Under the Dome and Across the State Advocates Briefing for February 15, 2018

We empower Missourians to affect positive change: We empower our members through education that when we each do better, we all do better, and there is positive strength in numbers. We empower Missouri legislators with researched data on the human impacts of their decisions. We empower Missouri volunteers with action steps that produce real outcomes that benefit their neighbors.

Monitor, Educate, Advocate State and federal Level: Keep advocates informed regarding the social justice implications of legislation filed in the Missouri General Assembly and in the U.S. Congress and Senate in these six issue areas: Affordable Housing and Homelessness Criminal Justice Economic Justice Health & Mental Health Human Rights Hunger

Resources for Feb. 15 Briefing Find today’s documents and slides at: http://empowermissouri.org/briefing-2018-session-3-feb-15/

Affordable Housing & Homelessness HB 1429 – Tax Credits for Donations to Homeless Shelters (Muntzel) Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, this bill authorizes a tax credit equal to 50% of a taxpayer's contribution to a homeless shelter. Cannot exceed $50,000 per year. Donations must be over $100. The cumulative amount of tax credits cannot exceed $2.5 million per tax year. On House calendar. HB 1509 – Landlord Tenant Rules (Cross) Specifies that an individual who has been evicted from a rental property shall have written permission from the property owner to be on the premises. Hearing on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Judiciary. SB 591 – Implements a cap on LIHTC (Hegeman) This act implements a cap of $100 million on the amount of tax credits that may be authorized in a given fiscal year under the Missouri Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. On Senate calendar.

Criminal Justice HB 1255 – Raise the Age (Schroer) Actions Needed: Requires children under the age of 18 to be prosecuted for most criminal offenses in juvenile courts unless the child is certified as an adult. Hearing is Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Judiciary. Actions Needed: Come testify or send written testimony to sponsor Also SB 739 – Raise the Age (Wallingford) – voted Do Pass in Senate Judiciary Committee; ask your senator to support Please Tweet about both bills using #18in18 Write letters to the editor in support of both HB 1359 – Geriatric Parole (Hannegan) Voted Do Pass in Corrections and Public Institutions. We’ll be working to get this to the House floor for debate.

Criminal Justice, cont’d HB 1627 – Shackling of Pregnant/Postpartum Prisoners (Evans) Hearing conducted on Feb. 8 in Corrections and Public Institutions. Urge the committee to vote Do Pass. HB 1739 – Reforming mandatory minimums (Smith – 163) Hearing set for February 20, 8 a.m., in Crime Prevention and Public Safety. Actions Needed: Come testify or send written testimony to sponsor Write letters to the editor in support of HB 1739 and allowing risk assessment and judicial discretion instead of mandatory minimums

Economic Justice & Hunger Three SNAP “work requirement” bills are moving: HB 1846 (Cornejo) – has been through Government Efficiency and Rules and could go on House calendar soon HB 1486 (Kelly) – hearing started on Feb. 13 and to be continued on Feb. 20 at noon SB 561 (Sater) – on Senate calendar Problems with these bills: Taking food away from heads of household who do not work 20 hours per week means less food for the entire household These bills allow SNAP to be taken away from children if their parents do not meet work requirements The fiscal note is wrong – work expenses must be reimbursed Focus should be on providing support, not punishing Action Needed: Please email, call or write Government Efficiency and your senator in opposition to these bills.

Economic Justice & Hunger, cont’d SB 611 and SB 617 have been combined into SCS SBs 611 & 617 – dangerous tax reform package. We’ll have a briefing from ITEP today on this.

Health & Mental Health HB 1620 – Needle & Syringe Exchange (Rehder) Was Third Read and Passed by the House today! Has been reported to the Senate where the process starts over Thank your representative if he/she voted yes. See House Journal for 02/15. Needle and syringe exchange programs prevent transmission of illnesses. These programs also can lead to relationships with health care professionals that mean addicts reach out for help in getting clean and maintaining abstinence from injecting drugs. HIV Modernization Bills still in draft form (Rehder and McCreery are our champions on these)

Human Rights HB 1246 – Requires posting of information regarding human trafficking (Pike) Truly agreed and finally passed (in both chambers) Action needed: Ask Gov. Greitens to sign it into law. Some bills to repeal SB 43 (2017) have had hearings, but none have moved forward yet. Come support the Missouri Non-Discrimination Act at PROMO’s Lobby Day on Feb. 20.

Next Under the Dome and Across the State Briefing Thursday, March 1, 2018 4:30-6 p.m. If you received the invitation for today from a friend, join our email list at: www.EmpowerMissouri.org For More Information: Jeanette@EmpowerMissouri.org