Federal Issues

Resolving concern about the burden of paperwork for small businesses could undermine the positive impact of health care reform by raising insurance premiums, increasing the number of uninsured and eliminating preventive health funding.  To read how these seemingly unrelated Read More

The federal health care bills signed in March 2010 will begin to fix much of what is wrong with the current health care system. Of course, it cannot all happen at one time. Click here to read a short summary that shows when some of the important changes began and when others will Read More

Significant changes were made to federal tax policy in 2001 and 2003.  Click here to read a new report on why the tax cuts targeted at middle- and low-income families should be made permanent and that the tax cuts for the high-income taxpayers be allowed to expire on schedule. Read More

Click here to read a new report on how extending changes to the federal  Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit will help Missouri’s working families.  Read More

Under current law, the estate tax will disappear completely in 2010.  This will mean a loss of approximately $14 billion in revenue, a loss that could hurt many.  Click here to learn about current estate tax proposals being considered by Congress. Read More

If approved, HJR 48 and SJR 25 would require voter approval to amend the Constitution of Missouri. These amendments attempt to exclude Missouri from any individual mandate to purchase health insurance, which is a key provision of proposed federal health care reform. Click here to Read More

On February 22 President Obama released his plan for comprehensive health care reform.  Click here to read a summary. Read More

The U.S. Senate health care reform proposal contains many significant improvements.  Click here to read an analysis of this proposal, which will likely be the basis for reform as the process goes forward. Read More

Click here to read a summary of the Manager’s Amendment to the U.S. Senate proprosal to reform health care. Read More

Seven provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  of 2009 (ARRA), passed in February, are keeping approximately 105,000 Missourians from falling into poverty this year. Click here to read a news release about a new report new report from the Washington, Read More