Today tips off the second half of Missouri’s 2021 Regular Legislative Session. Members of the General Assembly are returning from last week’s previously scheduled Spring Break to begin working the final eight weeks of session. The state’s FY 2022 budget will come into focus, along with more floor time for debate on various bills and less committee time, as legislators push to get their priority legislation passed before the
6:00 p.m. adjournment deadline on Friday, May 14.
COVID-19 VACCINATIONS TO BECOME WIDE OPEN APRIL 9
Governor Mike Parson has announced Missourians in Phase 2 of the state vaccination plan will become coronavirus vaccine-eligible on March 29. Then Phase 3, which includes all adult state residents, will be activated to receive a vaccine on April 9. The activation of Phase 2 is estimated to extend vaccine eligibility to 880,000 Missourians that includes those employed in construction, critical manufacturing, higher education, and remaining food and agriculture sectors. This also includes homeless and disproportionately affected populations with an emphasis on racial and ethnic minorities, among others.
BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL TAX FILING DEADLINES EXTENDED
On March 19, Governor Mike Parson announced an extension of the state’s individual tax filing and payment deadline for the 2020 tax year. The Missouri Department of Revenue has moved the deadline from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The state deadline now reflects the announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS that individual taxpayers will receive extensions to file and pay federal income tax for the 2020 tax year. The state’s DOR will automatically provide this filing and payment relief, so filers do not need to take any action to qualify.