Owen won his race in 1980 and served for one term from 1981 to 1982. During that time, he served on the House Banking Committee and hopes he will serve on the committee again in the upcoming session.
Because this is Owen’s second stint in the House, he considers himself more of “sophomore” legislator rather than a “freshman.” He’s ready to hit the ground running. An area that intrigues him is the state budget.
“Te state budget was $4 billion in 1982,” he said. “Now, it’s $34 billion.”
Owen wonders if the state is “still spending in the most judicious manner possible” and intends to examine balance sheets and department audits.
“It’s natural for a banker to dig into the details and the numbers,” he said.
It’s that kind of expertise Owen intends to share with his colleagues. Another area of interest is legislation debated in the previous session — the Property Assessed Clean Energy program.
PACE is a financing mechanism for energy efficiency projects, typically insulation, windows, HVAC systems or solar panels, that is paid back through an additional assessment added to the property tax bill. Current state law on PACE is vague and lacks necessary protections for homeowners who may not understand the potential implications of financing a project through a property tax assessment. Te financing is oſten offered by contractors doing the work, which can lead to bad actors taking advantage of consumers in difficult situations.
Bill Owen, State Representative-Elect
“When you fully explain the PACE process and the negative implications to individuals, the light goes on because they get it,” Owen said.
He said it’s important for bankers to communicate issues affecting their
customers and their communities with their state lawmakers.
“We all can’t be experts at everything,” Owen said. “Your opinion has value and makes a real impact when it’s your area of expertise.”
(continued on page 16) THE MISSOURI BANKER 15
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