Senate works late on several issues important to employers

SB 712, a well-intentioned bill that would have provided time off from work for victims of domestic violence to attend court dates was brought up in a late evening session on April 1.  An amendment to remove a section of the bill that would have allowed an employee to sue an employer for violations of the provisions of the bill was adopted and the sponsor laid the bill on the Informal Calendar, claiming the amendment had “gutted” the bill.  Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM) believes the amended bill would have accomplished exactly what the sponsor claimed was the intent of the bill without unduly burdening employers with additional lawsuits.  The bill may be brought up again before the end of the legislative session.

SB 829, the Senate version of the “taxpayer is innocent until proven guilty” bill, was given first round approval in the Senate tonight.  The bill will face one more vote before advancing to the Missouri House. This bill would treat all taxpayers equally and require the Missouri Department of Revenue to prove additional tax liability as long as a taxpayer has adequate records and has provided the agency access to those records. AIM supports this bill.

AIM also supports SB 584, a bill that would redefine places of amusement for the purposes of the sales tax law.  That bill was also given first round approval in the Senate tonight. An amendment exempting used manufactured homes was added to the bill, as was an amendment to clarify that exempt organization admissions would continue to be exempt.  Further refinement of the language will be necessary in the House, but the bill addresses a source of many complaints from taxpayers resulting from audits by the Missouri Department of Revenue.

SB 777, an aircraft repair parts exemption extension that is necessary for a company that will bring more than 500 jobs to the Kansas City area, was also given first round approval. Again, this bill is supported by Associated Industries of Missouri.

The Senate concluded the evening session with a discussion of Medicaid transformation and a series of amendments attempting to block or allow expansion of the program.  That bill was also placed on the Informal Calendar, meaning it may be brought up again at any time before the end of the legislative session.