There will be no column next week due to the legislative spring recess at the Capitol.

On Monday, March 10, the Senate Appropriations Committee reviewed budgets for both capital improvements and mental health. The committee also heard from the Department of Mental Health on Tuesday, March 11. The committee also approved House Bill 2014, the supplemental budget bill.

Senate Bill 843 was heard in the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. If approved, the legislation would modify the provisions of the Missouri Sunshine Law.

The Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and Environment Committee conducted a hearing on Senate Bill 861 on Tuesday. The legislation would establish certain protections and remedies for consumers who purchase new motorcycles.

Senate Bill 820 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 in which the manufacturer is required to deposit money from the sale of cigarettes. The bill received a hearing on Wednesday, March 12, in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Education Committee heard Senate Bill 887 on Wednesday. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to annually report the institution’s administrative costs as a percentage of its operating budget.

I was happy to meet with the Columbia Police Officers’ Association on Tuesday. Thank you for stopping by my office!

Also on Tuesday, I was honored to recognize Engineering Royalty students from the University of Missouri on the Senate floor for their achievements and contributions to the field of engineering. This week, the College of Engineering celebrating the 111th annual Engineer’s Week, or “E-Week.”

Multiple groups were in the Capitol on Wednesday, March 12, during their lobby days. I would like to thank Parents as Teachers and the Missouri Association of County Clerks for stopping by my office and participating in the legislative process. Additionally, thank you to students from around the state who were in the Capitol rotunda to celebrate Fine Arts Education Day. I thoroughly enjoyed the impressive exhibits, and wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors.

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, has been second read in the House. Representative Kevin Austin is handling the bill in the House for me.
  
  
• 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 last week and awaits 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, was heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, 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. The bill was voted do pass and awaits possible debate on the Senate floor.
  
  
• Senate Bill 843, which modifies provisions of the Missouri Sunshine Law, was referred to the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. A hearing was held 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 heard in the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee on Tuesday, March 11, and awaits a final vote to proceed to the floor for possible debate.
  
  
• 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 heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 12.
  
  
• 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 was heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 12 and is currently in the House General Laws Committee.  Representative John Diehl is handling 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.

• House Bill 2014, the supplemental budget bill, was reported to the Senate on Wednesday, March 12, and is on the calendar for House Bills on third reading.

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...?

Sam (1918 - 1992) and Bud (1921 - 1995) Walton attended David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo., where they quickly made friends. Both boys participated in sports and served in student government. Sam was quarterback of the football team, and Bud played basketball. During his senior year, Sam was elected student body president and named “Most Versatile Boy.” Bud was chosen by his fellow students to be senior class president. When he was not at school, Sam delivered newspapers and worked in a dime store. 

Later in life, the brothers became successful retail executives. Together they founded Wal-Mart, which began as a small chain of discount stores in the United States, but quickly expanded worldwide. Building upon their early success with Wal-Mart, the Walton brothers founded Sam’s Club.