Distribution of Each Tax Dollar
FY 2010 — All Funds: $23.087 billion

1. Judiciary, Public Safety, and Corrections 6.08¢
   
2. Public Debt .40¢
   
3. Health and Mental Health 9.11¢
   
4. All Other Agencies* 4.51¢
   
5. Economic Development, Labor, and Insurance 2.19¢
   
6. Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources 2.29¢
   
7. Social Services 32.32¢
   
8. Employee Benefits 4.14¢
   
9. Transportation 9.82¢
   
10. Desegregation Settlement .04¢
    
11. Elementary and Secondary Education 23.45¢
    
12. Higher Education 5.65¢

Using Federal Funds Wisely

Missouri is set to receive over $10 billion in federal stimulus funds, with $1.3 billion being used to continue basic state programs and to increase spending on education over last year despite a 7 percent overall budget cut. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding includes:

• $525 million to the state Dept. of Transportation. Because of the state's ability to quickly disperse funds, local construction jobs are already seeing an upward turn.
• $229.3 million in stimulus funds from the Department of Energy (DOE). According to the DOE, more than $128 million went to weatherization to help low-income families with energy costs, more than $57 million went to Missouri’s energy program and the state got nearly $44 million from the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program.
• $40.3 million for law enforcement from the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, which provides funds to hire police officers, and drug and gang task forces.
• Other funds will be used to build new capital projects in the University of Missouri system, update technology in public schools, and open a regional jobs transition center for displaced workers.

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Keeping Our Tax Policies Fair

On a positive note the Senate did not pass HJR 36, a proposed constitutional amendment that, if enacted and ratified by Missouri voters, would have replaced the state’s individual and corporate income taxes and the state's sales and use tax with a regressive flat tax on sales of goods and services, shifting the tax burden onto low-income and hard working families. The Senate also rejected a separate set of House bills to lower the top income tax rate and expand deductions benefiting richer taxpayers.

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Bettering Our Economy

Getting Missourians back to work is my top priority. Under Gov. Nixon’s Show Me JOBS Initiative, we will use a combination of small-business loans, strategic tax credits and other incentives to keep good-paying jobs here in Missouri – and to attract the high-quality, high-tech jobs of the future to our state. Missouri is home to the most productive, most innovative workers in the country. By focusing on job training and workforce development, we’ll make sure they get back on the job.

The legislature enacted HB 191, a bipartisan jobs bill that was one of Governor Nixon’s top legislative priorities. The legislation expands the Quality Jobs Program, expands the Missouri BUILD (Business Use Incentives for Large-Scale Development), and provides funding for pre-employment training activities under the state's Job-Training Program. The bill also eliminates the franchise tax for more than 16,500 Missouri small businesses, or 82 percent of all businesses that owed or paid this tax last year.

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Focusing on Renewable Energy

The 2009 legislative session was a success for environmental issues. Today, ninety-four percent of Missouri’s energy sources are imported from outside the state and almost all occur in the form of fossil fuels, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and this importing energy costs Missourians approximately $13 billion each year.

• HB 734 establishes the Joint Committee on Missouri's Energy Future, to which I was recently appointed to serve. The committee will prepare and submit a report to the General Assembly on Missouri's energy needs and methods to reduce energy costs over the next 25 years. The legislation also requires any appliance purchased with state funds to have earned an Energy Star rating.
• SB 376, a compromise bill, allows utilities to recover the cost of energy-savings programs, thereby making energy efficiency programs more financially attractive investments. Specifically the legislation permits utilities to recoup their costs for energy efficiency programs, listing them as separate line-items on electric bills. The programs must be pre-approved by the Public Service Commission, benefit customers, and show energy savings before costs can be recovered. The bill also includes provisions to assist low-income households.
• HB 661 ended up as the carrier for a majority of legislation that the Department of Natural Resources was trying to pass this session. Among other provisions, the bill allows the state to distribute economic stimulus funds for public drinking water and water pollution control projects and creates the Energy Futures Fund. Within HB 661 are provisions that will end unfair billing practices by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD). This bill prevents the MSD from charging customers who receive no storm water services if the district does not directly provide storm drainage services and if the storm water runoff does not flow to a sewer maintained by MSD. State Representative Gina Walsh (D-Bellefontaine Neighbors) worked with the House sponsor of HB 661 ensuring this important relief for her constituents passed the House.

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