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APRIL 9,
2008
Urgent Action Needed by Missouri House
To Strengthen State's Economic Development
Tools
Two bills currently under review by the
Missouri House of Representatives would substantially strengthen
the State's competitiveness by increasing proven development
programs. In these uncertain economic times, immediate
action is needed to expand the Quality Jobs and Enhanced
Enterprise Zone programs and to create a new Angel Tax Credit
program.
The two bills are:
- House Bill 2058(sponsored
by Representative David
Pearce) contains an increase in annual Quality Jobs
program tax credit cap from $40 million to $60 million, and
increase in the annual Enhanced Enterprise Zone tax credit cap
from $14 to $24 million and a new $5 million Angel Tax Credit
program to spur investment in advanced technology start-up
companies. This bill is on the House Perfection Calendar.
- Senate Bill 718 (sponsored
by Senator Harry Kennedy) has
passed the Senate with the Quality Jobs and Enhanced Enterprise
Zone increases, but it does not yet contain the Angel Tax
Credit that is vital to entrepreneurial growth. The RCGA urges
the Legislature to add the Angel Tax Credit provision to
this bill, which has been second read in the House.
The ongoing success of the Quality Jobs and the Enhanced
Enterprise Zone programs in creating jobs is
unchallenged. A recent analysis by the Missouri
Department of Economic Development found that the Quality Jobs
tax credit returns $5.63 in new state revenue for each dollar
invested, and has generated $2.5 billion in new investment
in less than three years. The Enhanced Enterprise Zone
program returns $4.96 for every dollar invested, and has created
jobs and investment in nearly 50 cities across
Missouri. This success has caused these programs to reach their
tax credit limits.
Now is not the time to handcuff
Missouri's efforts to attract and retain business. Missouri's
future well-being depends on positive action this year on
economic development legislation. The RCGA urges the
Missouri House of Representatives to take up and pass these
vital economic development bills.
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Employment-At-Will Legislation
Needed To Maintain Missouri's Favorable Business Climate
On Tuesday, the Missouri Senate debated but
then tabled Senate Bill 1046 (sponsored by Sen. Rob Mayer). This bill would restore
balance in the employment-at-will doctrine and strengthen
Missouri's business climate by protecting employers from
illegitimate whistle-blower lawsuits. The RCGA joins its
Forward Metro St. Louis partners (Civic Progress, Regional
Business Council, and Partners for Progress) in calling for the
codification of the employment-at-will statute.
This legislation introduced by Senator Mayer will
correct recent court decisions that have begun to reduce the
burden of proof that employees need to seek whistle-blower
protection. In two recent cases, the Eastern District
Appellate Court of Missouri found that "it was unnecessary for an
employee to 'allege or
prove conclusively the law has been violated in order to
state a cause of action' when the employee held a reasonable
belief illegal conduct or conduct against a clear mandate of
public policy has occurred". These court decisions mean a
discharged at-will employee need not prove any wrongdoing by his
or her employer to receive whistle-blower protection in
Missouri.
SB 1046 is needed to protect
legitimate whistle-blowers who report unlawful conduct of their
employer, and to protect employers who do not - and do not
intend to - violate the law. The bill also
creates a good faith and reasonable belief standard for both
whistle-blowers and those employees who refuse to engage in
serious misconduct, a standard that is clear and fair for both
employees and employers.
The RCGA urges the Senate to take up SB 1046
again soon, so that employers in Missouri can be protected from
illegitimate whistle-blower lawsuits and Missouri remains
welcoming for business. Contact Senate leadership (see sidebar)
to urge them to bring this issue back for debate and
passage!
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MSD Rate Commission
Recommends Debt-Financing of Capital Plan To Lower
Rates For Consumers And Businesses.
At their April 10th meeting, the Metropolitan Sewer
District Board of Trustees will review the recommendations of
the MSD Rate Commission to use debt-financing
for the District's latest 5-year capital plan. The capital plan will rehabilitate and
upgrade the sewer system to comply with existing and anticipated
state and federal requirements.
The RCGA was represented
on the Rate Commission by Steve Sullivan,
General Counsel of
Ameren, which met from January to
March, to review a new rate proposal. The previous
District proposal of 100% "pay-as-you-go" financing over five
years was rejected by the Board of Trustees, due concerns over
the steep increases which would have been borne by
businesses and consumers.
The new proposal recommended by the Rate Commission
includes $275 million in bond financing as part of an
overall 46% debt/54% cash financing plan to pay for $661
million in wastewater improvement projects. Stormwater
improvements will paid from 100% of the revenue generated from a
new impervious surface charge made effective earlier this year.
The newly proposed rate change also includes an adjustment to
stormwater rates to lessen the short-term impact of
the impervious-surface charge. In addition, the stormwater
rate increases are phased in over seven years, instead of
five as previously proposed.
If the Board of Trustees
adopts the Rate Commission's recommendations, St. Louis City and
St. Louis County residents in the MSD service area will vote on
the new rate increase on the August 2008 ballot. If rejected by
the voters, MSD will implement the 100% "pay-as-you go"
plan, which will lead to much higher rates.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
. April
10: Immigration
Conference organized by the Missouri Chamber of
Commerce, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the One
Metropolitan Square Conference Center - Suite 990. Find
out how recent changes and proposed immigration legislation on
the state and federal level could impact your businesses.
Linda Shapiro and Kelly Simon,
attorneys from Thompson Coburn, will speak on employment
practices. The keynote speech will be by Representative
Tim Flook (R-Liberty), member of the House Special
Committee on Immigration. Chuck Pryor, Deputy
Chief of Staff for MO Governor Matt Blunt will give an update on
state agency enforcement of current immigration policies. For
agenda and to register click here.
 . April 16: RCGA Legislative Breakfast at
the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City from 7:00
a.m. to 8:30 a.m., sponsored by University of Missouri
St. Louis. For more information and to RSVP, contact
Marlo Young at myoung@stlrcga.org or at (314) 444-1134 by Friday,
April 11.
. April
29: RCGA Environmental Council from 11:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the One Metropolitan
Square Conference Center - Suite 990. Daniel Jay, a
LEED-registerd architect from Christner, and Monica
Fries, an environmental attorney will provide
an national overview of sustainablity initiatives in
metropolitan regions. A panel of local government officials will
describe St. Louis regional sustainability initiatives:
Frank Miles, Administrator of Madison County
Planning and Development Department, Tim
Embree, St. Louis Mayor Slay's Environmental Liasion,
Dr. Dolores Gunn, St. Louis County
Director of Health and Mike Duvall, St. Charles
County Director of Environmental Services. RSVP to Marlo Young
at myoung@stlrcga.org or at
(314) 444-1134 by Friday, April 25.
. April 30: St. Louis Regional
Educational Roundtable - Early Childhood Education from
7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the One
Metropolitan Square Conference Center - Suite 990.
Program moderated by Betty Marver of
Grace Hill Settlement House and featuring panelists
Nancy Fisherman of Pennsylvania's Success by
Six and Johnnie Little, Assistant to MO Senator
Maida Coleman.
. May 2: RCGA Public Policy Speakers Series - Missouri
Gubernatorial Candidates. The first of the planned
addresses by each of the three major candidates for Missouri
Governor will be by Missouri Congressman Kenny
Hulshof, who is running for the Republican
nomination. The breakfast will be held from 7:30 a.m. to
9:00 a.m. at the Noonday Club. Cost is $25 for RCGA members ($50
for 3) and complimentary admission for all employees
from the RCGA Government Affairs Presidential Sponsors (see
company logos at end of the RCGAdvocate). For more information
contact Marlo Young at myoung@stlrcga.org
or at (314) 444-1134. Dates for
Attorney General Jay Nixon and State Treasurer Sarah Steelman
speeches will be announced soon.
. May 6: Small Business Roundtable with U.S. SBA
National Ombusdman Nicholas Owens from 8:00 to 9:30
a.m. at the Center for Emerging Technologies, 4041 Forest Park
Avenue in St. Louis. Mr. Owens will discuss how small
business owners can more effectively deal with federal agency
regulatory requirements. RSVP to Eric Schneider at eschneider@stlrcga.org or
(314) 444-1148.
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May 20-21: Midwest Energy Policy, Climate Change, and
Energy Security Conference at the Missouri Botanical
Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis. Conference
panelists will discuss climate policy at the federal, state, and
local level; energy security, greenhouse gas emissions and
carbon footprints, energy efficiency, and regulatory/permitting
issues. This conference event is presented by the
Regulatory Environmental Group for Missouri (REGFORM). For more
information and to register click here or contact Sallie Keeney at skeeney@regform.org or (573)
761-9322.
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The
RCGAdvocate is published periodically to inform RCGA members
and government officials about important public policy matters
at the state, federal and local levels. It seeks to provide
timely, in-depth coverage on regional issues, and, at times, to
call RCGA members to action. We welcome your comments and
suggestions.
Richard C.D.
Fleming ~ President & CEO ~ (314)
444-1100 ~ dfleming@stlrcga.org
Chip Casteel ~ Senior V.P. of Public Policy ~ (314)
444-1107 ~ ccasteel@stlrcga.org
Susan Stauder ~ V.P.
of Infrastructure & Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1155
~ sstauder@stlrcga.org
Eric
Schneider ~ Senior Director of Public Policy Research ~ (314)
444-1148 ~ eschneider@stlrcga.org
Kevin Riggs ~ Director of Illinois
Government Affairs ~ (314) 444-1108 ~ kriggs@stlrcga.org
Christine Snively ~ Project Manager ~
(314) 444-1144 ~ csnively@stlrcga.org
Marlo Young ~ Executive Assistant
for Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1134 ~ myoung@stlrcga.org
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More than 40 Missouri legislators and
regional government affairs executives enjoyed the April
2nd RCGA Legislative Breakfast at the Capitol Plaza
Hotel, sponsored by St. Louis Community
College and hosted by RCGA Public Policy
Council member Ann Brand, Director of Community and
Government Relations. The RCGA hosts bi-monthly breakfasts
at the Capitol Plaza from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., so if you are
in Jefferson City, please join us! See Upcoming Events for
the next breakfast on April 16th.
