Opinion

Some asinine positions taken by most of the Republican-dominated Missouri General Assembly got resolved this year, when lawmakers agreed to collect online sales tax, raise the gas tax and approve a statewide prescription drug monitoring program.

In April 2018, voters passed a 1% sales tax to be used for the funding of 911. The Board of Directors at the time pushed for a tax that would provide a secure, long-term source of income, which would be able to sustain Ray County 911 services, both now and in the future. This funding is used to meet payroll needs, maintain and update equipment, pay utilities, provide and maintain a building to house 911, and cover other expenses necessary for the operation of a 911 dispatch center. Each year, the Board of Directors is obligated by state statute to review and adjust the tax rate if income surpasses needs.

Many bills filed in the Missouri General Assembly are dead on arrival, and that is for the best. But some bills are DOA because they make lawmakers uncomfortable.

The Mssouri General Assembly should pass a 12.5-cent increase in the motor fuel tax, without the opt-out plan, and Gov. Mike Parson should sign the bill into law.

Oats Transit is closely watching proposed state legislation that, if passed, would allow concealed-carry permit holders to lawfully bring firearms on public transportation. It raises serious concerns not only for the safety on our buses but also our funding as a private, non-profit transportation provider.

Gov. Mike Parson tweeted that Missouri COVID cases and hospitalizations are down, which definitely is worth celebrating, but the rest of his message establishes a false equivalency.

The Excelsior Springs City Council’s decision to hire a private firm, Orion, to manage the city’s golf course may have been an act of genius, or not; but the timing seemed unnecessarily rushed, which naturally raises eyebrows.