Issues

 

Making a difference for families with special needs

There are more than 32,000 Missourians who have been diagnosed with autism, and the number of Missouri families affected by the disorder grows every day. In Southeast Missouri alone, we have seen a 107% increase in school-age autism diagnoses. Jason has worked hard to make a difference for these families. While in the Senate, Jason has helped increase funding for research and treatment centers.
 
Accomplished:
  • Secured more than $3 million for the Southeast Missouri Autism Center.
  • Included in last year’s budget and maintained for this year despite the current economic shortfall, an additional $493,000 for the Southeast Missouri Autism Center
  • Approved more than $17 million in new funding to support autism services, help ensure a higher quality of life, and enhance opportunities for children with autism

Making a difference for Missouri veterans

As chairman of the Senate Veterans Committee, Jason passed the Missouri Returning Heroes Education Act, which allows our brave soldiers to attend Missouri state universities for only $50 per credit hour. Jason knows that our veterans were willing to fight for the rights many of us take for granted, and he is pleased that at least Missouri has another way to say “thank you”.

In 2009, Senator Crowell worked tirelessly on legislation to honor Missouri’s heroes. The Heroes Way Interstate Interchange Designation Program allows interstate interchanges in Missouri to be named for service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Heroes Way provides an opportunity to memorialize our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who did not return home. It provides communities throughout Missouri with an opportunity to acknowledge the loss they all feel when one of their own is killed in combat.

Accomplished:

  • Allowing over 120 veterans on the Southeast Missouri State University campus to apply for the benefits of the Missouri Returning Heroes’ Act
  • Allowing relatives to submit their fallen loved one’s name to the Missouri Department of Transportation for recognition at designated interstate interchanges
  • Exempting Veterans from state income taxes on all military retirement benefits

Sen. Crowell with Loretta Snyder and Ruth Dockins of SEMO Area Agency on Aging .Making a difference for Missouri seniors

Jason has always worked to honor and protect Missouri senior citizens. He was able to make a difference for those on Social Security by ending the double taxation of their Social Security benefits. In these tough economic times, that will mean Missouri seniors get to keep and spend more of their own money.
 
Accomplished:  
  • 300,000 Missourians will benefit from this $153.8 million dollar tax cut.
  • Increased eligibility and expanded the award amount on the Property Tax Credit Claim; homeowners can now receive up to $1,000 from a previous amount of $750
  • Increased the income threshold for the Property Tax Credit Claim for homeowners to $30,000 for singles and $40,000 for married couples
 

Protecting the Unborn

Jason is strongly pro-life & leads in the fight to stop abortions in our state. His efforts have resulted in the reduction of abortion clinics in Missouri from 10 statewide to only two statewide today. Protecting the sanctity of life continues to be one of Jason's top priorities.

Accomplished:

  • In 2007 Missouri had the lowest number of abortions performed since 1975.
  • For the first time ever Missouri is below 8,000 abortions a year.
  • We have gone from 10 abortions clinics in Missouri to only two today.

Putting Education First

Jason worked hard to pass the largest school budget in state history, increasing K-12 funding by almost $500 million over the last four years and provided greater access to higher education by increasing needs based scholarships by $91.5 million.
 
Missouri students will only be able to compete in a global economy if they have the opportunity to receive a quality higher education. Despite a difficult budget year in 2009, higher education received a 3.2 percent increase this year for a total of $1.3 billion.
 
Accomplished: Raised K-12 budget by nearly half a billion dollars.
  • 2005: $2,562,386,690
  • 2009: $3,007,865,853
  • Total K-12 Budget Increase: $445,479,163

Protecting our Right to Bear Arms

Jason strongly supports the 2nd amendment to the United States Constitution. He has been a strong supporter of our 2nd amendment rights, sponsoring legislation allowing law-abiding citizens to obtain a license and carry a concealed weapon and ensuring Missourians have the freedom to protect themselves in their own home. He has received an A+ rating from the NRA & will always vote to protect our gun rights.

Accomplished:  Right-to-Carry permit holders have made Missouri a safer place to live & work.

  • There have been no instances of Right-to-Carry permit holders involved in committing a crime.
  • There have been at least two cases in St. Louis of Right-to-Carry permit holders stopping crime.

Creating Quality Jobs

Jason also worked to expand the Missouri Quality Jobs Initiative that has helped bring thousands of high-paying jobs with health care benefits to Missouri and lessen our dependence on foreign oil by increasing domestic oil production as well as alternative energy like bio-fuels, wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal and compressed natural gas.
 
Accomplished:
  • 11 companies in Southeast Missouri received $245,000 in funding to train 851 employees from the Missouri Job Development Fund through the Missouri Customized Training Program
  • Increased the cap on the Quality Jobs Act, an incentive program that encourages companies to create new jobs that pay above the average county wage and pay at least half of an employee’s health insurance premiums, from $60 million to $80 million; removed the cap for high impact and technology companies
  • Expanded the cap on BUILD (Business Use Incentives for Large-Scale Development) Tax Credits from $15 million to $25 million
  • Expanded the Department of Economic Development’s job training program by allowing the program to apply to pre-employment training
  • Phased out the Corporate Franchise Tax which will exempt small businesses in Missouri with less than $10 million in assets from paying the franchise tax
 

Property Tax Relief

Jason led in the fight to stop unfair reassessments, protecting taxpayers from unfair backdoor tax increases, and forcing taxing districts to roll back tax levy rates on new revenue that exceeds inflation.
 
Accomplished:
  • The Property Tax Credit Claim program allows the elderly and disabled residents to receive a credit on their tax bill for the property taxes or rent that they paid over the year; increasing the assistance from $750 to $1,100; increased the income eligibility for the homeowners from $27,500 to $30,000 for singles and from $29,500 to $40,000 for married couples
  • Counties in Southeast Missouri are now required to send taxpayers a projected tax liability to help prepare homeowners to pay their tax bill in December or appeal if necessary
  • Required all taxing jurisdictions, regardless of whether they are operating at or below their tax rate ceiling, to roll back their tax rate to counter reassessment increases  
 

Access to Quality Health Care

Jason consistently works to provide access to quality health care for all Missourians as well as expand access to health insurance while living within our means and not raising taxes.
 
Accomplished:
  • Funding for SCHIP increased by $30,290,680
  • 14th Best State Governmental medical benefit plan in the Country
  • Increased Medicaid General Revenue spending by $306, 630, 550 in the last three years

Stopping Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration is a growing problem in our country, but Washington has failed to act to resolve the issue. Missourians are directly affected by the growing population of undocumented residents.  That's why Jason also helped pass laws preventing illegal immigrants from receiving state welfare benefits and taking jobs from hard-working Missourians.

 
Accomplished:
  • Made English the official language of Missouri
  • Created new penalties for helping an illegal immigrant obtain a driver’s license by fraud
  • Increased efforts to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits
  • Made it a crime to transport any illegal immigrant for exploitive purposes
  • Enacted stronger penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants
 
Endorsed by: Missourians United for Life, National Rifle Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, MO State Teachers Association, MO Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses

 

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