Bills focus on job creation, veterans

On Valentine’s Day I had the great opportunity to provide special recognition to the love of my life. I surprised my wife, Dianne, with a beautiful bouquet during a House session. I am so lucky and honored that she has steadfastly stood by me for the past 45 years.

In the past weeks, I have proudly supported bills in committee that have benefited American workers, small businesses and war veterans. In the Special Committee on Small Business, we unanimously approved a bill requiring non-food products sold in the state capitol to be made in the USA. We also passed a measure requiring the state to involve affected small businesses when developing rules. I also serve on the Veterans Committee, which advanced a resolution urging Congress to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Ghost Army for their service in World War II. At least six Missourians served in this unique force, which employed creativity to save thousands of lives and help the allied nations win the war.

In other legislative activity, House members approved legislation that would give the Missouri Department of Economic Development an additional tool to bring new jobs to Missouri. The bill would modify an existing state program to establish a closing fund the department can use to make agreements with companies to create new jobs in the state.

The bill would enhance the existing Missouri Works Program, which helps businesses access capital through withholdings or tax credits to embark on facility expansions and create jobs. The legislation would allow a little more than 20 percent of the program to be devoted to a closing fund that would allow the department to offer tax credits within a year of closing a deal that requires a business to meet certain job creation criteria. Under the plan, a qualified company could receive a tax credit of up to 9 percent of new payroll issued within one year as long as the company creates 10 or more jobs that pay 100 percent or more of the county average wage. The program would be capped at $25 million and reevaluated every two years.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Legislation approved by the Missouri House and now under consideration by the Senate would lift the requirement, under certain circumstances, that the death of a person under hospice care be investigated.

Supporters of the bill say the Missouri law requiring coroners and medical examiners to investigate a death in a home doesn’t account for the increase in the use of hospice care for terminal patients.

The sponsor said, “The coroner does not have to come out and see that person who we all know is dead from cancer or a well-documented terminal illness.”

The legislation would allow the physician treating a patient or the hospice director to certify when a patient has died due to natural causes relating to a disease or known illness. A coroner or medical examiner must be notified within 24 hours of such a death.

One lawmaker who spoke in support of the bill said, “I’m asking that for all Missourians who want to die with dignity that you allow them to do so when we know what the imminent cause of death will be when they are in the care of hospice providers.”

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Contact Rep. Billington at hardy.billington@house.mo.gov or by calling 573-751-4039.