Missouri REALTORS®,
I want to provide you with a quick update regarding several important issues before the General Assembly.
Eviction Moratorium:
All bills related to this topic prohibit political subdivisions from enacting or enforcing an eviction moratorium. None of the bills address the ability of the Missouri General Assembly to deal with the issue or the broad emergency powers possessed by the Chief Executive.
- SB 222: Introduced by Senator Curtis Trent; heard and reported to the Senate Calendar.
- SB 239: Introduced by Senator Andrew Koenig; referred to the Senate Committee on Emerging Issues but has yet to be heard.
- HB 730: Introduced by Rep. Chris Brown, a REALTOR® from the Kansas City area; heard and is on the House Perfection Calendar. May come up for debate as early as next week.
Land Bank:
HB 587, introduced by Rep. Bill Owen, is a substitute has been drafted that includes language specific to St. Louis County and material that deal with the judicial foreclosure issue for property acquired by the Land Bank. The substitute has been reported out of committee.
Rural Jobs:
SB 92, introduced by Sen. Denny Hoskins, establishes a tax credit for certain investments made in businesses located in rural areas of the state. The goal is increasing jobs in rural Missouri which will stabilize population and reduce the need for residents to travel long distances for work. The bill is currently on the informal calendar in the Senate.
Initiative Petition “Reform”:
There are nearly too many proposals to count. There are House and Senate Joint resolutions and House and Senate bills. The resolutions would all amend the Constitution and must be approved by the electorate; the bills would be subject to the Governor’s approval. HJR 43, introduced by Rep. Mike Henderson, has passed the House and has been heard by the Senate Committee on Local Government and Elections. It will likely be reported out of committee next week.
In general, all proposals seek to make it more difficult for the Constitution to be amended by the initiative process. Missouri REALTORS® is in the process of providing another poll on the issue. The poll we did last year showed the idea to be wildly unpopular, and I don’t expect this year’s result to be remarkably different.
Prohibition of sale of Missouri land to non-resident aliens:
This issue began as a modification of the current law that allows non-resident aliens to purchase agricultural land so long as the total amount of agricultural land in Missouri owned by non-resident aliens does not exceed 1%. Please remember the definition of Agricultural Land for the purposes of this law isAgricultural land", any tract of land in this state consisting of more than five acres, whether inside or outside the corporate limits of any municipality, which is capable, without substantial modification to the character of the land, of supporting an agricultural enterprise, including but not limited to land used for the production of agricultural crops or fruit or other horticultural products, or for the raising or feeding of animals for the production of livestock or livestock products, poultry or poultry products, or milk or dairy products. Adjacent parcels of land under the same ownership shall be deemed to be a single tract;”. So, a lot over five acres is likely covered in the definition.
Some members, especially in the House, don’t believe it is enough to limit agricultural land and propose that a non-resident alien or foreign corporation owning land in Missouri be required to divest that property within five years. I don’t think it will get much traction but if passed, it could mean Bayer and Anheuser-Busch would end up in significant litigation or leave. That is not a pleasant thought for the St. Louis area.
Jason and I have been holding informal meetings with various agricultural groups because of the potential impact of some of the proposals on markets for soybeans and corn. China is our largest market for soy and Mexico for corn. Several proposals would prohibit residents of certain countries from owning any land in Missouri; they generally include China in the prohibition. It would be a significant problem if China decided to look to Brazil or Argentina for soy.
Another issue with the proposals is that many of them remove the language Missouri REALTORS® supported in 2015 that allows a sale to go through so long as the purchaser provides a completed and signed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, otherwise the sale must be approved by the director of the department of agriculture.
MONA:
Senator Greg Razer’s SB 60 has been assigned to the Senate Committee on General Laws and Rep. Deb Lavenders HB 574 has been read a second time. Currently, there is no committee assignment.
Stay tuned for additional information.
Sincerely,
Sam Licklider
Chief Lobbyist, Missouri REALTORS®