Mazzie Boyd – Capitol Report April 6, 2023
To the Great Constituents of District 2,
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
-Dolly Parton
Spring is one of my favorite times of the year especially when the Tulips and Hyacinthus start to bloom. We had a great week in the House. My Anti-Red Flag Gun Seizure Act Bill HB 712 was passed out of committee by a vote of 9-4. My bill bans red flag laws from being implemented by Missouri officers and bans Missouri from receiving federal dollars to enforce red flag laws. A red flag law is any gun control law, order, or measure that directs the temporary or permanent seizure of any firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition of an individual without the adjudication of a contested court case. At its core red flag laws have no due process and are used maliciously against law abiding gun owners.
I also had a hearing on my bill HB 224 which would make the Hawken Rifle the official state rifle. I had a lot of great witnesses that came from all over the state of Missouri to testify in support. The Hawken was created right here in Missouri and is one of the most superior muzzleloader rifles ever created. I think it would be a fantastic choice to be our state’s official rifle.
The House passed 28 bills over to the Senate this week. Here are a few of those bills:
HB 519 would simplify the gas tax refund process so it coincides with the calendar year rather than the fiscal year, which would allow taxpayers to file their refund claim when they do their taxes. Another proponent of the bill would further simplify the refund process by requiring the Department of Revenue to develop a mobile application that would allow a tax refund claim to be submitted on a person’s phone.
HB 1263 “Protecting Missouri’s Small Businesses Act” would help offset the economic damage done to businesses that are forced by government to shut down through no fault of their own. The bill provides that if any political subdivision with jurisdiction over a business implements any shutdown order and the business closes due to the shutdown order for at least 21 consecutive days or at least 45 cumulative days, the following requirements apply: (1) Waiving of any fee for a business license during the period of the shutdown order or six months, whichever is longer; and (2) Reducing the real and personal property tax liability of the business based on the number of days the business was shut down in a given year, as further explained in the bill.
HB 576 creates the offense of interference with transportation of livestock. A person commits the offense if he or she knowingly stops, hinders, impedes, boards, or otherwise interferes with a motor vehicle transporting livestock; provokes or disturbs livestock confined in a motor vehicle; or puts a compound or substance on livestock that would affect the livestock’s marketability, affect animal or human health, or result in an unreasonable transportation delay.
HB 986 prohibits Library Boards from overruling county planning commission plans. The bill also prevents real property owned by a board governing a library from being used for any purpose that violates any zoning ordinance or regulation as specified in the bill. I was able to get my amendment that adds maintenance and repair of library facilities to the list of acceptable uses of the Missouri State Library Networking Fund.
HB 906 modifies current statute by removing a goal of testing 75% of children who receive Medicaid for lead poisoning and instead requiring that every medical provider serving children must annually provide education to parents and guardians of children under age four regarding lead hazards to children.
HB 76 creates the “Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program” and the “Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program Fund” beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. This program is for students that have met the GPA, attendance, and service requirements for the A+ Program and are eligible for reimbursement of tuition, books, and fees, and are attending an approved institution of postsecondary education, as defined in the bill, for an eligible program of study or specified training program.
It’s a pleasure to serve and as always if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to my office at (573) 751-4285 or email me at [email protected].
All my Best,
Mazzie Boyd, State Representative for District 2
