2/15/9 Bulletin - Alliance of Mo Home Insp

**Bulletin From
**

The Alliance of Missouri Home Inspectors

2/15/09

**It is time to consider the options: **Yes, our state is facing a huge budget deficit and…Yes…most Missouri elected officials are looking to save money where ever and however they can – but a small thing like this will never stop State Representative Mike Parson of Bolivar, MO, and his personal quest for a home inspection law.

Reports are coming in from all parts of the state that Parson has been steadily roaming the halls of the State Capital looking for someone to help him sponsor his home inspection legislation that he has been presenting, annually, for the last couple of legislative sessions. While he has been facing pretty steady and regular rejection from his fellow Missouri House members who are more concerned with preserving vital state services to the elderly, to the sick and to the poor — Parson is committed to see that the special interests who have solicited his help are served.

It has been reported that the lack of support for his former licensing bills has reduced his 2009 effort to a very simple registration bill that will be used, according to him, as a prelude to a licensing bill sometime in the future. This bill has a chance of passing since it will have a minimal cost to the state while supplying it with much needed revenue…aka “registration fees”.

I have spoken with some well intentioned home inspectors who have explained to me that they “can live with this bill” and will support it. I have also heard from the head of the ASHI chapter that runs the disguised ASHI group known as MAHI (Missouri Association of Home Inspectors) who find that bill is too far from the favored “ASHI model” of what good home inspection legislation should be, and that they intend to fight the bill.

The Alliance of Missouri Home Inspectors is still a couple of weeks away from electing its officers and forming its solid political platform for 2009, so while there are no official positions on this bill to announce I do want to present something for Alliance members and other Missouri home inspectors to think about.

We know what the Kansas Law looked like that was recently passed, and we know that there have been many meetings between the KAR and MAR to promote the same legislation for Missouri. This would certainly benefit the realtors who work the divided Kansas/Missouri market in Kansas City.

We also know that…on the floor of the House…a bill will go through the backroom dealings, the closet compromises, and the obligatory amendments that all bills do as they pass through the strong infrastructure of lobbyists and other special interests who have been serving continuously – without term limits – within our state government. Bottom line….a bill can come out of committee looking exactly as you want it to, but after passing through both houses of congress, can reach the Governor’s desk resembling your very worst nightmare, in a matter of days.

Consistently, proponents of licensing in Missouri have failed to present…with their ideas for legislation…any worthy argument showing that such a law is necessary. This year is no different.

I believe that the Alliance of Missouri Home Inspectors should refrain from supporting any legislation in the absence of a demonstrated need for it, and prior to the adoption of a statewide set of building codes by which home inspectors can produce and implement a statewide standard SOP to operate by. Accordingly, the Alliance (in my opinion) should oppose the 2009 efforts of Rep Parson and his registration bill.

Please write me with your thoughts on this issue and I will include them in the next bulletin. Send them to jimbushart@hotmail.com .