The economy, health care and national security have been the major
topics of discussion among the presidential candidates recently. Vital issues
of course, but one issue that is missing from the conversation is illegal
immigration.While the federal
government has failed us in terms of protecting our borders, here in Missouri, we are making
every effort to reduce illegal immigration in our state and many of these
efforts are working.Last month, Gov. Blunt
announced that more than 300 illegal immigrants have been detained in Missouri since last year
when he directed state law enforcement officials to verify the immigration
status of anyone presented for incarceration.
This directive has been an effective tool to crack down on illegal immigrants
who commit crimes.I, along with my
colleges in the House, recognized this success and so we passed legislation
that turns it into law and also denies bail for jailed individuals who cannot
prove legal residency. The legislation, House Bill 1549, contains many
additional provisions that are designed to prevent illegal immigrants from
working in Missouri
and receiving public benefits on the taxpayers dime.
The legislation makes it clear that Missouri employers are barred from hiring
illegal immigrants and creates penalties that could result in the loss of a
permit or license if an employer knowingly hires someone living here illegally.
In addition, under the bill, public employers, including state and local governments,
are required to use a federal database that checks immigration status known as
E-Verify. Use of E-Verify is also required for businesses that have a
government contract worth more than $5,000 or that receive state loans or tax breaks.
Private businesses are not required to use the database, but would have to
start using it if they are found knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.By helping employers identify illegal aliens,
we can make it virtually impossible for illegal immigrants to find work, removing
a major incentive for illegal immigrants to live in Missouri.
Also under the bill, the Missouri State Highway Patrol is receiving
training to enforce state and federal immigration laws.For
example, over the summer ten Missouri troopers graduated from U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcements (ICE) 287g program at the Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center in Charleston, S.C.One of
the most important components of immigration reform is to make sure our law
enforcement personnel have the tools and authority to uphold the law and this
bill ensures that they do.
Just last week, Gov. Blunt signed an agreement to further support law
enforcement in the fight against illegal immigration.The Gateway Taskforce, a partnership between
ICE and the state of Missouri,
will work to fight the crimes associated with illegal immigration. The Task
Force will focus on illegal immigration and closely associated crimes including
harboring illegal immigrants, human trafficking and identity theft. The Gateway
Taskforce will include ICE agents and specially trained members of the Highway
Patrol, who will work out of local ICE offices in Kansas
City, Springfield and St. Louis.
In addition to stepping up law enforcement efforts, the legislation
prevents illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits meant for taxpayers.
The legislation requires people to prove they are U.S. citizens or legally in the
country when applying for food stamps, housing and other taxpayer
services.This bill removes additional magnets
that attract illegal immigrants to Missouri by prohibiting communities from
adopting sanctuary policies that provide safe harbor to illegal immigrants;
preventing individuals from transporting or harboring unlawful immigrants;
requiring written tests for commercial licenses to be administered in English
only and providing penalties for individuals who assist illegal immigrants in
obtaining drivers licenses in a fraudulent manner.
Legal immigrants are and always will be welcome in Missouri, and we are grateful for their
contributions.However, illegal
immigrants are not welcome in our state, and they are definitely not welcome to
receive benefits on the taxpayers dime. It is clear this legislation is
already helping reduce illegal immigration in our state and I am hopeful it
will send a message to our federal government that they, too, need to take
action.As always, please feel free to
call my office with any questions or comments. My District Office number is (660)826-5456.
Stanley Cox
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Property Tax Relief: Filing Deadline is October 15
Jefferson City – The deadline to file the Homestead
Preservation Credit Form (Form
MO-HPC) is October 15. Anyone who qualifies for this property tax
break should file the form IMMEDIATELY!
The Homestead Preservation Credit is a property tax credit
designed to prevent property tax rates and property reassessment from forcing
seniors and disabled members of our community out of their homes.
All applicants must meet the following qualifications:
1)
Applicants must meet at least one of these requirements:
a.
Applicant (or spouse if married filing jointly) was 65 years of age or older on
or before January 1, 2008 (if married filing jointly the other spouse must be
at least 60 years of age or older on or before January 1, 2008).
b. Applicant
(or spouse if married and filing jointly) is 100% disabled.
2)
Applicant did not file for the 2007 Missouri Property Tax Credit (commonly
known as the Circuit Breaker).
3)
Applicant is the owner of record of the homestead. You must have owned
and resided at the property in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
4)
Applicant’s (single or married filing jointly) adjusted gross income for
2007 was less than $77,323.
5)
Applicant’s property tax increased by more than 5% between 2006 and
2007.
If you or someone you know meets these qualifications please let
them know immediately. Qualified applicants will receive a tax credit for
the amount of paid property tax in 2007 that exceeds a 5% increase from paid
property tax in 2006. To find out if you were forced to pay more than a
5% increase in property taxes in 2007 simply take the total amount of property
tax you paid in 2006 and multiply it by 1.05. If that number is less than
the amount of property tax paid in 2007, you will receive a property tax credit
equal to the difference.
If you would like to speak with someone regarding the Homestead
Credit Program or if you need a copy of the form, you can visit the CountyAssessor’s
Office:
Pettis County Assessor’s Office, Pettis County Courthouse, 415 South Ohio,
2nd Floor, Sedalia, MO 65301, (660)826-5000 ext. 412.
Saline County Assessor’s Office, Saline County Assessor’s Office, 101 W Arrow St., Marshall, MO
65340, (660) 886-4380.
Lafayette County
Assessor’s Office,Lafayette County Courthouse.1001 Main St.Lexington, MO64076. (660)
259-6158.
Attached to this email is a .pdf version
of the Homestead Preservation Credit Form, Form MO-HPC. If you
do not have a printer and would like a copy of the Form MO-HPC, instructions
for the form or if you just have general questions regarding the Homestead
Credit Program, please call the office of Representative Stanley Cox (660)
826-5456, the Missouri Department of Revenue at (573) 751-3505 or contact your CountyAssessor’s
Office.
For all the information regarding the Homestead Credit Program,
please visit the Missouri Department of Revenue’s website regarding the
Homestead Credit Program at http://dor.mo.gov/tax/personal/homestead/.
Sincerely,
Stanley Cox
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The recent news on Wall Street as well as main
street has been dominated by stories about troubles in our countrys
housing and financial markets. But here in Missouri, we are not willing to just stand
by and watch. It goes without saying
that the housing market is struggling throughout the country, and while Missouri is much better
off than many areas, we are not completely immune to the national trend.Thats why we formed a task force back in
August to study our states housing situation and come up with solutions to
improve the market.
Speaker Rod Jetton took action and created the Interim Task Force on
the Missouri Housing Market over the summer. The task force is made up of
Missourians who know our states real estate industry best - homebuilders,
developers, real estate agents, and financial lenders. Rep. Tim Jones and Rep.
Mike Cunningham as well as representatives from the Missouri Division of
Finance and the Missouri Housing Development Commission also will serve on the
task force. Ken Stricker, President and CEO of
Consort Homes, will serve as the chair.The
setup of the task force will allow industry experts to come together to offer
their experience and expertise to bring the kind of perspective that will lead
to effective suggestions and solutions.
The task force held its first meeting last week, and my colleague, Rep.
Jones, filled me in on some of the problems and opportunities Missouri is facing. Of course, there are
problems that the entire nation is facing such as bad loans and people who bit
off more than they could chew.But there
are additional issues at a more local level. For one, during the real estate
boom, Missouri
municipalities had the luxury of being picky about what kind of development came
into their areas. This led to strict planning and zoning in many areas because
city officials wanted to create a certain look in their community. Now that the
boom is over, it can be tough for developers, builders and banks to keep up
with all of the regulations.Rep. Jones
said that in order to improve the market, everyone is going to have to work
together.
Based on initial reports from the task force, it seems the many facets
of the real estate industry are open to coming up with joint solutions. The
blame does not lie on any one group and therefore everyone builders, developers,
bankers, municipalities, legislators, etc need to partner to implement
effective solutions. Rep. Jones suggests that there will be two categories of
recommendations from the task force.He says
there might be areas where the industry needs legislative help and we in the
House will work to turn these ideas into law. He says in some cases, the best
solution will be for local and state government to get out of the way to let the
market sort the issues out. Either way, the goal will be to help alleviate some
of the current pressures on the housing market while also making sure we don't
end up in this situation again in the future.
The task force has plans to meet several times during the fall before
the pre-filing of bills begins on Dec. 1.I look forward to hearing more from the task force and also encourage
you to call or email me with any questions or concerns.
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Weve all heard the old saying, Everyone talks about the weather but
nobody does anything about it.This
came to mind when I was thinking about what insight I could offer you on Missouris energy
policy.We are all talking about high
gasoline and fuel prices, as well as the high costs expected for natural gas
this winter.And unfortunately, nobody
is doing much about it.While there is
little I can do as a state legislator, I wanted to share my thoughts about the
states role in energy policy and provide you with some useful resources.
Missouri
is a consumer state when it comes to fuel and gasoline.We have minimal traditional oil production
and no gasoline refinery facilities, although we are a leader in biofuels, including ethanol.I believe investing in these and other new
technologies will benefit our state in the long run, but in the short term I
know many Missourians are hurting.
Although we cant affect the price of fuel and gas, one thing we can do
at the state level is to make sure you actually get what you are paying for.
The Missouri Department of Agricultures Weights and Measures Division works to
make sure gas stations in our area and throughout the state dispense the amount
of gas that you purchase.The department
monitors dispense levels and also performs safety and quality inspections.
Another state agency that makes efforts to improve Missouris energy policy is the Department
of Natural Resources (DNR).DNR has
launched a website called www.SaveGreenOnGasoline.org
where you can find information about saving on gas, finding a carpool, and
utilizing mass transit. It also has driving tips and car maintenance
recommendations to help you save on gas.
I think we can all agree that these efforts,
while helpful and important, are not enough.We need to drill here and drill now and enact a comprehensive and
foreword-looking energy policy. As much as I wish I could, I cant make this
happen here at home until our federal government addresses the issue.Meanwhile, I will continue urging our
representatives in Congress to move forward with an energy policy that will
address the needs and concerns of Missourians.For now, I will continue to embrace conservation and utilize
energy-savings tip.
You know as
well as I do that filling up the gas tank is not the only concern when it comes
to energy costs. Because natural gas prices have continued to rise, we will
likely see higher than normal utility prices in the colder months ahead.I urge you to make repairs and equipment
upgrades that can make your home as energy efficient as possible.Visit http://www.psc.mo.gov/consumer-information
for more information.
This need
for increased energy efficiency is reflected in one item that we passed this
year. In an effort to encourage the use of energy-saving appliances, the
Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday was established. Starting next year, all
sales of Energy Star certified new appliances will be exempt from state sales
tax when purchased from April 19-25.In
addition, we created a state income tax deduction for the cost of a home energy
audit conducted by a DNR certified energy auditor and for the cost of
implementing the recommendations. These are small gestures to help you save
money at tax time, and they can make a difference in your monthly utility
bills.
I promise to continue to do whatever
I can to improve Missouris
energy policy, and I encourage you to call me with any questions or concerns.
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Most of the Bills that
were passed in the last Regular Session of the Missouri General Assembly went
into effect on August 28, 2008.In
previous reports I have talked about some of the key legislation.Here are some of the other bills which were
passed and went into effect last week.
Giving the Gift of Life
New laws effective today establish a
first person consent organ and tissue donor registry. Any eligible Missourian
who agrees to have his or her name in the registry will have given full legal
consent to the donation of any of his or her organs or tissues upon death. The
legislation also enacts changes to better ensure that Missourians wishes to
become organ donors may be honored. The registry will be managed by the
Department of Health and Senior Services and is in the planning stages.
New Life Saving Measure for Heart Attack and Stroke Victims
State laws creating a Time Critical Diagnosis System for stroke and
ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a particularly fatal type of heart
attack, also go into effect today. Missouri
is the first state in the nation to enact legislation governing a STEMI and
stroke statewide system of care.
Enhancing Support for Second Amendment Rights
Legislation Gov. Blunt signed to provide civil immunity for owners and
authorized users of firearm ranges takes effect today. The legislation
provides civil and criminal liability protection for owners and authorized
users of hunting preserves. The legislation prevents owners and patrons of
ranges and hunting preserves from being sued by people who built homes next to
the range or hunting preserve, then complain about the noise from them. The
legislation changes state law to allow new residents of Missouri
to apply for concealed carry endorsements once they have established and proven
legal residence in Missouri.
The legislation also states that convicted felons who knowingly possess
firearms can be charged with the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm, a
Class C felony. Finally the legislation encourages landowners to grant
permission for others to participate in outdoor recreation on their property by
providing immunity for the landowner in the event of injury to invited
individual or damage to their property.
Fighting Copper and Metal Theft
Laws
effective today improve record keeping for the sale of metals to scrap dealers
and others and will give law enforcement new tools to protect Missourians from
the growing problem of copper and metal theft. The new law the governor
championed and signed also prohibits scrap dealers from purchasing metal that
can be identified as belonging to local governments without specific
authorization including traffic signal boxes, street signs, manhole covers,
guardrails and bleacher seats removed from local parks. Scrap dealers are
also prohibited from buying metal beer kegs unless they are sold by the brewer.
Protecting Missouri
Families
Another tough law Gov. Blunt signed that is effective today requires registered
sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses and other online identifiers
with county law enforcement before using them. This information will ultimately
be made available to Missourians to search and will also be available to online
network businesses for comparison with their members lists so that children
will be protected when they use the Internet. The registry and search
mechanism designs are in the works.
Fighting Mortgage Fraud
Another new
law enacted stronger penalties for those who commit mortgage fraud against Missouri homebuyers,
including prison and steep monetary fines. In addition new protections
further enhancing consumer knowledge, protecting against unscrupulous
businesses that prey upon at-risk homeowners, and creating new punishments for
mortgage fraud are also effective today.
If you have any
question about these or other laws which were passed, please feel free to call
me or email me.
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