House Committee Considers Resolution Calling for Investigation into Alleged Election Fraud

Merry Christmas Friends of the 144^th Legislative District!

 

‘Tis the season of Love, Joy, Peace and Hope. This is the time of year when we usually see so much excitement and joy with Christmastime and the start of another year. However, this year has been one like we have not experienced before. With all the different circumstances people are facing it’s hard for a lot of people to celebrate this time of year like they have in the past.

 

As we celebrate the greatest of holidays, I ask us to remember there are many Missourians who are not as fortunate. They won’t have the luxury of the companionship of family and friends, presents to open, or possibly even a warm meal. I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season. Christmas is a time of giving and it’s important that we remember that means more than presents. It should also be a time to give of ourselves to help those who are less fortunate. So at this time, I ask you all to show Love to one another so that others can have Joy and Peace in their heart regardless of what they are going through and have Hope for a better upcoming year.

 

House Committee Considers Resolution Calling for Investigation into Alleged Election Fraud (HR 2)

As the special session called by Gov. Mike Parson came to a close, members of the House Special Committee on Government Oversight took time to discuss a piece of legislation that calls for investigations into the claims of election fraud in six states.

House Resolution 2 declares the members of the Missouri House of Representatives have no faith in the validity of the results of the 2020 presidential election reported by the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. The resolution also states it is necessary to conduct a full and fair investigation of election results, including analysis of absentee and mail-in ballot samples for compliance with state election law, to ensure free and fair elections were conducted in the six states.

The sponsor of the resolution said HR 2 is a statement that, “a lot of us have heard from our constituents regarding what has been witnessed in elections across the country. This statement represents my constituents and others across the state and simply says the House of Representatives in the State of Missouri has no confidence in the reported results in six states unless full and fair investigations are completed into those claims of fraud.”

The committee also heard from Rudy Giuliani, who is the former mayor of New York and an attorney for Donald Trump. Giuliani told the committee members about the examples of election fraud in the other states.

He said, “All I have are a thousand affidavits from people who say in one form or another they saw fraud and all of them would like to be heard, but at least some of them should be heard and assessed in the way we do things in America – fair-minded. If they’re lying, not telling the truth, fine, but the frustration that is going to be caused by cutting this off like with censorship is going to be permanently damaging to this country.”

The House Special Committee on Government Oversight approved the resolution by a vote of 6-3, but the special session came to a close before the resolution could move to the House floor for consideration by the full body.

State Budget Leaders Announce Fiscal Year 2022 Consensus Revenue Estimate

Budget leaders from the legislature and the governor’s office have come to an agreement on the state’s Consensus Revenue Estimate (CRE) for the next fiscal years. The CRE is calculated each year to give budget makers an estimate they can use to balance Missouri’s state spending plan.

Budget leaders project general revenue collections for Fiscal Year 2022 will be $9.78 billion. This represents a net decrease of $418.8 million from the estimated revenue for Fiscal Year 2021. The revised estimate for the current fiscal year (FY21) is $10.2 billion. This estimate is artificially high due to the income tax filing date being moved from April 15 in FY20 to July 15 in FY21, resulting in two income tax filing dates in FY21. The FY22 estimate reflects a return to a single filing date in the fiscal year.

House Budget Chairman Cody Smith said, “We are in the midst of the most trying economic times in a generation. Forecasting revenue growth is particularly challenging this year. Therefore, I’m pleased to put forward a conservative revenue estimate to which the House, Senate, and Governor have agreed.”

Governor Parson said, “COVID-19 has had an overwhelming impact on our economy, but we are already making a strong recovery and remain optimistic for the coming year. We look forward to working with the General Assembly this session to create a balanced and responsible budget for the people of Missouri.”

Governor Parson will detail his proposed budget for FY22 during the State of the State address in January. The Missouri House will then begin the process of preparing the budget based on the governor’s recommendations.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and your family!  As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you might have. As your Representative, I am here to assist you however I can. I can be reached by email at Chris.Dinkins@house.mo.gov or by phone at 573-751-2112. Please do not contact me via social media. These messages are easy to overlook and may not be responded to in a timely manner.