JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Lawmakers in the Missouri House adjourned Thursday, but not before voting on and approving several measures.
The handful of bills that have fully passed out of the House feature a wide-ranging docket of issues, including a specific tax cut and a measure that creates the Missouri Religious Freedom Protection Act.
That measure, House Bill 75, would bar any public official from restricting access to places of worship. The proposal, which had been introduced in prior sessions, follows COVID-related lockdown measures that attempted to reduce public gatherings. The bill is sponsored by freshman Rep. Cathy Jo Loy, R-Carthage.
“The COVID-19 shutdown made one thing clear: our constitutional rights must never be left to government discretion,” Loy said in a news release.
Another bill that passed was an income tax deduction for capital gains. Under the proposal, a taxpayer would be able to deduct 100 percent of all income reported “as a capital gain for federal income tax purposes.” Grouped together as House Bills 508 and 594, the proposal will likely see some traction as a business-friendly legislature is also considering similar legislation in the Senate.
“My HB 508 and his HB 594 were merged into one bill in committee, and together we proposed a tax deduction for federal capital gains at the state level that will encourage businesses to move to Missouri and existing businesses to reinvest in Missouri,” said Rep. George Hruza, R-Des Peres. “We are confident this legislation will promote the creation of high-paying jobs for our residents.”
The Missouri House of Representatives also approved tenant rights. Grouped together as House Bills 595 and 343, the proposal follows action from Kansas City. Specifically, it would eliminate landlord bias or discrimination based on where your income comes from as well as other restrictions relating to security deposits.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, called the matter a property rights issue.
“Landlords should have the freedom to decide how they manage their properties without being forced into federal housing programs or restricted in how they screen tenants,” Brown said in a statement. “These regulations drive small landlords out of the market, making rental housing even scarcer and more expensive.”
Other bills that passed out of the lower chamber include House Bills 737 and 486, which are similar in intent and would place new guidelines over the foster care system. Folded together into one bill, the measure is sponsored by Reps. Melissa Schmitt, R-Eldridge, and Wendy Hausman, R-St. Peters.