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Capital Report from St. Rep. Mike Cierpiot,...
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Capital Report from St. Rep. Mike Cierpiot, 56th District
October 11, 2012
Mike Cierpiot,
St. Rep. of the 56th District
Ballot Language Causes Controversy
Next month, voters will head to the polls to determine not only who their elected officials will be, but also to decide which ballot initiatives should become law. Normally, these issues are mostly straightforward, but this year we’ve seen a lot of controversy regarding the language written to describe the ballot issues.
First it was the wording provided for Proposition E, which would prevent the governor from creating a health insurance exchange without approval from voters or the legislature. The original wording provided by the Secretary of State’s Office was ruled by a Missouri judge to not be fair and sufficient. The language was then replaced by wording that makes the intent of the ballot provision clear. The new language was challenged by the Secretary of State, but this week that challenge was thrown out. With the court’s latest decision, the ballot language is now set for November and Missouri voters can rest assured they will know exactly what they are supporting or opposing when they cast their vote.
The other ballot issue that has created a great deal of controversy deals with the language for a ballot initiative that would change to the way Missouri Supreme Court and Appellate Court judges are selected.
Revenue Numbers Continue to Improve
We received more good news this week as the state released encouraging revenue numbers for 2012. According to our state budget director, general revenue collections are up by 6.6 percent from where they were at this same time one year ago. To date the state has collected $1.9 billion. At this time last year, we had collected only $1.78 billion. However, it’s important to note that part of the uptick in revenue is due to a one-time $40 million payment from a national mortgage settlement. Still, we are seeing growth in our revenue stream, which means our economy is growing as well. That’s good news as we look to have adequate funds for this year’s budget and hope to enter discussion regarding for next year’s budget without the need for dramatic cuts.
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