(Missourinet) – State Treasurer Eric Schmitt (R) has announced an income tax cut for Missourians.

Revenues have reached a level where a 2014 law will kick in at the beginning of 2018.

The legislation was billed as a tax cut with a trigger at the time it passed the legislature. It was designed to responsibly decrease personal and business income taxes only when the state had enough money set aside to do so.

If revenue collections in a year exceeded any of the three previous years by $150 million, income taxes would drop by one-tenth-of-one percent in the next calendar year. Individual taxes for business income, basically small businesses, would decrease 5% under the same conditions.

The same scenario is allowed to play out four more times before the law sunsets. Once fully phased in, personal state income taxes would be reduced by half a percentage point, while small business rates would drop by 25%.

As it stands now, most Missourians will see their income taxes reduced from 6% to 5.9% staring in January. Small businesses (that file through the individual income tax structure) will see their rates drop to 5.5% at the same time.

Schmitt, who championed the legislation, said he’s proud to have led the fight for one of the largest tax cuts in state history.

“This will mean more job opportunities and more take-home pay for Missourians, which will in turn help to grow our economy,” Schmitt said. “While states with poor fiscal management like Illinois and Connecticut look to raise their taxes to keep government bloated, Missouri is financially empowering its citizens by letting them keep more of their hard-earned money.”

Schmitt’s announcement of tax reductions comes just after neighboring Kansas and Oklahoma have each struggled to offset deficits approaching $900 million.

Oklahoma passed a $1.50 tax on cigarettes to help balance its shortage, while Kansas lawmakers repealed tax cuts similar to what Missouri is now implementing. Kansas, however, didn’t stagger the reduction or put triggers in place as the Show Me state has.

Tracy Gleason with the Missouri Budget Project said the timing of Schmitt’s announcement is interesting, given Governor Greitens’ recent move to withhold $250 million from state services.

“We’re in a situation where we’ve met this so called trigger,” Gleason said. “But we’re having to make reductions to education, to services to for seniors, people with disabilities, yet we’re putting these tax cuts into effect.”

Last Friday, Greitens vetoed a measure that would have provided 8,000 seniors with in-home and nursing home care, and pulled $24 million from higher education as part the withholds he announced.

House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick said he doesn’t see the tax cut as a threat to the state’s finances as long as big ticket items can be kept in check.

“As long as we can manage our Medicaid expenses and as long as we don’t have a nationwide economic crisis, I think we can manage the tax cuts,” Fitzpatrick said.

Treasurer Schmitt, who served two terms in the state Senate and helped craft the law with fellow Republican Will Schmitt of Lee’s Summitt, said the tax cut will fix the budget problem because it’ll bring more spending to grow the economy.

“We have a growth issue in this state,” Schmitt said. “It’s my personal belief, and the belief, I think, of a lot of folks out there that we’re going to grow jobs by lowering the tax burden on working families and lowering the tax burden on small businesses so that they have more of their own money.”

After passing the tax cut in 2014, the Republican dominated legislature overrode then Democratic Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of the plan.

Gleason, with the Missouri Budget Project, said she doesn’t think the law was properly drawn up. She notes the trigger was set at an amount that’s not keeping up with cost increases for the state.

Gleason said the tax cut is poorly advised now because the state’s already having trouble paying its bills, and the savings for taxpayers will be minimal.

“Missourians might take home a couple of more bucks, but that doesn’t help us pay for our roads, our schools,” Gleason said.

An analysis shows most taxpayers will save about $11 when cut goes into effect next year.

Fully implemented, the highest income people – those with average annual incomes of almost $1.1 million – would receive a tax cut averaging almost $8,000 per year.

According to the study, which was conducted by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a family with an income between $33,000 and $52,000 would receive a $57 tax cut per year.

The tax cut does have a special provision allowing for an additional $500 exemption for individuals who earn under $20,000 per year.

(Missourinet) – The State Highway Patrol says 14 people were killed in traffic crashes on Missouri roads over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Troopers say there were 14 fatalities in 494 crashes and that another 186 people suffered injuries. Troopers made 172 DWI arrests and 118 drug arrests.

The patrol said there were seven boating crashes over the holiday weekend, which caused four injuries. There were no boating fatalities this weekend. Troopers arrested 23 for boating while intoxicated and arrested another 33 for drugs on the waterways.

The Fourth of July holiday counting period began at 6 p.m. Friday and ended Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.

In one crash, 32-year-old Tiffani Santana, 10-year-old Pheonix Santana and two-year-old Jack Venneman, all of western Missouri’s Adrian, were killed when a vehicle struck them and their vehicle, which was parked on the shoulder of the roadway on Route MM in southeast Missouri’s Dunklin County.

The Highway Patrol said 55-year-old Benny Johnson of Tennessee has been arrested for felony DWI, causing the death of two or more.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Clark Parrott tells Missourinet the Patrol’s Major Crash Investigation Unit is handling the investigation, and that reconstruction of the triple fatality crash is underway. The Dunklin and Stoddard County Sheriff Departments, Malden Police and Bernie Police also worked the crash, which happened at about 9:50 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

In 2016, five people were killed and 565 were injured in Missouri over the Fourth of July holiday.

Troopers were stationed at 20-mile intervals on all Missouri interstates on Friday and again on the Fourth of July, targeting aggressive driving violations and assisting motorists.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol participated in Operation C.A.R.E. during the holiday weekend. That stands for Crash Awareness Reduction Effort.

Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz said the aim was to maximize Patrol visibility and to reduce the number of traffic violations they see.

None of the 14 fatalities happened on interstates, which see the largest volume of vehicles.

(Missourinet) – Republican Governor Eric Greitens signed four bills into law Wednesday during a ceremony at a window installation company in Kansas City.

The most controversial of the measures restricts plaintiff’s claims in injury lawsuits. The new law limits those claims to the actual amount paid for medical care and prohibits a person from seeking additional damages. The measure ties the cost of medical care to the dollar amount paid rather than to its actual value.

Another bill signed by Greitens specifies requirements for plaintiff’s who place time limits on their settlement demands before a lawsuit proceeds to court. It stipulates a time-limited demand to be no less than 90 days, where previously there was no minimum.

For example, in a case involving a death, an insurance company wouldn’t be required to settle with a plaintiff for 90 days. The measure further permits insurance companies to intervene in cases where they’ve denied the plaintiff coverage.

A third law deals with workers’ compensation cases.

It defines “maximum medical improvement” as the point in time when the condition of an injured employee can no longer improve, and bans any claims for benefits beyond that time. With the new stipulation, a plaintiff will now have little recourse if their condition deteriorates at a later date, or if a doctor’s diagnosis is incorrect.

The measure also places more burden on the employee to prove employer discrimination in workers compensation cases.

Supporters of the three new laws say they will eliminate frivolous lawsuits. A recent survey of businesses ranks Missouri as the eighth worst state in the nation for frivolous lawsuits.

Governor Greitens said that ranking is bad for Missouri’s business climate and claimed the bills he signed would save jobs and weaken trial attorneys.

“That scares away businesses,” Greitens said. “It scares away jobs.. We’re signing important tort reform legislation to protect jobs in Missouri from trial lawyers.”

Democratic Assistant House Floor Minority Leader Gina Mitten said Governor Greitens was gaming the legal system to favor business interests over individuals.

“Professional politician Eric Greitens continues to tilt the scales of justice against innocent Missourians who have been injured and in favor of corporate wrongdoers and insurance companies,” Mitten said. “These bills erect barriers to justice and unfairly prevent victims from receiving just compensation.”

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce has been a strong backer of all the lawsuit bills passed this year by Republican majorities in the legislature. At this point, all but one of them has been signed into law by Governor Greitens. Chamber President Dan Mehan praised the action taken by the governor Wednesday.

“The frivolous lawsuit game is over in Missouri,” Mehan said. “The bills signed.. along with the previously-signed expert witness and employment law reforms, instill balance and fairness in our state’s civil justice system. These reforms send a powerful message that Missouri is open for business.”

Attorney Jay Benson, former president of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, said the bills signed Wednesday by Greitens further limit the ability of individuals to seek justice from wrongdoing.

“I think all of these bills are limiting access to the courts for the average Joe citizen,” Benson said. “They’re limiting every Missouri citizen’s constitutional right to trial by jury. They’re providing help to the multi-billion dollar insurance industry, when insurers are harming our citizens.”

Greitens also signed a bipartisan bill to create four adult high schools in Missouri in an effort to help the state’s 500,000 residents who don’t have a diploma. The high schools will be created in the St. Louis City, Poplar Bluff, Springfield and Columbia areas.

A successful bidder will be required to invest at least $2 million in facility infrastructure. The schools will also have “life coaches” that will teach soft skills such as how to interview for a job and how to keep a job. Students at the adult high schools will have to be at least 21 to attend the schools.

(News release) – As people celebrate this summer, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds everyone to be extremely careful with fireworks, campfires, and other sources of fire that could cause a wildfire.

FIREWORKS
Don’t light fireworks in any areas where the sparks could ignite dry grass, leaves, or other potential fire fuel. Always have an approved fire extinguisher and an available water supply to douse sparks or flames. Wet the area around where fireworks are being discharged. Check with local ordinances and authorities for bans on fireworks and open burning.

OUTDOOR BURNING
Don’t burn during wrong conditions. Dry grass, high temperatures, low humidity, and wind make fire nearly impossible to control. Check with local fire departments regarding burn bans that may be in place. A person who starts a fire for any reason is responsible for any damage it may cause.

DRIVING OFF ROAD
Wildfires can start when dry fuel, such as grass, comes in contact with catalytic converters. Think twice before driving into and across a grassy field. Never park over tall, dry grass or piles of leaves that can touch the underside of a vehicle. When driving vehicles off road, regularly inspect the undercarriage to ensure that fuel and brake lines are intact and no oil leaks are apparent. Always carry an approved fire extinguisher on vehicles that are used off road. Check for the presence of spark arresters on ATV exhausts.

MAKING A CAMPFIRE
Clear a generous zone around fire rings. Store unused firewood a good distance from a campfire. Never use gasoline, kerosene, or other flammable liquid to start a fire. Keep campfires small and controllable. Keep fire-extinguishing materials, such as a rake, shovel, and bucket of water, close. Extinguish campfires each night and before leaving camp, even if it’s just for a few moments.

CALL FOR HELP
Call 911 at the first sign of a fire getting out of control.

REPORT FOREST ARSON
Wildfires are sometimes set by vandals. Help stop arson by calling 800-392-1111 and reporting any potential arson activities. Callers will remain anonymous and rewards are possible.

(Missourinet) – According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, annual fireworks sales in the Show-Me state reach roughly $40 million a year.

According to the State Fire Marshall’s office, Missouri has about 1400 fireworks stands this year.

The economic impact of Missouri’s fireworks goes beyond fireworks sales. Not all of the seven states bordering Missouri allow fireworks, year-round sales or allow fireworks as powerful as the ones sold here, making the Show-Me state a hot spot for fireworks enthusiasts, especially this time of year. Those visiting Missouri to buy fireworks might also be stopping here for gas, food, entertainment and other things.

According to the National Fire Protection Association:

• Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 17,000 outside and other fires. These fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and an average of $43 million in direct property damage.

• In 2015, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 12,000 people for fireworks related injuries; 51% of those injuries were to the extremities and 41% were to the head. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 26% of the estimated 2015 injuries.

• Novelty fireworks like sparklers and fountains can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees, and are responsible for more than one-third of all emergency room fireworks-related injuries.