As October begins, the Missouri Legislature shifts its focus away from the recent veto session and toward preparations for the upcoming 2025 legislative session. In the final months of each year, lawmakers transition their attention from the previous session’s work to laying the groundwork for the legislative agenda ahead.

During October, state lawmakers are setting goals and drafting legislation for the 2025 legislative session. The objective is to enhance the state’s policies, ensuring we serve the needs of Missourians. The pre-filing period for Missouri lawmakers begins in December.

As your representative, I encourage you to offer suggestions to improve policies. I’m committed to representing our district and advocating for the policies that align with our shared values and beliefs.

On Nov. 5, Missourians will head to the polls not only to vote for the individuals they think will best serve the will of the people, but also to consider potential changes to the Missouri Constitution. In total, voters will have five proposed amendments to consider, as well as a question on whether the state should raise the minimum wage. The Missouri Secretary of State has a complete listing of the ballot measures with their official titles and fair ballot language available at https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/petitions/2024BallotMeasures.

And if you’re a numbers person, here’s some numbers to chew on. Net general revenue collections for September 2024 in the Show-Me State have increased by 2.9% compared to September 2023, rising from $1.21 billion last year to $1.24 billion this year. For the 2025 fiscal year-to-date, net general revenue collections have declined by 4.0%, dropping from $3.14 billion in the same period last year to $3.02 billion this year.

Individual income tax collections have decreased by 6.2% for the year, from $1.99 billion to $1.87 billion, and declined by 2.5% for the month. Pass-through entity tax collections rose from $0 last year to $86.1 million this year. Sales and use tax collections fell by 4.5% for the year, from $886.2 million to $846.5 million, and dropped by 1.2% for the month. Corporate income and corporate franchise tax collections decreased by 2.5% for the year, from $236.7 million to $230.8 million, with a 0.5% decline for the month.

All other collections increased by 10.4% for the year, rising from $220.4 million to $243.4 million, and saw a 29.0% increase for the month. Refunds grew by 34.7% for the year, from $191.0 million to $257.3 million, and increased by 27.4% for the month.

I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact the office with any questions or concerns you have. You can email me at bruce.sassmann@house.mo.gov or call Jill at the office (573) 7581-6668.