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Capitol Report – Apr. 19 2021 Rep. Ashley Aune Mon 4/19/2021 10:59 AM To: PCDCC

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April 19, 2021

Speaking out against harmful, regressive tax policy.

Hello Neighbor, I hope this Capitol Report finds you well! We're gearing up for another busy week, so I'll get right to the highlights from last week:

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While debating HB 394 last Tuesday, I spoke against an amendment that allows folks employed in KC or St. Louis City—but working remotely outside the city—to not pay the cities' long-established earnings taxes. This would be a devastating cut to each city's most vital infrastructure, and I believe we must work together to find a long-term solution to ensuring a steady revenue stream in an increasingly virtual world. Watch my comments here. Unfortunately, the amendment passed. The budget is heading to the Senate, where the debate will continue over funding voter-approved & constitutionally mandated Medicaid Expansion ACTION ITEM: Call Sen. Luetkemeyer and demand the Senate Appropriations Committee funds Medicaid. Even if you've already called once—CALL AGAIN! Then tell your friends and family to join you in taking action! There are only 4 weeks le in this year's regular session, so we've got a lot of work to do! As always, if there’s anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Take care,

Representative Ashley Aune District 14 | (573) 751-3618

Legislative Update

ETHICS PROBE CONTINUES AFTER ADOPTION, FOSTER PARENT TAX HOUSE REJECTS RESIGNATION BREAKS SENT TO GOVERNOR The House on April 15 voted The House on April 12 granted final unanimously to reject the resignation passage to a pair of bipartisan bills for of Republican Rep. Rich Roeber. new tax breaks for adoptive and Currently, the House Ethics Committee foster parents. Both measures now go is investigating allegations that he to the governor to be signed into law. physically and sexually abused his now-adult children when they were HB 429 would: young. Roeber, R-Lee’s Summit, had submitted a letter on April 13 saying he Expand who can qualify for a was resigning as of April 16. $10,000 adoption tax credit Remove Missouri residency The Ethics Committee plans to issue its requirements for children report on April 19. Aer the report is Remove the requirement that the released, the House could take further adoptive child have special action against Roeber, including needs expulsion. An expulsion vote, which Instead, children that meet has only been successful once in state these two conditions will history, would require a two-thirds be given highest priority supermajority of the House. Creates a tax deduction of up to $5,000 for expenses relating to The allegations against Roeber date to providing foster care. the 1990s and early 2000s and became public last fall when his children HB 430 also contains provisions

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shared their experiences with The relating to the adoption tax credit, as Kansas City Star. At the time, Roeber well as tax breaks for domestic was running to fill the House seat violence shelters and maternity previously held by his wife, Rebecca homes. Roeber, who died in 2019 allegedly from injuries suffered in a serious car crash months earlier. LABOR DEPARTMENT TO STOP Roeber’s resignation came shortly aer UNEMPLOYMENT RECOLLECTION news broke on April 13 that House leaders had contacted prosecutors The Missouri Department of Labor and police in Jackson County, announced on April 15 that it has expressing concerns about Roeber’s paused all efforts to collect the continued contacts with a minor excess unemployment benefits it child. In his resignation letter, Roeber mistakenly paid out last year. The said he only intended to serve one DOL, a month and a half ago, session and is moving out of state with committed to doing this, but a hearing his fiancé, to be closer to her children this week revealed that they and grandchildren. continued the practice up until the 15th.

GOP SEEKS TO REDISTRIBUTE As bipartisan pressure mounted to MEDICAID EXPANSION FUNDS pass legislation in the House to block the collections, the Parson This week the House voted in favor of administration in early March said it $342.26 million HB 21, a budget bill would suspend collection efforts in that redistributes funds from exchange for removing an emergency Medicaid expansion to other programs clause from the bill that would have in the state. allowed the measure to take effect immediately instead of in August, as is The House's Fiscal Year 2022 state usually the case for most new laws. budget, passed earlier this month, excluded Medicaid expansion funding, The House upheld its part of the despite it being mandated by the will bargain, removing the clause from HB of the people in a 2020 ballot measure. 1083. However, the department did However, as House Democrats noted, not, with numerous reports of new with higher general revenue wage garnishments, liens and other collections and an influx of federal aggressive collection efforts. During a stimulus funds, Missouri has the House hearing this week, department revenue to fund both those items and Director Anna Hui insisted the agency implement Medicaid expansion. had kept its side of the deal, with some cases slipping through the cracks. On July 1, an estimated 275,000 Lawmakers didn’t buy it. HB 1083 has additional Missourians will be eligible passed out of a Senate committee and for the program. But if the legislature will be able to go to the floor for debate doesn’t authorize the necessary next week. spending authority, the program could exhaust its funding partway through the FY 2022, which starts the same day. HOUSE APPROVES LIFTING CAP ON Under the federal Affordable Care Act, COLLEGE TUITION HIKES the federal government will pay 90 percent of the cost of expansion, or Missouri’s public colleges and about $1.4 billion for FY 2022. In universities would be free to increase addition, Missouri would receive an tuition by as much as their governing additional $1.5 billion under the most boards will allow under HB 297. recently passed COVID-19 relief bill for implementing expansion. Starting on July 1, 2022, the statutory

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cap limiting annual tuition growth to a Lawmakers have until a May 7 certain percentage would be constitutional deadline to pass a final eliminated. Because state funding for budget. If Medicaid expansion funding higher education has remained largely isn’t included, a lawsuit seeking to flat for two decades, HB 297 force the state to follow the supporters say Missouri’s public constitution is considered colleges and universities need this guaranteed. tuition flexibility to generate much needed revenue. Opponents say families can’t afford large tuition hikes and that lawmakers should instead increase higher education appropriations. HB 297 originally was limited to creating a statewide educational mission in visual and performing arts, computer science and cybersecurity for Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, but was transformed into an omnibus higher education bill. The measure now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

TAKE ACTION: Oppose HB 431

This week the House Children and Families Committee will be hearing HB 431, which would interject the government into women's personal and medical decisions by compelling them to hold a funeral for or cremate aborted fetal tissue. My call to you this week is to call and email the members of this committee, especially the Republican members, and tell them to vote NO on HB 431. The following is a list of the committee's members. To send them an email, simply click the link on their name: Chairperson Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R) – 573-751-3751 Co-Chairperson Dottie Bailey (R) – 573-751-0562 Ranking Minority Member (D) – 573-751-1459 Representative (R) – 573-751-4392 Representative (R) – 573-751-3717 Representative Johnathan Patterson (R) – 573-751-0907 Representative (R) – 573-751-9459 Representative (R) – 573-751-3643 Representative (D) – 573-751-1285 Representative Yolanda Young (D) – 573-751-3129

COVID Updates

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ALL MISSOURI ADULTS ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR COVID VACCINE If you have not been vaccinated, I encourage you to do so, as all Missouri adults are now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. Please use the resources below to sign up! A complete list of populations included in each phase as well as activation status is available at MOStopsCOVID.com/priority. Clay County, Cerner, and others have teamed up to make sure the Northland gets vaccinated. If you live in Platte or Clay County, please visit the Operation Safe website by clicking here, to get registered for the vaccine, as well as learn about resources and get more information.

Additional Resources:

Missouri Services Navigator United Way of Greater Kansas City - Resource Directory Northland Human Services Directory FindHelp.org Apply for Missouri Social Services such as health care coverage, family medical, food stamps, child care subsidy and more.

Transportation If you are 60 years or older, visit Clay County Senior Services' website for a list of options for free or low-cost transportation. Also learn about their transportation options for COVID vaccination.

Platte County Senior Fund also offers transportation to people age 60 and over for COVID vaccinations, up to 50 miles one way. Their number is 816-270-2800.

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