Week 10: Property Taxes, Ai, Food Trucks & More

This week at the Capitol was the last before Spring Break. It brought lots of movement for several issues. There is still lots of work to be done across the board, of course, but we made good progress this week.

Food Truck Licensing

One of the practical problems food trucks in Jackson County are dealing with is the requirement to be licensed by the Jackson County Health Department as well as each municipality where they want to do business. This means multiple licenses which require basically the same thing. It's redundant, not necessary and it creates hinderances for these small businesses to grow.

I filed a bill, SB 1255, that was heard in committee this week that would allow food trucks to be able to do business in all municipalities across Jackson County if they have one permit from the Jackson County Health Department.

I was grateful to have support in the committee from local people in the district who have first hand experience and understand this issue. Danielle DuPree from Ennovation Center came to testify along with Joohae "Chewy" Yoon from Go Chew. It makes a difference when citizens come to the Capitol and speak directly about how a policy affects their businesses and families. Their testimonies put a local face on the need for this bill.

Joohae Yoon & Danielle DuPree

Real Property Tax Relief

We also saw some progress this week on property taxes. The Select Property Tax Committee passed my bill, SB 919, along with one other property tax bill and one joint resolution pertaining to property taxes. SB 919 is still a work in progress and there will be more changes, but this is an important step. I'm hopeful we can keep it moving as the conversations continue. Your home should not become unaffordable because the government keeps asking for more.

Property rights are key to liberty. People who work hard to purchase a home should be able to stay in them, build equity and generational wealth while not being priced out of them by tax burdens they can't control.

Term Limits & Accountability

On Wednesday, SJR 97 was heard in committee. This proposed constitutional amendment would submit term limits for Missouri legislators to Missouri voters. SJR 97, if passed, would allow the current term limits to be adjusted slightly although keeping the total time served to 16 years. Currently, the term limits for legislators are set at 8 years in the House of Representatives and 8 years in the Senate.

My resolution would remove the individual limits for each chamber. Total years of service could be done in any amount in either chamber - up to 16 years.

This matters because good policy takes time.

It takes time to learn procedure.

It takes time to understand complex issues well.

It takes time to build relationships that are needed to pass good legislation & kill bad bills.

When members are forced out too quickly, the people's branch loses valuable knowledge and experience. When that happens, influence shifts from the elected officials toward staff, lobbyists and bureaucratic systems that are not accountable to voters. Institutional knowledge and legislative history is lost to the ones elected to serve but the lobbyists and bureaucrats grow in their knowledge & experience - becoming the experts in every room.

The people don't want the special interests and lobbyists controlling the system, but term limits have put legislators in a position where the lobbyists are relied upon for their expertise. We can't have it both ways. Term limits need to be adjusted. My bill isn't a complete fix for the problem, but it's a step in the right direction.

Nebius In Independence

On Friday, I met with officials from the City of Independence and Nebius to discuss the proposed AI factory and data center development. Nebius, a technology company headquartered in Amsterdam, is building a data center in eastern Independence.

During the meeting, I made it clear I was disappointed that I had not been included in the initial conversations or negotiations on a project of this size and importance. Developments that could significantly affect our community should be handled with transparency and the appropriate elected officials at the table.

I requested all related documents, agreements, contracts, and other key information such as projected water usage, electricity demand, tax abatements, PILOT agreements and any other pertinent details. I received some of those materials before the close of business that same day.

I will now be reviewing the documents carefully and continue conversations to better understand the full scope of this agreement and how it may affect the people of our district. The citizens I represent deserve clear answers, transparency, and accountability on decisions with this kind of long-term impact.

Stay Engaged

As always, I want to keep you informed about what's happening and why it matters. You can see my votes any time by clicking "My Votes" in the top menu. If you need help with a state issue, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office. We're here to serve you and we want to help.