It was a full and productive week in the Senate.
State of the State Address
Tuesday, Governor Kehoe shared his priorities for Missouri in the State of the State Address. During his speech, he announced his legislative and budget priorities which included;
- Eliminating state income tax
- Sentencing reform, which is being sponsored by me
- Juvenile crime reduction
- Supporting nuclear power sources
- Open enrollment
- School accountability grade card
First Committee Hearings
Committee hearings began this week. I sit on four standing committees:
- Families, Seniors & Health; Vice-Chair
- Local Government, Elections & Pensions
- Veterans and Military Affairs
- Progress & Development
We heard two bills in Families, Seniors & Health as well as three in Veterans & Military Affairs and two in Progress & Development. Local Government did not have a hearing but that will begin this upcoming week.
I also sit on the Select Committee on Property Tax and the State Tax Commission. This committee will hear all property tax related bills and I'm looking forward to working for the people of Missouri by reducing their real property tax burden.
My property tax bill is SB 919, which places a 5% cap on increases in real property tax liability every 2 years or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less.
Presenting the No Sharia Act
Wednesday I had the opportunity to present my first bill of this session, the No Sharia Act, in the Judiciary Committee. This bill supports and protects Missouri from being required to follow the rules or dictates of international organizations such as; World Economic Forum, The United Nations and the World Health Organization. It also prohibits our courts from adjudicating cases based on Sharia Law.
During the hearing, I was able to read the testimony of Kamal Saleem, a friend of mine who is an ex-Muslim terrorist. He was raised in the country of Lebanon in a Muslim home and lived under Sharia. His story is eye-opening and his first hand experiences with radical Islam's infiltration of the United States should be a wake up call to us all.
Prayer & Fellowship
One Thursday each month our office hosts prayer & fellowship and that started this week as well. It's always an encouragement to gather with believers, focus on the Lord and take time to fellowship and have meaningful discussions. I was honored to speak with the group. It was the perfect way to end a busy week.
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