Parson calls special session on Missouri Medicaid funding

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is calling lawmakers back for a special session to work out a deal on a critical piece of Medicaid funding.

Parson announced Tuesday that he is calling a special session beginning noon Wednesday so lawmakers can pass a tax on medical providers that draws down a significant amount of federal Medicaid funding. At issue is an effort by some Republican lawmakers to stop Medicaid coverage for Planned Parenthood and some family planning services.

Parson says time is running out for lawmakers to cut a deal and protect the funding.

SWMO lawmakers meet with voters

SOUTHWEST MISSOURI — Southwest Missouri lawmakers spent Friday morning meeting with voters, updating Jefferson City issues like paying taxes and avoiding rolling blackouts.

What could be changing? That starts with the sales tax, and specifically taxing items bought online. That’s just one of the issues in what lawmakers say has been a very busy session.

MO Sen. Bill White, R, said, “We estimate between $80 and 120 million.”

That’s the estimated state revenue if Missouri takes advantage of the Wayfair Changes to online taxes. Right now the state collects a limited online tax. Current legislation would extend that – but cities and counties would still have to go to vote for the tax.

“Cities do still have to do their own use tax to take advantage of this. we have this structured.”

Southwest Missouri lawmakers spoke on a number of issues at the monthly legislative update. State Rep. Bob Bromley focused on making sure Missouri is prepared for energy emergencies. He hopes to avoid damage and costs similar to the $150 billion impact of winter storms and power outages in Texas.

MO Rep. Bob Bromley, R, said, “This will happen again, its just a matter of time until you know we get 20 below zero in Missouri. It might be 10 years, it might be 15 years but we have to make sure that we have a good balance between baseload capacity and renewables.”

And State Rep. Ben Baker is hoping to ease the burden on local entrepreneurs baking from home. Right now state law limits how much they can earn, and bans them from online sales.

“They have little overhead little cost becuase it’s something they’re already using in their kitchen and they can make some money with that. All the law still apply as far as paying your taxes.”

State lawmakers will take some time off for Spring break next week. They’ll return to the capitol on March 22nd, with less than two months to go until the session wraps up. That ends on Friday, May 14th.

Kansas bill to recognize other states’ gun permits advances

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A House committee has advanced a bill to expand Kansas’ recognition of other states’ concealed carry permits.

The bill is backed by Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who said in a hearing last month that the bill would help the state maintain reciprocity agreements with other states so that Kansans can carry concealed firearms elsewhere.

The House Federal and State Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted 14-5 to advance the bill to the full House for a vote.

Schmidt said that when Kansas lawmakers passed a law in 2015 allowing residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit, they removed a provision that required the attorney general to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other jurisdictions. Schmidt said states had since raised concerns with his office about the lack of reciprocity language in Kansas’ law.

“There are at least some people in other states who could lawfully, temporarily carry in Kansas before, who cannot now,” Schmidt said. “And I don’t think it’s a large number of people overall, but it’s real.”

The bill is drawing pushback from Democrats and gun control groups. Some of them worry the bill would allow people from states with looser gun laws to carry concealed weapons in Kansas, including states that allow people convicted of certain stalking crimes and some violent offenders to carry a concealed weapon.

Danielle Twemlow, a Topeka volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a gun control group, told The Associated Press that she is worried about the bill allowing teenagers, some convicted stalkers and those who lack adequate gun safety training to carry a concealed firearm in Kansas.

“This is dangerous and it only puts Kansas at risk,” Twemlow said.

The committee rejected efforts by Democrats to weaken the concealed carry law. Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, of Lenexa, offered an amendment to repeal permitless concealed carry, and Rep. Boog Highberger of Lawrence offered an amendment that would have banned concealed carry in the Statehouse. Both failed.

As amended by the committee Wednesday, the bill would allow the attorney general to issue concealed carry permits “if at any time it becomes impractical” for the state Department of Revenue to issue permits and the attorney general decides problems have persisted over 30 days.

Wichita Republican Rep. Blake Carpenter pressed for the change, saying that some Kansans were unable to get permits when revenue department offices closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some proponents of the bill are pushing for another bill to lower the age for concealed carry of firearms in Kansas from 21 to 18, but committee members took no action on that Wednesday.

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Andy Tsubasa Field is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.