The Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan aimed to forgive up to $475 billion in student loans, a move critics argue lacked clear congressional authorization. Attorney General Bailey, recognizing the constitutional implications, led a coalition of seven Republican-led states in a lawsuit against this plan. The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Missouri, ruling that the Education Department had overstepped its authority, thereby blocking the SAVE plan in its entirety. ​

This legal victory underscores Missouri’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that executive actions do not bypass legislative processes. As Attorney General Bailey aptly stated, “Though [President] Biden is out of office, this precedent is imperative to ensuring a president cannot force working Americans to foot the bill for someone else’s Ivy League debt.”

Governor Mike Kehoe’s administration complements these efforts by promoting policies that prioritize fiscal responsibility and personal accountability. Rather than endorsing sweeping debt cancellations, Missouri focuses on expanding workforce development programs, supporting trade schools, and strengthening community colleges. These initiatives provide affordable pathways to employment without imposing undue burdens on taxpayers.​

The state’s proactive approach serves as a model for others grappling with the complexities of student debt. By challenging unconstitutional federal mandates and promoting practical solutions, Missouri reaffirms its dedication to conservative values and the principles of limited government.​

As the national debate on student loan forgiveness continues, Missouri’s leadership exemplifies how states can assert their rights and protect their citizens from federal overreach. Through steadfast commitment to the Constitution and prudent policymaking, Missouri ensures that the ideals of personal responsibility and fiscal integrity remain at the heart of American governance.

Sarah Graff

Sarah Graff serves on Moberly’s city council and is a candidate for state senate to replace a term-limited Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin in Northeast Missouri.

The post Opinion: Missouri leads the charge against Biden’s unconstitutional student loan forgiveness appeared first on The Missouri Times.

One key area for legislators to focus on is regulating crypto kiosks, which allow users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies using cash. These conveniently located machines, often found in places like convenience stores and supermarkets, offer easy access to digital currencies. However, they have also become a tool for scammers to defraud unsuspecting individuals. As the groundwork for regulating these groundbreaking global assets is laid, addressing this specific vulnerability is crucial.

I commend State Rep. David Casteel (R-97) and State Sen. Curtis Trent (R-20) for tackling these scams head-on with HB 1428 and SB 779. Their bills mandate that crypto kiosk operators display fees and highlight common scam examples before transactions can proceed. Furthermore, companies would be required to bolster their customer service and compliance teams and adhere to strict policies aimed at preventing scams and ensuring compliance with all financial crime laws.

These bills proposed by Rep. Casteel and Sen. Trent set consistent consumer protection standards for all crypto kiosk operators. By making it easier for consumers to spot and avoid scam attempts, these bills help prevent fraud. As more individuals venture into the crypto market, establishing a fundamental level of regulation is essential to safeguard consumers. I urge our elected officials to back HB 1428 and SB 779, ensuring Missourians’ protection while maintaining their access to cryptocurrencies.

Vinnie Clubb

Vinnie Clubb is a REALTOR and active member of the Wayne County community.

The post Opinion: Missouri bills safeguard cryptocurrency’s role in the state’s future appeared first on The Missouri Times.

While the national press has focused on efforts in Tennessee and Alabama, the Toyota plant in Troy, MO, is also a target. The UAW’s efforts failed in Alabama, and we hope they are also unsuccessful in Troy – our own backyard.

Recently, a Ford Motor Company executive stated that due to the UAW strike last year, the company must “think carefully” about where it will build vehicles in the future. That strike has and will continue to create long-term obstacles for job growth in the auto industry. Workers lost nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in unrecoverable wages from the strike. And since the strike, the Big Three automakers have announced 18,000 layoffs.

The union’s preferred method of organizing – card check, rather than the secret ballot – exposes workers to public pressure, intimidation, and even harassment. This tactic has worked for the unions in other states. Forcing workers to publicly declare their support for or opposition to the union (which is how card check works) breeds division, conflict, and coercion among workers.

But that’s not all. Unions want to silence employers by attempting to pressure them into accepting neutrality agreements that bar the employers from expressing their perspective about the union. This allows the union to prevent workers from receiving all the information, facts, and context in the organizing election, meaning important information may never reach the workers in Troy. They would be denied the right to make an informed decision – one that affects their careers for the rest of their work lives.

Associated Industries of Missouri opposes the UAW’s self-serving efforts to expand its membership in the “Show Me State.” Ultimately, we believe it will kill job growth by making the state less competitive and will cost workers their freedom in the workplace.

Ray McCarty

Ray McCarty is the president and CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri, the state’s oldest general business association.

The post Opinion: Resist union expansion in Missouri appeared first on The Missouri Times.

The Foreign Pollution Fee Act would impose a carbon border tax on materials and products imported to the U.S. from a list of countries with environmental policies we don’t like. It would add to the regulatory burden everyday Americans face through liberal tax increases. This approach raises questions about its impact on American competitiveness and the well-being of our communities.

One of the most concerning aspects of this tax is its potential to drive jobs overseas and exacerbate inflation at home. Rather than penalizing countries like China and Russia for their environmental practices, the burden falls squarely on American families. As The Wall Street Journal has written, “In the name of punishing China, the legislation would punish American consumers and businesses.” That’s because this tariff, and like all tariffs, it is a tax that will ultimately be paid for by American manufacturers and consumers.

This misguided strategy not only hinders domestic job growth but also adds fuel to the fire of inflation, a concern that continues to weigh heavily on the minds of Americans across the nation. Senate Republicans find themselves at a crossroads. They should be championing the cause of lower taxes for working families. Instead, there seems to be an increasing willingness to collaborate with Democrats on a European-style tax regime that threatens to crush American consumers.

Perhaps the most compelling argument against the Foreign Pollution Fee Act comes from the pages of recent history. Former President Trump, a staunch advocate for America First policies, recognized the pitfalls of such liberal tax schemes. During his first administration, he successfully defeated a similar proposal, rightly labeling it a “bad deal” for Americans. As we navigate the complexities of today’s economic landscape, the wisdom of his stance should not be forgotten.

Senator Josh Hawley has been a great advocate for working Missourians. He and his Republican colleagues should avoid making common cause with the liberal politicians championing the virtues of inflationary Bidenomics.

The Foreign Pollution Fee Act and its carbon border tax present a clear and present danger to American jobs and prosperity. Senate Republicans, in upholding their commitment to conservative principles, should be unwavering in their resolve to lower taxes on working families. Collaborating with Democrats on ill-conceived tax schemes is not the solution.

Rep. Aaron McMullen

Rep. Aaron McMullen (R) represents District 20 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

The post Opinion: Carbon border tax seeks to continue Bidenflation, hurt Missouri families appeared first on The Missouri Times.

Streamers, however, use the internet to reach homes. This means they either use wireless, satellites, or existing cable connections to deliver content to homes and do not alter municipal infrastructure to reach customers.

If H.B. 2057 becomes law, it will prevent municipalities from imposing unnecessary franchise fees on streaming services and would be a victory for Missourians. Increasing taxes and fees on streaming services will only result in the costs being passed on to consumers.

Unfortunately, the city of Chicago has already imposed a 9% tax on streaming services under its “amusement tax,” which also applies to concerts and sporting events. The city expanded the definition of law in 2015 to include “amusements that are delivered electronically.” According to the Tax Policy Center, Other than Chicago, “thirty-three of the 45 states with a general sales tax and the District of Columbia include video streaming services in their sales tax base.” States like Kentucky and Florida have special conditions enforcing the fees. Kentucky classified Video Streaming Services as “multichannel video programming services” while Florida “stands out among the states by targeting streaming services in two ways: charging platforms both a 7% communications service tax and a general sales tax.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.

The post Press Release: ATR Supports Missouri Bill to stop Tax Increase on Streaming Services appeared first on The Missouri Times.

“Not only has the historical lack of access to early learning and child care programs been a problem for the educational success of Missouri children, it’s a workforce problem for families and businesses all across our state,” Governor Mike Parson said. “Families already have a lot to consider when deciding whether to work or stay home. What we don’t want is lack of child care options to be the contributing factor, and that’s why our administration will continue prioritizing early learning initiatives and supports. These are commonsense measures that are good for business, great for families, and best for Missouri children.”

Parson made child care a priority earlier this year and highlighted the issue in his 2023 State of the State Address. Parson mentioned that one-third of public facilities still remain closed after the pandemic, creating even more issues for parents. 

Business leaders have also made child care access a priority. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry released a poll, conducted by CHS and Associates, that surveyed more than 500 of Missouri CEOs and business leaders. The poll showed that businesses are very concerned about lack of childcare in the state. 80 percent of respondents agreed that “the expense and difficulty in finding child care keeps a significant number of Missourians out of the workforce”. 

 “Our workforce shortage is the most crucial challenge facing Missouri employers — with childcare remaining a significant barrier for many Missourians who want to work. Missouri’s economy loses more than $1.35 billion annually due to the lack of childcare access,” said Daniel P. Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Rural parts of the state have also been affected, especially by child care deserts,  geographic areas with lack of available child care options for families.

“Missouri’s child care crisis is having a real and damaging impact on children, families, communities, families and local economies all across the state. Of the 73 counties designated child care deserts, 70 of them are located in rural counties. We are incredibly grateful to see bold leadership from Governor Parson, policymakers and budget officials in Jefferson City who continue to work to find solutions to solve this crisis,” said Sarah Gould, the Early Learning Center Director at Community Support Services of Missouri in Webb City,

Early childhood education and child care has had support from both ends of the political spectrum, according to a poll shared by the Missouri Champion of Children coalition. According to the poll, More than 90% of voters believe having childcare options for families helps to recruit and maintain businesses while supporting the economy. 

Legislation regarding child care has been introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly. Sen. Lauren Arthur (D-Kansas City) and Rep. Brenda Shields (R-St. Joseph) filed SB 742 and HB 1488. These bills included tax incentives for businesses and individuals for charitable contributions to child care providers.

“Through collaboration and compromise, and the leadership of Governor Parson and leaders in the General Assembly, we are getting results for Missouri kids and families,” said Brian Schmidt, Executive Director of Kids Win Missouri. “But more work remains. We look forward to additional progress in the 2024 legislative session.”

The 2024 legislative session begins on January 3.

The post Support for child care and early education initiatives continues to grow appeared first on The Missouri Times.

That being said, it’s clear that the national economy is hanging in a much more delicate balance. Inflation is back for a second wind, and looming labor shortages could spell trouble for Missouri’s small businesses if we aren’t careful. We just can’t afford any more changes to the status quo.

Given that context, it’s become increasingly important to protect key provisions like de minimis, an $800 threshold for duty-free imports that streamlines the process for small businesses ascertaining critical supplies. By keeping costs low, de minimis helps me and other merchants keep our product prices competitive with Big Box retailers, who often have their own manufacturing capabilities.

However, two bipartisan bills have been introduced that could threaten the current de minimis threshold. The De Minimis Reciprocity Act, cosponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and the Import Security and Fairness Act, co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and in the House by Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), both fail to recognize the impact changes to de minimis could have on small businesses.

Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, declared earlier this year that he wants to “have a lot of conversations” about the current de minimis level. It’s good to see Rep. Smith take an active interest in ensuring American businesses are protected when trading cross country. But it’s also essential that Congress at large understands that maintaining access to global trade is a cornerstone to the success of domestic small businesses.

If passed, these laws will put extra pressure on our already strained supply chains and could further aggravate product prices. In fact, experts predict that eliminating de minimis could double costs for businesses and consumers alike, adding up to around $47 billion in extra expenses annually. I can’t afford that sort of overhead, and many small businesses like mine could be forced to shutter our doors if de minimis changes.

Congress needs to make sure that it isn’t supporting legislation that could unintendedly impact small businesses like mine, putting both my livelihood and our national economy at risk. If the current de minimis level is changed, legislators could unwittingly deliver yet another blow to thousands of independent businesses and retailers like me. Small business owners are the very Americans who are the heart and soul of the Main Street economy, and we deserve better.

As we continue to navigate economic uncertainty, I’m sure Rep. Smith will ensure Capitol Hill does not pass any laws that inadvertently undermine the progress he’s fought hard to make.

Mollie Young

Mollie Young owns a successful boutique in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Mollie’s Gifts services Southeast Missouri with homegoods, clothing, jewelry, and gifts.

The post Opinion: Impact de minimis bills could have on MO small business isn’t minimal appeared first on The Missouri Times.

Contracts are awarded via a competitive bidding process, but that process has seen fewer and fewer bids over time, with 26 offices only receiving a singular bid, and three not even receiving one bid. The three that still need a bid are located in downtown St. Louis City, Forsyth, and Grant City.

“It has always been difficult to receive multiple bids in our smaller rural offices with fewer transactions and this year, we noticed a trend where even our larger offices were getting fewer operators willing to submit bids,” said MVDL Director Ken Struemph. “Even with the extra fees generated from online renewals, these contracted License Offices have not been able to keep up with increasing costs”.

Though many Missourians are also feeling the effects of high inflation, this is an all-time first for the DOR. The MVDL division of DOR has noticed less interest in operators willing to submit bids for contracted License Offices. Additionally, several contractors are willing to give up their offices and refuse to sign contract extensions. While it is not new that it is harder to receive bids in smaller rural offices, this is the first time MVDL has struggled to obtain multiple bidders for the larger more populated offices, and rarely has a contractor given an office back and refused to sign an extension. 

“My number-one goal since becoming the DOR director has been to improve customer service for our citizens. To do that our contract License Offices must remain financially viable. Higher costs and high staff turnover have negatively impacted on their ability to serve customers. Our License Offices need a fee increase in order to attract and retain knowledgeable staff who can process transactions in an accurate and timely manner” DOR Director Wayne Wallingford stated.

House Bill 424, which was introduced last legislative session was a much-needed fee increase bill that also created the “License Office Distribution Fund”. The House bill passed 14-0 in committee and the full House perfected the bill with 85 yes, 50 no, and 13 present. SB366 was passed 4-3 in the Senate Emerging Issues committee and at the end of session the conference committee report was signed and sitting on the legislator’s desks, but it never received a vote before a Senate filibuster prohibited any votes the final two days of session. This fee increase would ensure the longevity and health of all license offices in the state of Missouri.

Missouri Association of License Offices (MALO) President Ryan Williams expressed his concern saying, “Processing the MORE renewals has been a lifesaver, but our members are still struggling to keep up with the rising costs of inflation. License Offices have only had one fee increase since 1999, and we all know inflation has risen quite a bit since then. While most businesses can raise their prices to keep up with inflation…License Offices cannot. Rent and wage increases over the past three years have made keeping up with expenses almost impossible. Without a fee increase, I’m concerned numerous communities across Missouri may not have anyone willing to run their local License Office”.

For more information on licensing offices, please visit the DOR website or the Missouri Association of License Office website.

Click here for the current list of offices coming up for bid.

Click here to see past bid results for offices.

Click here to submit a bid for an office.

Below is a list of bid results from all License Office awarded contracts from December 2022 to July 2023.

51 contracts have been awarded since December 2022 

• 3 offices received no bids 
• 6 Offices had to be rebid after the first posting 
• 26 offices received only 1 bid 
• 16 offices received more than 1 bid

Offices receiving no bids-

 St. Louis Downtown-

• When was the Office bid, extend, and re-bid-
• § Initial: RFPSDOR230079 – Issued 4/13/23 Closed 4/26/23
• § Rebid: RFPSDOR230080 – Issued 5/10/23 Closed 5/23/23 – Extended to 6/7/23
• § Planning Rebid to Issue 9/6/23
• Public Notice sent out — 4/25/2023 and 5/5/2023 (Sent to City Legislators/Called them as well)
• Elected officials notified (Legislators or County/City)- 4/25/2023 and 5/2/2023- Also, called Casey Millburg-Policy Director for Mayor Jones

STOPGAP MEAUSRES- Notified public about other adjacent offices they could utilize and contacted those offices and moved more workstations to those offices to handle extra volume.

Forsyth-

• When was the Office bid, extend, and re-bid-
• § Initial: RFPSDOR230087 – Issued 5/10/23 Closed 5/23/23 – Extended to 6/7/23
• § Planning Rebid to Issue 9/6/23
• Public Notice sent out — 5/26/2023 (Was sent to the Legislators of the area)
• Elected officials notified (Legislators or County/City)- 5/26/2023

STOPGAP MEAUSRES- Current contractor agreed to keep office open until a new contractor could be found.

Grant City-

• When was the Office bid, extend, and re-bid-
• § Initial: RFPSDOR230040 – Issued 1/11/23 Closed 1/25/23– Extended to 2/8/23
• § Rebid: RFPSDOR230048 – Issued 3/08/23 Closed 3/21/23
• Public Notice sent out —
• Elected officials notified (Legislators or County/City) – numerous times between January and March of 2023.

STOPGAP MEAUSRES- Notified public about other adjacent offices they could utilize.

Offices that had to be rebid

1. Arcadia Valley (Non-Compliant First Bid)
2. Buffalo (Non-Compliant First Bid)
3. Rockport (No bid on first RFP)
4. Gainesville (Non-Compliant First Bid)
5. Macon (MO BUYS Issue)
6. Savannah (Non-Compliant First Bid)

Offices receiving only one bid

1. Fredericktown
2. Brookfield
3. Carrollton
4. Eminence
5. Maryville
6. Monroe City
7. Edina
8. North County
9. Viburnum
10. Warrenton
11. Vienna
12. Clinton
13. Bethany
14. Mexico
15. Bowling Green
16. Rogersville
17. Kingston
18. Memphis
19. Richmond
20. Steelville
21. Milan
22. Paris
23. Stockton
24. Van Buren
25. Chillicothe
26. Dexter

Offices not signing extensions and shutting down before new vendor could start

1. Chesterfield –closed from 12/28/2022 to 5/14/2023
2. Florissant – closed from 7/2/2023to 1/2/2023 — open for appointment only 1/3/2023 to 5/16/2023
3. Fredericktown – 8/26/2022 to 4/17/2023
4. Mountain Grove – Closes 7/28/23 we expect a new vendor in place in the Nov./Dec. timeframe.
5. Savannah – 12/30/2022 to 5/9/2023
6. Trenton – 5/31/2023 to 8/14/2023
7. Van Buren – 5/23/2023 to 6/27/2023

Brady Hays

Brady Hays is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. He is currently attending the University of Missouri School of Law and is on pace to graduate with his JD in 2026. He has been working for the Missouri Times since early March 0f 2022.

themissouritimes.com%20

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So far, I believe that Congressman Smith has done a good job of doing just that. This year, he’s fought for bills, like the recently introduced Small Business Jobs Act, to cut costs for small businesses across Missouri, grow jobs here in the Show Me State, and support our economy. However, despite his best intentions, Congressman Smith is pushing for one policy change – changing the de minimis threshold – that could seriously hurt small businesses here in Missouri.

While many Missourians might not have heard of de minimis before, it’s an important trade rule that small business owners rely on to cut down on bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary tariffs on low-cost imports. Unfortunately, Congressman Smith is threatening to put the de minimis threshold in danger. Many small business owners in Missouri wouldn’t be able to keep their doors open without de minimis.

The de minimis threshold plays an essential role for small businesses by saving companies from paying tariffs on shipments with a value under $800, and it helps small business owners who don’t have the time to navigate through complicated trade laws to simplify the process of importing the items they need to run their companies. That helps small business owners cut costs, which allows them to hire for good-paying jobs and pass savings onto families here in Missouri.

According to research by the Business Roundtable, changing the de minimis threshold would force the over 6,000 businesses based in Missouri that rely on receiving shipments from over 154 countries to bear the cost of price hikes on low-cost imports. Over three-quarters of those companies have less than 20 employees, and they simply can’t afford to watch their costs stack up. And since other countries would likely retaliate against a change to the de minimis threshold by raising tariffs on American-made items, the thousands of businesses that export goods made in Missouri would find it harder to sell their products.

The de minimis threshold plays an essential role for small businesses here in Missouri, and it’s an important trade rule that helps support families, companies, and jobs in our state. Congressman Smith has made it clear that he wants to protect small businesses, and that means the de minimis threshold is a policy he should fight to protect.

Carl Barnes

Carl Barnes has owned Reed Lumber Company in Potosi, Missouri, since 1993.

The post Op Ed: Congressman Jason Smith Should Fight to Protect Key Trade Provision That Supports Missouri’s Small Businesses appeared first on The Missouri Times.

While initially charged to merchants, these fees take a major toll on small businesses and companies with slim profit margins, forcing them to pass the added cost onto their customers through higher priced goods and services. Estimates show the average household pays more than $1,000 annually thanks to inflated costs due to excessive swipe fees.

Fortunately, a solution to lower these fees already exists via the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) introduced by Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). If passed, this legislation would take aim at the market failure that has allowed major credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard to consolidate 80 percent of the market share and raise fees indiscriminately. It would also rule out foreign payment networks that pose a security threat to our national security.

Despite advances in technology making it easier and safer to process transactions, credit card swipe fees continue to increase on a set schedule. Visa and Mastercard levy and raise fees that major banks collect, refusing to compete with each other on price. As a result, banks offer merchants a single routing option to process their credit card transactions, forcing them to pay excessive fees.

And since banks implement swipe fees without question, merchants have no ability to negotiate with major credit card companies that set these fees in the first place.

With 36 percent of consumers now using a virtual or physical credit card as their primary payment method, and just 9 percent preferring cash, business owners have no choice but to accept credit cards. Visa and Mastercard count on this reality. Last year alone, merchants paid over $126 billion in credit card swipe fees, more than a 20 percent increase from the year before.

Meanwhile, this credit card duopoly continues to take in high profits with these rising fees. Visa’s net profit margin was over 50 percent last year while Mastercard hit almost 45 percent. Merchants that take the cards average profits of around 2.5 percent.

It’s critical for Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) to support the CCCA. Passing this legislation would ensure merchants are offered a second network when routing credit card transactions, preventing major players like Visa and Mastercard from boxing out their competitors. With new competition in the payments marketplace, smaller networks could provide similar processing services at a lower cost.

Not only would this bill help bring down costs for American business owners and consumers, who pay the highest swipe fees in the industrialized world, but free market competition would drive innovation and better security standards as we’ve seen in similar industries.

Security is also a concern. Companies like China UnionPay were welcomed by Visa and Mastercard onto security standard councils like EMVCo and PCI, making our payments system vulnerable to foreign influence. These organizations help to set operational and security standards for the entire payments industry, and despite the national security threat posed by China, the U.S. is allowing a Chinese state-owned financial services corporation to hold governing positions in those processes. The CCCA would put an end to this by blocking foreign state-owned networks and those that pose a security risk, like China UnionPay.

Inflation and high prices won’t go away overnight, but that doesn’t mean our lawmakers shouldn’t work to pass bipartisan legislation that will help reduce costs for businesses and consumers. Senator Hawley sits on the Senate Judiciary and Small Business Committees and Sen. Eric Schmitt’s experience as attorney general provides both with firsthand insight into the impact a monopolized marketplace can have on small businesses just trying to stay afloat. I hope they’ll keep up the fight for small business owners and work to pass the CCCA to help lower the costs for all Missourians in the Show-Me State.

Rep. Jim Kalberloh

Jim Kalberloh is the Missouri State Representative for District 126.

The post Op Ed: Missouri Senators Should Pass the Credit Card Competition Act, Saving Small Businesses and Consumers appeared first on The Missouri Times.