JEFFERSON CITY — Safety was a primary concern this week as lawmakers adjourned early to prepare for a historic winter storm that affected more than half the states in the nation.

Before the ice and snow made its way into mid Missouri, a few committees were able to meet on Monday (1-31) to consider several Senate bills.  During the Senate Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee, members heard testimony on several Senate bills.  One of those measures, Senate Bill 84, sponsored by Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis, would modify state law relating to voter registration and election offenses. 

More specifically, any person who requests 50 or more voter registration applications, who is not a deputy registration official, must be at least 18 years old and file their name, address, telephone number, whether they are making the request on behalf of a group or organization, and a description of each group or organization for which the request is made with the Missouri Secretary of State.

In addition, Senate Bill 84 would make it a Class I election offense and Class B felony for anyone who knowingly signs a name other than his or her own to a voter registration application.  Also, individuals who knowingly provide false identification to an election official in order to cast a ballot would be guilty of a Class B felony.  The same punishment would be given to those who willfully and falsely complete any certificate, affidavit, or ballot of another individual in relation to absentee ballots.

Members of the Senate Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee also approved several measures, including Senate Joint Resolutions 2 and 9, sponsored by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, and Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, respectively.  These resolutions would bring a constitutional amendment before Missouri voters that would require an individual at the polls wanting to vote in an election to identify him or herself as a U.S. citizens and a resident of the state by producing a valid, government-issued photo ID. 

The committee also voted out Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Stouffer.  This act, which would only take effect upon the passage and approval of a constitutional amendment submitted to Missouri voters regarding the authorization of photo ID for elections, would establish identification requirements for voting.  All three measures now head to the full Senate for debate.

Also on Monday, the upper chamber gave its final approval to Senate Bill 68, a measure sponsored by Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter.  Currently, subpoenas for witnesses issued at the request of a member of the General Assembly are issued by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House.  This bill would require subpoenas be issued by the Senate President Pro Tem or the Speaker of the House.  Senate Bill 68 would also authorize the issuance of subpoenas for the production of records.  The measure now moves to the House of Representatives for similar consideration.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” for Feb. 3, 2011.  This program features audio from Sen. Mayer on SB 68, and Sen. Wright-Jones on SB 84.

On Tuesday (2-1), the Senate gave its first-round approval to a measure that would prohibit all drivers, regardless of age, from texting while driving.  Currently, drivers who are 21 or younger are prohibited from text messaging while operating a motor vehicle.  Senate Bill 11, sponsored by Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, would ban this act universally.  Individuals using hand-held mobile phones that have voice-operated or hands-free devices to send text messages are exempt from this ban.

In 2009, the General Assembly passed omnibus crime legislation, House Bill 62, which created a primary enforcement ban on text messaging for those 21 and younger.

The Senate Daily Audio/Video Clips page features floor debate from Sen. McKenna; Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield; and Sen. Timothy Green, D-Spanish Lake, on SB 11.  Click here to listen to or watch the streaming files.  (Note: The clips mentioned above are only available for current legislative week.)

Also, the Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee gave its approval to two measures: Senate Bill 18 and 19.  Senate Bill 18 limits the amount of corporate franchise taxes a corporation must pay to no more than $2 million annually for all tax years, beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2011.  Senate Bill 19 goes one step further by phasing out the corporate franchise tax over a five-year period.  Both bills, sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, now head to the Senate floor for debate.

Before lawmakers adjourned for the week, Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, sponsored by Sen. Luann Ridgeway, R-Smithville, received final passage in the Legislature. The concurrent resolution disapproves a final order of rule making by the Public Service Commission with regards to the Electric Utility Renewable Energy Standard Requirements.

Several Senate committees that were cancelled this week have already been rescheduled for the week of Feb. 7.  To see a list of these committee meetings, visit www.senate.mo.gov and click on the “Senate” link under the “Hearings” tab on the right-hand side of the page.

The Missouri Senate will reconvene at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7. 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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