PRESS RELEASE
Treasurer Fitzpatrick Celebrates 100 Days in Office
Jefferson City, MO
– Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick today celebrated 100 days in
Office. “Since
being sworn-in in January, I have focused on continuing to be a good steward of
Missouri’s tax dollars,” Fitzpatrick said. “This stewardship goes beyond
ensuring your tax dollars are invested and spent wisely. As Treasurer, I want to
ensure Missourians are prepared for a bright financial future by encouraging
the use of programs that can help save for the future. I am proud of what we
have accomplished in 100 days—and look forward to continue promoting these
valuable programs and protecting the state’s finances.” Missouri
FIRST: Upon taking Office, Treasurer Fitzpatrick immediately began working
to reform
the Missouri FIRST program to increase the long-term viability of the
program, after a period of rapid growth that could have over-extended the
program. These reforms returned the program to its initial purpose—investing in
Missouri entrepreneurs and farmers. As part of his effort to sustain Missouri
FIRST, Treasurer Fitzpatrick worked with Representative Jack Bondon and Senator
Justin Brown on legislation that would raise the statutory cap on the program
to $800 million. MO ABLE: Today marks the two-year
anniversary of the launch of the MO ABLE program in Missouri. Last week,
Treasurer Fitzpatrick announced that the
MO ABLE program reached 1,000 accounts. Treasurer Fitzpatrick also
announced a partnership
with CoxHealth that allows CoxHealth employees to use direct deposits from
their paychecks into MO ABLE accounts. He continues to work with other
employers across the state, including the Office of Administration, to
implement similar programs that will make it easier for Missouri families to
use the benefits of MO ABLE. Treasurer
Fitzpatrick is also working with Representative Jonathan Patterson and Senator
Brian Williams on legislation that clarifies a conservatorship is not needed
for the MO ABLE program. Financial Literacy: Treasurer
Fitzpatrick has encouraged Missourians to think about their spending habits and
plan for their financial future. A significant part of these efforts has been
promoting MOST 529, Missouri’s Education Plan, which allows Missourians to save
money, tax free, for education-related expenses, while also receiving a tax
deduction. Throughout April, which is Financial Literacy Month, Treasurer
Fitzpatrick traveled around the state promoting the program and encouraging
Missourians to visit the Financial Literacy
Portal. Unclaimed Property: Treasurer
Fitzpatrick returned the first
$1 million in unclaimed property in just nine days, the fastest of any
state treasurer in Missouri history. Whenever he speaks to groups across the
state, he encourages them to search their name on ShowMeMoney.com to see if
they are among the 1 in 10 Missourians who has unclaimed property waiting to be
claimed. Treasurer
Fitzpatrick was sworn-in as Missouri’s 47th state treasurer on
January 14, 2019. ###