Local legislator optimistic about the 2025 session

NEW MADRID, Mo. — With a new governor and new members in both the Missouri House and Senate, 149th District State Rep. Donnie Brown says he is looking forward to the 2025 Legislative session.

Brown described Missouri’s new governor Mike Kehoe as a great leader with good ideas for the state. He also pointed out Kehoe has come to the Bootheel numerous times to meet with residents.

“He is a farmer, he is also a businessman. He just really gets it,” Brown said.

Last year the Senate was plagued by disruptions from various factions. Instead of working on legislation, Brown said some senators were more interested in making political statements.

In the recent election, many of those behind the turmoil moved on to different jobs or were term-limited out.

“Some of the new people coming in, Jamie Burger for instance from our area, are good common sense people who just want to see good for the state of Missouri and not showboat or try to get personal glory which so much of that was last year,” Brown said. “Being the leader that (Kehoe) is I think it will help get a lot of things through that were actually stalled by their shenanigans.”

And Brown has some legislation he wants to move through the House and Senate.

Before the Legislative session got under way Jan. 8, Brown filed almost a dozen bills for consideration. He has taken particularly aim at unfunded mandates imposed by the state on local counties.

Brown’s bill for reimbursement to counties holding state prisoners will again go before the House.

According to Brown, it costs counties a minimum of $45 a day to house prisoners. While last year through the budget process the reimbursement was raised to $25 a day from $22.50, his bill calls for a minimum of $40 a day in reimbursement.

“It is costing my three counties – Mississippi, New Madrid and Pemiscot – thousands of dollars a year that they are not getting back from the state and these are basically state prisoners that are convicted and waiting to go of to a state facility. We are just asking for the state to pay their bills.”

The additional revenue for the county could be used to increase pay for law enforcement, Brown suggested.

Brown is equally critical of Missouri mandating the pay for the county sheriff and prosecuting attorney. His bill calls for the state to pay 30 percent of the mandated salary of each official.

“I’m not saying they don’t deserve that, they do. It is a tough job,” Brown said. “But when the state sets those salaries on the counties, I think the state ought to pitch in. Last year I don’t think in any of my counties any county employee got a raise. But the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff did because of the state mandate.”

Brown, who is an engineer overseeing New Madrid County’s Highway Department, has proposed bills related to the engineering field.

Currently, Brown said, there are about 2,000 to 2,500 engineering jobs open across the state. Students who graduate in engineering are not staying in Missouri, he said.

His bill proposes engineering graduates who remain in Missouri would get an annual $1,250 break on their Missouri taxes for their first five years of employment. Also companies hiring the graduates would receive a tax break. If the company pays the student’s loan debt, another tax break would be awarded the business.

“We are just trying to get those kids to stay here in Missouri. We feel like if we could get them the first five years then they would be likely to make a career here,” said Brown.

Another proposal would provide those college students in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math a $1,500 grant to help supplement the higher costs of education for each of their last four semesters in college.

Brown also favors doing away with the state income tax. While at first he said he was skeptical of the proposal, the local legislator said when the income tax rate was lowered from 6 percent to 4.75 percent, state revenues didn’t appear to be impacted.

“I think with Gov. Kehoe, if he is lucky enough to stay in there for eight years, we can get that down to zero by the time we get out,’ Brown said. “Any time we can keep more money in the citizens’ pockets they know how to spend it better than our government.”

Brown praised the close relationships between Southeast Missouri’s representatives and senators.

Working together, they sought to promote the biggest needs for the region. The one-voice approach resulted in some good news from the 2024 legislative session.

The final budget included funding for Interstate 57, $4 million for the Pemiscot County Port and money for healthcare in Dunklin County. Also in the budget was funding for a water treatment plant at East Prairie and $500,000 to assist with renovations to the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department office.

There were some local projects that didn’t make it. Last year Southeast Missouri legislators sought funding for dormitories at Three Rivers College but it was cut by Gov. Mike Parsons

Brown said they will propose the funding for the dormitories again. He also will seek money for the New Madrid County Port, which is building a second slack water harbor.

A self-described numbers guy, Brown said he has enjoyed serving on the House’s budget committee. The 2025 budget, he predicted, will be tight.

“It is a lot of work,” Brown said about the committee. “But every department of state government comes through the budget committee and you get to see where every dollar goes and how it is spent. As far as being educational, I don’t know of a better place you could sit to learn the ins and outs of state government.”

As far as aspirations, Brown said he might like being chairman or assistant chairman of the budget committee or one of the transportation committees. Grinning he added he will leave the headaches of being speaker of the House to others.

The last two years enabled him to learn more about serving his constituents, he said. When they call with a concern or a need, more often than not he knows who to call to help.

But he said citizens can do more. When a bill comes before the House which impacts local residents Brown said it is important they let their voices be heard.

“I have been talking to people about the bills and telling them how important it is to testify in those committee hearings. That is when people’s minds are changed. When they see real citizens that these things really affect and hear their story, that is when the needle moves. Once it goes to the floor of the House or the Senate, people talk but minds don’t get changed,” he said.

If they can’t make the long trip, citizens can submit written testimony online. He and other legislators read those comments to determine how to vote, he said.

“So many people will complain after the fact but then it doesn’t do any good. I need to hear from you before the vote is taken,” Brown said. “So many countrwies in the world don’t have that right and we do. We don’t take advantage of it near as much as we should.”