On a cold, windy morning in late February, fourteen members of the KCRAR Missouri Advocacy Committee loaded into a transit van headed east. Waiting for them at the Missouri REALTORS® (MR) REALTOR® Party Headquarters in Jefferson City, Mo. was the MR Advocacy Staff, led by Chief Lobbyist Sam Licklider.
Licklider began his day at an early morning hearing testifying in support of a state tax credit for purchasing homes in blighted areas, then rushed back to provide an up-to-the-minute legislative report to the REALTORS® from KCRAR. Armed with updated talking points, these REALTOR® advocates headed back out into to the cold for a brisk walk to the capitol to deliver the REALTOR® message straight to their legislators.
With the legislature in session, lawmakers were called off the floor by KCRAR advocates, and meetings took place in small groups in the crowded hallways and under the dome of the capitol. Top REALTOR® Party priority issues discussed that day were restarting the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC) and supporting a Remote Notary program in Missouri, which would make it easier to transact with out of state and foreign buyers.
After a lunch and debrief from MR staff at the Jefferson City Country Club, the KCRAR advocacy team members loaded up and headed home, knowing they had done their part to protect homeowners and the real estate industry in Missouri that day.
Want to get involved in KCRAR’s state advocacy efforts? Click to Attend Capitol Conference on April 22, become a State Political Coordinator, review our talking points or check out our 2019 Annual Report.
