The Missouri Senate will stand in recess next week for its annual spring break, marking the halfway point for the session. When we return, we’ll have until May 17 to finish our work in Jefferson City for the year. The Senate has made a lot of progress addressing some of the state’s larger issues this session, including tax credit reform, the insolvent Second Injury Fund and unaccredited school districts. We have passed approximately 60 measures this year, a significant increase from years past and a testament to the air of compromise embraced by this year’s General Assembly.

This week, we sent two measures to the governor’s desk, the first bills to receive final approval from both chambers for the 2013 session. Senate Bill 20, which I co-sponsored, renews and extends the sunset on a number of benevolent tax credit programs, including the Food Pantry Tax Credit and the Pregnancy Resource Tax Credit. These programs play an important role in helping charities and non-profit organizations provide critical services to Missouri families. I was happy that this bill was one of the first to pass the Legislature this year. It contains an emergency clause, so it will go into effect upon the governor’s signature.

The Legislature also gave final approval to Senate Bill 10, which creates a tax incentive to help attract amateur sporting events, such as college sports championships and Olympic trials, to the state. The credit is based on the number of tickets sold, allowing communities across Missouri, both large and small, to utilize the incentive.

In other news, Senate Bill 188 was approved by the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. The bill requires the local prosecutor to receive a copy of the petition for the conditional release of a sexually violent predator in his or her jurisdiction. A number of officials and law enforcement personnel are already notified when sexually violent offenders are released; this would simply add local prosecuting attorneys to the list.  The bill now awaits debate on the Senate floor.

In addition, Senate Bill 317 was heard by the Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee on Tuesday. The bill allows motorists to provide proof of financial responsibility insurance with mobile electronic devices. In 2012, five states made the change to allow electronic proof of insurance. This year, 22 states, including Missouri, will consider similar legislation. The bill simply modernizes state regulations and procedures to reflect our increasingly paperless world. It also increases efficiency in the system, which is a goal we should always be striving towards. 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate approved a measure to name the new Mississippi River Bridge after Stan “The Man” Musial. As I’ve written about in the past, I’ve worked this session to see Andy Gammon, a carpenter who lost his life while working on the bridge, honored as well. It would have been wonderful to name the bridge after Andy, but that designation is ultimately up to the federal government. Instead, we passed legislation earlier this month to name the section of I-70 leading up to and running across the bridge after Andy, which falls within the authority of the Missouri Legislature. I’m glad that we chose this route. No matter what the federal government decides regarding the bridge, Andy will be honored.

Contact Me