Bill Aims to Head Off Work Comp Hikes at Public Schools

Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would save public schools from paying significantly higher workers' compensation premiums, according to its sponsor’s chief of staff. The impetus for Senate Bill 981 was a 2017 state audit that determined Missouri United School Insurance Council (MUSIC) has been paying the wrong tax rate for more than 30 years. The tax is akin to premium taxes paid by insured employers and pays for the operational costs of the Division of Workers’ Compensation. “It’s a shell game because this is all government money,” s...