Provide funding necessary for retention focus.
• Explore an incentive program that would recognize and encourage increased investment by a company rather than basing all incentives on new jobs created.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:

• Encourage development of program for On-the-job Training as OJT offers employers the flexibility to provide employee skills development in the format best suited for that particular workforce challenge.
• Increase amount of money in state fund for workforce development because program cap is quickly reached.
• Set aside Training dollars for rural areas.
• Approve increased funding for higher education to help Missouri present an educated and trained workforce.

WATER/WASTEWATER IMPROVEMENT:
Allocate more money for water and wastewater infrastructure grants and loans.

Return to Top

2005 Legislative Issues

Community leaders from throughout the region developed the following priorities at a Regional Issues Forum held October 13, 2004, in St. Joseph.

Transportation

1. Increase Transportation Funding/Tools: Great Northwest Day^SM at the Capitol citizens encourage MoDOT and the General Assembly to present and pass alternative funding packages that increase transportation funding in Northwest Missouri would be supported, encouraged and promoted. Those funding packages could include a sales tax for transportation, increased gas tax, toll roads, and a balanced licensed fee structure.
2. Air Transportation: Air travel and funding for regional airports is a critical issue. Taxes on Aviation fuel should go to airports rather than the General Fund.
3. Private/public Transportation: Increased funding for public/private transportation that serves veterans, the disabled, handicapped, or low-income citizens continues to be a great need. Also allowing the department of social services to contract with local taxis would provide much needed services, particularly in rural communities where OATS doesn’t meet all needs.

Economic Development

1. Equity Capital: Great Northwest Day^SM at the Capitol citizens encourage legislative action and allocation of resources to create an equity/investment venture capital vehicle to develop public/private partnerships that could include the ability to forgive loans in lieu of workforce and capital investment and would incent investment in small or emerging businesses.
2. Workforce: On-the job training and workforce development are critical. Northwest Missouri supports legislation that allows for training set aside and modifies funding formula to end Title One disparity for rural areas. Increase funding for customized training and on-the-job training. Increase and encourage state funding to develop, enhance, and implement small business and entrepreneurship development.
3. Business Climate: Encourage legislation that creates a business healthy environment that includes worker’s compensation reform and torte reform. Also encourage state program that provide small business health care cost initiatives.

2004 Legislative Issues 

1. TELECOMMUNICATION
   Expand rural high-speed internet access
   Eliminate gaps in rural cell phone coverage
2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
   Improve workforce development and training
   Increase business attraction, expansion, and retention
   Develop resources for incentives and recruiting tools
3. EDUCATION
   Revise State Foundation Formula
   Strengthen State education system
4. TRANSPORTATION
   Upgrade funding for highways
   Prioritize completion of US 36 to four lanes
   Promote ethanol and bio-diesel production and use
5. HEALTH CARE
   Reduce rising health care costs
   Ensure availability of rural health care services
   Advance funding for rural health care

Our communities and our people recognize that these are complex issues. At some levels, we may disagree on the specific strategies which the State must employ to resolve these issues, but we are all in agreement that solutions to these issues must be found. We understand that these issues have not developed in a single year and that the resolutions to these issues may well take many years. However, it is important that resolutions to these issues be discussed during this legislative session.

Return to Top