Missouri expungement fees could violate state Constitution

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) — Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway on Tuesday warned that a new law that allows more people to request criminal record expungements and raise those application fees could violate the state Constitution, although the sponsor said he doubts that will happen.

A report by the auditor cautions that the 2016 law could surpass constitutional limits on lawmakers raising taxes or fees without a public vote. Legislative researchers estimated there could be as many as 617,000 expungements each year, bringing in a net of more than $146 million in additional revenue in fiscal year 2019.

Lawmakers' threshold for raising taxes and fees last fiscal year was about $94 million. Galloway said lawmakers have not topped tax and fee limits since that provision was added to the state Constitution by voters in 1996.

"Missourians amended the Constitution to protect themselves from the legislature raising their taxes and increasing fees," Galloway said in a statement. "These constitutional protections are a key reason I am reviewing the cost lawmakers' policy choices ultimately have on taxpayers."

Read more: http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/17/missouri-expungement-fees-could-violate-state-constitution/101780258/