JEFFERSON CITY — In the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 17, the full Senate reconvened to discuss Missouri’s 2012 presidential primary, listed under HB 3 and handled by Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, as well as SB 8, sponsored by Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter.

House Bill 3, introduced in the chamber across the building on the first day of session, would move Missouri’s 2012 presidential primary from February to March, in order to abide by regulations established by the national political parties. Parties in each state were to craft necessary changes outlined by their respective national party conventions by Oct. 1, so that the delegate count would not be compromised and the presidential selection schedule would not be disturbed. In conclusion, the Missouri Democratic Party took no action on the primary issue and the Missouri Republican Party decided to use a caucus system for its 2012 presidential delegates, making some question the necessity of next year’s primary.

A Senate substitute to HB 3 was offered by Sen. Engler to abolish the presidential primary for 2012 and resume the election again in 2016. However, it was defeated by a vote of 16-16. Missouri’s primary will take place as scheduled on Feb. 7, 2012.

Senate Bill 8, one of the measures that took center stage during the First Extraordinary Session of the 96th General Assembly, was designed to spur economic development in Missouri and conduct modifications to the state’s tax credit programs. Senator Mayer’s legislation was passed in the Senate on Sept. 14, with an emergency clause.

When the measure went to the House for debate, several amendments were proposed and adopted, changing the Senate’s provisions previously approved by lawmakers in the upper chamber.

Lawmakers in the Senate wanted sunsets on numerous tax credit programs, particularly low-income housing and historic preservation programs, among other provisions, which did not appear in the version of the bill passed by the House. As a result, the Senate acted on a motion to have the House consider its version of the economic development legislation.

In addition to establishing sunsets on tax credit programs, the Senate version of SB 8 would:

• Establish the “Compete Missouri Program,” which would combine several existing business incentive programs and provide tax incentives for job creation and retention, as well as capital investment.

• Support the creation of an international trade hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

• Provide incentives to attract amateur sporting events to the state.

• Save Missouri taxpayers nearly $1 billion over the next 15 years.

The Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 12 p.m.

Constitutionally, the Legislature may continue special session until Nov. 5 — 60 days after the start of special session on Sept. 6. However, as a result of a resolution between both chambers that could not come to pass, it’s the Senate Leader’s intention that the Senate adjourn special session sine die next week, meaning special session would come to a close.

To listen to lawmaker’s work regarding SB 8 and HB 3, please listen to the “Senate Minute” for Oct. 18, and “This Week in the Missouri Senate” from Oct. 20. Featured in these reports are Sen. Mayer; Sen. Engler; Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City; Sen. Timothy Green, D-Spanish Lake; and Senate Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles.  

You can also watch/listen to various Audio/Video clips from Oct. 18, which highlights senators’ recent work on the special session measures.

Governor Signs Special Session Legislation

On Friday, Oct. 21, the governor signed two measures passed by the Legislature during special session — SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, and SB 7, sponsored by Sen. Mayer.

Senator Cunningham’s measure repeals a provision found in SB 54 (passed by the Legislature during the 2011 regular session) that put restrictions on communication between public school students and school district employees.

Senate Bill 1 states that school districts are required to submit a written policy regarding student-employee communication by March 1, 2012. Each district must include its position on the use of electronic media and the Internet, with the objective to prevent inappropriate communications from occurring between students and school employees.

The bill was sent to the governor for his stamp of approval on Oct. 6.

Another measure signed by the governor on Oct. 21 was SB 7. The bill establishes the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act, also known as MOSIRA.

Senator Mayer’s legislation encourages economic growth in Missouri by attracting jobs for high-tech areas of science and innovation industries — particularly the ever-evolving fields of biotechnology and life sciences.

MOSIRA creates a funding source for these fields of interest by capturing a small percentage of growth in state revenue over a base year from a designated group of science and innovation companies in the state. Money generated through this funding source will go into the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Fund, crafted to draw in more high-tech jobs to Missouri. Funding for this credit will be subject to appropriations.

Although SB 7 contains a clause stating that it would only take effect upon the approval of SB 8, the measure may soon be in the hands of the Missouri courts, which have the power to void or alter the notion, as has been done before in past legislation containing contingency clauses.

With his signature, SB 1 and SB 7 will take effect in 90 days after adjournment of special session. 

Click here to listen to “This Week in the Missouri Senate” from Sept. 23, which features a report of both measures receiving the approval of the Legislature. Lawmakers featured in this report include Sen. Mayer; Senate Minority Floor Leader Victor Callahan, D-Independence; and Sen. Dempsey.

For more information about special session legislation, visit the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov and click on “Special Session Information” under the “Legislation” tab at the top of the page.

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:  

• Missouri Legislative Update (MLU) – A video program produced periodically throughout the year that provides an overview of the news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missourians.

• Capital Dialogue – Missourinet's Bob Priddy hosts this monthly half-hour roundtable program bringing legislators together from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives from different political parties to discuss their positions on specific issues and legislation.

• This Week in the Missouri Senate – A weekly five-minute audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate. Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format.

• Senate Minute – A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news. Programs are posted in .mp3 format and are available through podcast.

• Daily Audio / Video Clips – Throughout the year, the Senate Newsroom posts broadcast-quality audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.  Please note: Clips linked to this Capitol Briefing are only available for the legislative week referenced in the publication.

• Daily News Clips – The Senate Newsroom compiles daily news clips from various print and online publications that cover issues relating to the Legislature and state government. An archive of past clips is maintained online and is offered as a subscription service.

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