Senator Kurt Schaefer with Mizzou Coach Gary Pinkel, who won his 102nd game at the University of Missouri this season, the most of any coach in the school’s football program’s history. Congratulations Coach Pinkel!

The Missouri Senate was not in session Monday due to inclement weather.

This week the Senate Appropriations Committee heard the funding needs for the Department of Social Services on Tuesday, March 4, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday, March 5.

Tuesday was Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol. Forty-three undergraduate students representing Missouri campuses were in the rotunda with their research displays. I was privileged to present five students from the University of Missouri with Senate resolutions. Thank you for sharing your research. I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors.

On Wednesday, Senate Bill 821, which adds a motorcycle registration surcharge of five dollars to be deposited in the motorcycle safety trust fund, was heard in Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
I had the opportunity to sponsor the gubernatorial appointments of two District 19 residents Wednesday morning. Alyson Speed was appointed to the Missouri State Board of Nursing and Cynthia Parks was reappointed to the State Historical Records Advisory Board. Thank you both for your service.
The University of Missouri football team was in the Capitol on Wednesday. Coach Gary Pinkel, Athletic Director Mike Alden, and Chancellor Bowen Loftin were in attendance with the team.

On Wednesday, March 5, Sen. Kurt Schaefer introduced Dr. Sohl and her students from the University of Missouri-Columbia Medical School on the Senate floor.
Sen. Kurt Schaefer met with Connor Squellati, an eighth grader from Gentry Middle School, during his visit to the Capitol on Wednesday, March 5.

The Tigers completed an outstanding season, becoming SEC East Champions in only their second season in the conference. They continued on to the Cotton Bowl with a win over Oklahoma State. This season, the University of Missouri became the only BCS School since 2007 to be in the top 10 in wins; top five in NFL First Round Draft Picks; top five in APR Rate; and the top APR Football Team in the SEC, graduating 97 percent of our seniors.

To view a video of me introducing the Tigers’ football team, click here or visit my multimedia page at www.senate.mo.gov/schaefer.

On Wednesday, I also had the opportunity to introduce Dr. Sohl and her students from the University of Missouri-Columbia medical school.  This group of pediatricians and students was here to support child health issues as part of the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Annual Child Health Advocacy Day. I also introduced on the floor Paige Willits from Sturgeon RV Elementary and appointed her Honorary Page of the Day in the Senate.

The hallways were very busy this week in the Missouri Capitol. I would like to thank the groups who stopped by my office: Missouri Veterinarians; Music Therapists; Eye Physicians; Dermatologists, including Dr. Cayce from Columbia; and the countless doctors and medical students in the building for White Coat Day. I appreciate your service and voice in the legislative process.

Connor Squellati, an eighth grader at Gentry Middle School, stopped by my office Wednesday. Connor, thank you for visiting with me regarding health care issues.

The status of my sponsored legislation for the 2014 session is as follows:

• Senate Bill 498, which would require health insurance navigators to be bonded and create a private cause of action against navigators for the unlawful release of information, was perfected and approved by the Senate on Thursday. The bill awaits referral to a House committee.
  
  
• Senate Bill 696, which increases the penalties and driver’s license suspension periods for those who fail to yield the right-of-way in certain instances, was heard in the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and possible debate on the Senate floor.
  
  
• Senate Bill 697, which allows the Department of Revenue to disclose the annual number of cigarettes sales by the tobacco manufacturer, was second read and referred to the Appropriations Committee.  A hearing was held on the bill on Monday, Feb. 10. 

Currently, the Department of Revenue is prohibited from disclosing information relating to a person's tax return, with certain exceptions under Section 32.057, RSMo. This legislation opens the confidentiality section and creates an exception allowing the Department of Revenue to disclose to the public the annual cigarette sales by a tobacco product manufacturer.

The legislation would provide government transparency and availability of data that is otherwise difficult to obtain and readily assemble. Existence of public information may provide state legislators with insight on growth or decline in the state smoking population and its potential effect on future state revenues.

• Senate Bill 733, which reduces the rate of tax on personal income over a period of five years, was heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, Feb. 13.

• Senate Bill 756, which would modify the elementary and secondary education funding formula by adding an additional weight for gifted education, was referred to the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 6.
  
  
• Senate Bill 762, which defines automobile event data recorder and limits the release of data collected to five circumstances, was passed by Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It awaits possible debate on the Senate floor.  
  
  
• Currently, trustees of a county hospital formed under Chapter 205 are prohibited from providing health care services or entering into partnerships with other local or county hospitals if such adjoining or nearby counties also have a county hospital.  Under Senate Bill 763, so long as the trustees of such county hospitals provide consent, county hospitals in Boone and Cooper counties shall be allowed to provide such health care services or enter into such partnerships.  The bill awaits a hearing in the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee.
  
  
• Senate Bill 820, which modifies the formula for determining how much money a tobacco product manufacturer that does not participate in the Master Settlement Agreement will receive back from the escrow fund when the manufacturer is required to deposit money from the sale of cigarettes, is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 12.
  
  
• Senate Bill 821, which adds a motorcycle registration surcharge of $5 to be deposited in the motorcycle safety trust fund, was heard in the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, March 5.
  
  
• Senate Bill 843, which modifies provisions of the Missouri Sunshine Law, was referred to the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. A hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 10.
  
  
• Senate Bill 855, which allows fire protection district boards to meet without public notice in order to authorize the disbursement of funds for the deployment of certain emergency task forces, was referred to the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee.
   
  
• Senate Bill 861, which establishes certain protections and remedies for consumers who purchase new motorcycles, was referred to the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee on Thursday, Feb. 27, and awaits a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 886, which provides civil actions between a landlord and a tenant are appealable, was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Thursday, March 6.
  
  
• Senate Bill 887, which requires each public institution of higher education to annually report the institution’s administrative costs as a percent of its operating budget, was referred to the Senate Education Committee and awaits a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 898, which allows the Department of Corrections to determine the manner of executions rather than requiring executions be by lethal gas or injection, was referred to the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Thursday, March 6.
  
  
• Senate Bill 908, which modifies the composition of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, was referred to the Education Committee on Thursday, March 6.
  
  
• Senate Bill 936, which allows Boone County to adopt, by order or ordinance; regulations to control the minimum standards of occupancy for residential units rented or leased and in additional develop a program for licensing and inspecting the units, was introduced on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
  
  
• Senate Bill 937, which allows the county counselor of Boone County to receive $15,000 for duties relating to mental health and mental health facility and an additional amount not to exceed $15,000 for investigative and clerical personnel assisting with such duties, was filed on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
  
  
• Senate Bill 980, which relates to rehiring retired state employees, was first read on Thursday, Feb. 27, and awaits referral to a committee.
  
  
• Senate Bill 981, which relates to state contracting, was first read on Thursday, Feb. 27, and awaits referral to committee.
  
  
• Senate Bill 982, which relates to penalties for sex offenses, was first read on Thursday, Feb. 27, and awaits committee referral.

• Senate Joint Resolution 36, which modifies constitutional provisions regarding the right to keep and bear arms, was voted and passed by the Senate on Thursday, Feb. 20. The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee for hearing.  Representative John Diehl will handle this bill for me in the House.

• Senate Joint Resolution 44 is a constitutional amendment that, if approved by the voters, would require any revenue received by the state in a fiscal year in excess of the amount appropriated for such fiscal year shall be returned to taxpayers in the form of a refundable tax credit.  The bill was heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, Feb. 13, and awaits placement on the Senate calendar.

Thank you for your interest in the issues that affect the citizens of Boone and Cooper counties.  If you have any questions or concerns throughout this session, or plan on coming by the Capitol, please contact my office at (573) 751-3931.

Did you know...?

Phoebe Wilson Couzins (1842-1913) was an early trailblazer for women. She was one of the first female lawyers in the United States, the first female U.S. marshal, and an outspoken supporter of women’s right to vote. 

Couzins was born on Sept. 8, 1842, to John E. D. and Adaline Weston Couzins in St. Louis.  Upon graduating from law school in 1871, Couzins became the first female law graduate of Washington University and one of the earliest female law graduates in the country.

After passing the bar exam, Couzins practiced law for two months before devoting herself to the women’s suffrage movement. She began traveling across the country to give speeches in favor of women’s rights.

In 1884, when Couzins’ father was appointed U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri, he made her one of his deputies. After her father’s death in 1887, Couzins was appointed interim U.S. marshal by President Grover Cleveland, making her the first woman to serve in that position. 

She returned to St. Louis, where she died on Dec. 6, 1913. Couzins was buried wearing her U.S. marshal’s badge in Bellefontaine Cemetery. Her grave remained unmarked until 1950, when members of the Women’s Bar Association of St. Louis placed a headstone on her final resting place in memory of her accomplishments.