By Dusty Cruise, CEO, Missouri Enterprise Priorities I was recently asked to share my thoughts on the difference between traditional and advanced manufacturing and, more importantly, which one the MEP programs should prioritize. Before answering, I felt we first needed to define what each actually means. Then I warned the group to brace themselves for what might be a surprisingly predictable answer. Keep in mind, this audience wasn't made up of manufacturers. They were policy

July 9, 2026 - Governor Mike Kehoe today signed HCS SB 953 (Sen. Jason Bean and Rep. Colin Wellenkamp). The bill addresses funding issues for the Air Pollution Control Program in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources by implementing a solution recommended by Associated Industries of Missouri and other industry groups. Traditionally, funding for the air pollution control program has been provided by permit fees levied on businesses that create emissions. The fee is base

By Ray McCarty, president, Associated Industries of Missouri July 7, 2026 - The Tax Foundation, a well-respected source of tax revenue statistics since 1937, issued a report yesterday comparing combined state and local sales tax rates across the country. Based on the report, Missouri could have the highest combined state and local sales tax rate in the nation if the state sales tax rate is increased by as little as two percent under Governor Kehoe's plan to replace individual

By Doug Holmes, president, UWC - Strategic Services on Unemployment and Workers' Compensation June 30, 2026 - On June 29,2026, the US House of Representatives passed the "Recover COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act" by unanimous consent. This bill extends to 10 years the statute of limitations for federal criminal charges or civil enforcement actions for fraud related to several unemployment insurance programs that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill als

April 21, 2026 - The Missouri House gave final approval today to Gov. Mike Kehoe's proposal to eliminate the individual income tax using growth from increased and expanded sales and use taxes. The proposal will be submitted to voters in November, 2026, unless the Governor moves the election to August. Although we were able to improve the bill from its original language, many questions and concerns remain. The final bill: Includes pass-through entities (PTE) in tax cut and eli

The cost of child care is a significant barrier for working families, often limiting participation in the workforce, which can have a big impact on the business bottom line. There is a new statewide program, Child Care Works , that helps employers address workforce recruitment and retention by offering child care cost share benefits. This program shares in the cost of child care by having employers, the state of Missouri, and the employee share the cost of child care for elig

By Ray McCarty, president and CEO, Associated Industries of Missouri Photo by Tim Bommel, Missouri House of Representatives April 16, 2026 - Early this morning, the Missouri Senate passed a revised version of Governor Mike Kehoe's plan to eliminate individual income taxes and replace the revenue with increased and expanded sales and use taxes. The revised constitutional amendment may be found HERE . The Senate version still must be approved by a House committee and the full H

April 2, 2026 - Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM) president and CEO Ray McCarty testified against HCS HJR 173 & 174, sponsored by Rep. Bishop Davidson (R), and promoted by Governor Mike Kehoe. The bill would allow voters to decide if they want to replace the current individual income tax with expanded and increased sales/use taxes and potentially other gross receipts taxes. AIM's position opposing the bill was developed after weeks of negotiations directly with the bill

Governor Mike Kehoe giving the State of the State Address in January, 2026 March 12, 2026 - Despite objections from Associated Industries of Missouri, the Voice of Missouri Business®, the Missouri House today gave final approval to HCS HJR 173 & 174 , a bill sponsored by Speaker of the House Jon Patterson and Rep. Bishop Davidson that asks voters for permission to increase sales and use tax rates and expand the taxes to services for the purpose of eliminating the individual i

March 9, 2026 - In a legislative alert sent to all elected members of the Missouri House of Representatives today, the Voice of Missouri Business® stood up for all Missouri businesses in opposing the current draft of the tax reform resolution. The text of the legislative alert is repeated in this article: "Associated Industries of Missouri must oppose the tax reform proposal as currently drafted but will continue to negotiate with proponents in an attempt to find language tha

Ray McCarty, president/CEO of AIM, testifies before the House Emerging Issues Committee 1/27/26 January 30, 2026 - At a hearing of the House Emerging Issues Committee on Tuesday, Associated Industries of Missouri president and CEO Ray McCarty testified against HB 2989 (Hardwick) . The bill would legalize gambling devices, called "video lottery terminals" or VLTs, and regulate and tax them. Below are the reasons Associated Industries of Missouri is opposed to this bill. 1. The

Speaker of the House Jon Patterson January 29, 2026 - Governor Mike Kehoe called for an overhaul of the tax system used to fund state government in his State of the State Address. His plan is to eliminate the individual income tax and replace those revenues with an expansion of the sales tax base (taxing transactions that are not taxed today) and an increase in the sales/use tax rate. The plan was filed as HJR 173 (Davidson) and HJR 174 (Speaker Patterson) in the Missouri H

Sen. Jason Bean January 29, 2026 - The Missouri Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources today advanced SB 953 (Sen. Jason Bean). The bill contains an AIM-drafted solution to funding woes of the Air Pollution Control Program (APCP) and helps protect program funding in the future. Supported by many organizations , including INFRA, ACEC-MO, Missouri Forest Products Assn., Missouri Agribusiness Assn., Missouri Concrete Association, and the Missouri

By Ray McCarty January 13, 2026 - Governor Mike Kehoe delivered his 2026 State of the State Address this afternoon, highlighting his legislative priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session and budget recommendations for the FY 2027 state budget. Governor Kehoe called for "modernizing Missouri's tax code." In his remarks, he said, "Missouri brings real strengths to the table when recruiting jobs and investment. But when we’re competing against states like Tennessee and Texas,

By Ray McCarty Missouri’s farmers play a vital role in bolstering our state’s economy and its food supply. They help feed families across the state, support thousands of jobs, and serve as the backbone of rural communities. But according to a recent letter to the editor by Blake Hurst, former president of the Missouri Farm Bureau and a third-generation farmer, that foundation is facing a growing threat. In his piece, published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Hurst outlines c

December 29, 2025 - As lawmakers prepare to return to Jefferson City for the 2026 legislative session, Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick is urging them to take immediate action to curb the trend of deficit spending before the state's General Revenue Fund is drained to critically low levels and drastic, emergency budget cuts become necessary. Fitzpatrick released a new report of the state's spending trends that shows Missouri's General Revenue Fund balance, which had c

By Mike Karbo, Midwest Regional Director, American Petroleum Institute Mike Karbo, American Petroleum Institute December 19, 2025 - Here in the Midwest, we know what it means to build. From factories to farms, bridges to broadband, progress comes from work, not red tape. But for decades, that spirit of American progress has been slowed by a federal permitting system that no longer meets the needs of the people of Missouri and across the country. Across the nation, energy and

By Brad Young, Harris Young Kayser This is a situation that arises on a weekly basis: should we obtain surveillance on a claimant? As you can see from this decision from the Missouri Court of Appeals in September 2025, surveillance can have an enormous impact on the outcome of a claim. Case Summary: Byers v. New Prime The claimant suffered a compensable accident and presented both medical and vocational evidence that he was permanently and totally disabled. The employer had

November 18, 2025 - Today, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) announced the release of workers’ compensation rates for employers for 2026. While the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) proposed a slight 1.3% increase for 2026 workers’ compensation loss costs, this marks only the second increase in the past six years as Missouri continues to see a long-term downward trend in workplace injury frequency. “Missouri employers continue to benefit

(L to R) The Honorable Chief Judge Stephen Clark, Jerry Hunter's daughter Olivia Hunter, and Jerry Hunter The Eighth Circuit Bar Association said in a release dated October 17, 2025, the “Richard S. Arnold Award for Distinguished Service” was recently awarded by the Eighth Circuit Bar Association to Jerry M. Hunter. Mr. Hunter previously served as Chairman of the Board of Associated Industries of Missouri and is currently a Chairman Emeritus of that organization. Hunter is Se