JEFFERSON CITY — Several Senate committees held their first meetings of the 2011 legislative session this week.  Among those was the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia.  Committee members heard public testimony from various state departments, including Social Services; Mental Health; Health and Senior Services; Judiciary; Public Safety; Corrections; Elementary and Secondary Education; Transportation; Economic Development; Revenue; Office of Administration; Higher Education; Conservation; Agriculture; Natural Resources; Labor and Industrial Relations; and Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration. 

The panel also heard an overview of the governor’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget recommendations, which he delivered during his annual State of the State address on Jan. 19.  The committee will continue to consider public testimony until members of the Legislature debate the budget measures on the floor of their respective chambers.  The FY 2012 state budget must be approved by the General Assembly by 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 6.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute.”  This program highlights the Senate Appropriations Committee’s first meeting of the 2011 legislative session.

The Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee also met this week to hear testimony on Senate Resolution 27, sponsored by Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield.  The resolution urges Missouri’s Attorney General to file an independent lawsuit, join the state’s lieutenant governor’s lawsuit or join the other state attorneys general from across the country in challenging the constitutionality of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”

The resolution was voted out of committee, moving the measure to the full Senate for debate.  After discussion from legislators on both sides of the aisle, the resolution was approved.  Resolutions are nonbinding measures that formally express the will, wish or direction of one or both chambers in the Legislature.  Senate Resolution 27 does not require action from the House of Representatives.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute,” featuring debate on SR 27.

Senate Transportation Committee members held a meeting to consider several measures ranging from texting while driving to motor vehicle inspections.

• Senate Bill 11 – Sponsored by Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, the measure would prohibit all drivers, regardless of age, from text messaging while operating a motor vehicle.
• Senate Bill 45 – This legislation would require official motor vehicle inspection and emission stations to have liability insurance to cover any possible damages to a vehicle during an inspection.  The bill is sponsored by Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis.
• Senate Bill 33 – Sponsored by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, the bill would repeal a provision of law that requires the Missouri Department of Transportation to submit to binding arbitration in negligence actions.
• Senate Bill 28 – The measure would exempt motorcyclists age 21 and older from wearing a helmet when operating a motorcycle or motortricycle.  Senator Dan Brown, R-Rolla, is sponsoring the legislation.

Click here to listen to audio from “The Senate Minute,” which features several measures considered by the Senate Transportation Committee.

Last week’s “Rebooting Government” work groups prepared their panels’ recommendations and presented their findings to Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter, and other members of the Senate this week.

Presentations included information on how the state can reduce costs for certain programs and departments, focusing in the areas of education; social programs; general government and the Office of Administration; agriculture, outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources, and transportation; courts, corrections, and the Department of Public Safety; and tax structure.

To see a PowerPoint presentation or listen to the complete audio of the Rebooting Government recommendations for 2011, visit www.senate.mo.gov/RebootMO. 

Click here to read a press release from the Missouri Senate titled “’Rebooting Government’ Work Groups Present Their Recommendations.”

The Missouri Senate will reconvene at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24. The First Regular Session of the 96th General Assembly runs through Friday, May 13, 2011.

This update is written monthly during the interim. To follow these and other issues facing the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation as it passes through the General Assembly, learn more about their district, or, when the Legislature is in session, listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens. For more legislative news, please visit the Senate Newsroom. There you will find various audio and video programs and other services, such as:

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