Senator Mike Cunningham – This Week’s Legislative Column

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Home Financing Assistance Available for 2016

As the second week of this session winds down, I find myself amazed at how quickly things have started. These first two weeks flashed by as the familiar sounds of lawmakers, members of the press and engaged citizens filled the hallways of the Capitol. Multiple committee meetings have already taken place, my fellow lawmakers and I have introduced some of our new pieces of legislation at hearings and activists and concerned Missourians have testified to make their voices heard across a large variety of issues. It’s certainly good to see the building back in full swing as the second Regular Session gets underway.

I would like to take some time this week to discuss a few important social and economic developments that concern the residents of the 33rd District. Many of the constituents battle with financial problems on a daily basis and often need some help to make ends meet. Buying a home can be an especially stressful experience as it is one of the largest and most important financial decisions many people will ever make in the lifetime.

I want to let you know that the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) has a few programs available for eligible homebuyers needing financial aid. The first program from MHDC, the First Place Loan Program, provides assistance for making down payments and closing costs to buyers purchasing their first home. The cash assistance comes in the form of a grant and the program also offers 30-year, fixed rate mortgages through more than 70 participating lenders throughout the state.

The Commission also offers federal tax credit aid through the MHDC Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) program. Starting February 2016, the MCC will allow eligible first-time homebuyers to apply credit to their federal tax liability, which reduces the amount of taxes the borrower has to pay. You can visit www.mhdc.com to learn more about both of these helpful financing programs so you can gain some peace of mind when dealing with the process of starting a home.

The second topic for today’s column addresses the executive order announced by the president last week that seeks to stamp out our Second Amendment rights. Instead of working for the improved safety of all Americans, the president has issued this order as a way to position himself politically in the media. The new order states whether you sell your gun from a store, at a gun show or over the Internet, you must conduct background checks and be licensed. However, federal law already requires a license and background checks for gun dealers at stores and gun shows. This new executive order doesn’t change that at all.

The president’s executive order is nothing more than an attempt to pose himself in a good light. While the order still needs to go through the rule-making process, and it is unknown exactly what the official guidelines will come to look like, this action fails to provide meaningful solutions to the nation’s more pressing problems. Ultimately it can be viewed as nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to improve the president’s image.

On a lighter note, I would like to inform you about a very fun event coming up in Oregon County at the end of the month. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is hosting a fish gigging outing on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Participants will meet at the MDC’s Ozark Regional Office in West Plains before leaving as a group to gig on private land. Event-goers can expect to learn how to gig from the front of a boat, learn about sucker fish and gain some knowledge about the rich history gigging has in the Ozarks.

Aaron Jeffries, MDC deputy director, said the event is designed for young students ages 10-20 who have no previous gigging experience. For more information about this event, or to register for participation, call the MDC Ozark Regional Office at (417) 256-7161.

As always, I appreciate it when groups from around Missouri and from our community back home come to visit me at the Capitol. If you would like to arrange a time to come and visit me in Jefferson City, or if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-1882.