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Columbia’s state lawmakers share highlights from the 2013 legislative session

KBIA

  Missouri's 2013 legislative session came to a close Friday evening after deliberation of state Medicaid expansion, tax credit reform and gun control.

This week,Intersection hosted Missouri lawmakers Rep. Chris Kelly (D-Columbia), Rep. Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) and Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) to reveal what actually got done in chambers this year.

Kelly said he was most proud of “significantly” increased funding for higher education, especially for the University of Missouri.

“Specifically, some funding for the expansion of the med school,” Rep. Kelly said. He took the opportunity to praise his colleague across the aisle, Kurt Schaefer: "We all helped, but that was Kurt’s baby and he did a great job on it.”

Schaefer also discussed the $66 million increase for higher education in Missouri. More than half of that money will go to MU, and a $10 million program for the medical school will partner hospitals in Columbia with those in Springfield to increase health care providers in the state, especially in southwest Missouri, Schaefer said. He said it was the first in his five years as a senator that Missouri was able to “step up” education funding.

The session also saw a $28 million increase for K-12 education, he said.

Rowden, a newcomer this year, highlighted a proposed tax decrease he believes would “allow the economy of Missouri to grow.” “The biggest thing we were celebrating in the House that made it to the governor’s desk was the first income tax reform in 100 years or so in the state of Missouri,” he said.

The proposed tax cut that would decrease the personal income tax rate from 6 to 5.5 percent over 10 years, he said. It would also cut corporate income tax in half over the same period.

“It’s a good, measured response to some of the stuff that’s going on around us,” Rowden said.

Governor Nixon is widely expected to veto the tax increase.

Kelly, Rowden and Schaefer spoke with KBIA on Intersection earlier this week. View the program and follow us on Twitter.

Also check out the latest episode of KBIA’s CoMo Explained on our website or at the iTunes Store. This week, hosts Scott Pham and Ryan Famuliner explain how a veto-proof super majority works.

Catch Intersection on KBIA every Monday at 2 p.m. to hear experts discuss Mid-Missouri issues.

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