Bills continue to make their way to the floor while the Senate sends more legislation to the House for consideration this week.

To put the matter of a health insurance exchange in the people’s hands, SB 464, sponsored by Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, would prohibit the establishment, creation, or operation of a state-based health insurance exchange, unless the Legislature or an act of the people, such as an initiative petition or referendum, created it. The act specifically prohibits the governor from establishing an exchange by executive order.

In addition, SB 464 would allow qualified Missouri taxpayers to file suit against the state or any state department or agency that violates this law. Senator Schaaf’s bill was approved by the Senate on Thursday, Feb. 2. If approved by the General Assembly, the act would be submitted to the voters for their approval in November 2012.

Click here to watch/listen to “Daily Audio and Video Clips” from Feb. 2. The posting features Sen. Schaaf discussing SB 464 on the Senate floor.

Several bills were brought up for consideration in the Senate this week, including SB 592, sponsored by Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, which would modify the law relating to the Missouri Human Rights Act and employment discrimination, mirroring the federal anti-discrimination law.

Currently, under the Missouri Human Rights Act, a practice is considered unlawful when the action is a “contributing factor” in the decision to discriminate. Senate Bill 592 would alter this provision to a “motivating factor.” The act would also alter the outline of who is liable for discriminatory practices.

In addition, the act abrogates, or abolishes, all Missouri case law relating to the public policy exceptions to the employment at-will doctrine. Employers would not be allowed to discharge people who:

• Report an unlawful act of the employer or its agent to governmental or law enforcement agencies, officer, or the employee's human resources representative employed by the employer;
• Report serious misconduct of the employer or its agent that violates a clear mandate of public policy;
• Refuse to carry out a directive issued by an employer or its agent that, if completed, would be a violation of the law; or
• Engage in conduct otherwise protected by statute or regulation.

Senate Bill 592 received initial approval by the Senate. A final passing vote would send the measure over to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from Feb. 2, which features a report on SB 592.  Featured in this report are Sen. Schaaf and Senate Minority Floor Leader Victor Callahan, D-Independence.

Senate Committees Consider Numerous Bills

The Senate General Laws Committee, chaired by Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, considered several bills on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Among those measures was one of Sen. Cunningham’s bills, SB 451. The legislation would establish the “Sharing of Services and Increasing Efficiencies Act,” which would allow two or more learning institutions to work together and share recourses, with a goal of reducing costs and providing children with a quality education.

The committee also heard two bills sponsored by Sen. Callahan. Senate Bill 434 would modify procedures for changes in school district boundary lines, including the effective date of a boundary line change. Instead of the change taking effect from the date of the election, the change would be effective at the beginning date of the next school year.

Senate Bill 581 also pertains to school district boundary lines, and addresses school accreditation and the employment of retired teachers under certain circumstances. Under the act, current members of the Kansas City Public School Retirement System who become employed in a contract portion of the Kansas City School District would remain members of the system. In addition, any employee currently a member of the Public School Retirement System of Missouri who becomes employed in a contract portion of the district would remain a member of that system.  

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from Feb. 1, which highlights the General Laws Committee hearing. Featured in this report are Sen. Cunningham and Sen. Callahan.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Senate Transportation Committee considered measures relating to billboards, traffic signals, and license plates.

Sponsored by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, SB 607 would establish procedure for resetting billboards during periods of highway construction.

Addressing the timing of traffic signals, SB 611, sponsored by Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis, would require the Missouri Department of Transportation to establish minimal yellow light change interval times for traffic-control devices. The minimal yellow light change interval time would be established in accordance with nationally recognized engineering standards set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and any such established time cannot be less than the recognized national standard.

Senate Bill 570, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, would require only one license plate to be issued for all motor vehicles, instead of two license plates, unless the registered owner is eligible to receive a second plate (property-carrying commercial motor vehicle applicants can request two plates).

Senate Bills Introduced in the Upper Chamber

Several measures were introduced in the Missouri Senate this week.

• As numerous mountain lions have been spotted in Missouri, SB 738, sponsored by Sen. Stouffer, would allow any person to kill one of these wild animals in the state. The killing of a mountain lion would need to be reported to the Department of Conservation and the animal's body must be turned in to the Department within 24 hours.
• Sponsored by Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, SB 739 would grant authority to administrative hearing officers from the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) to set aside or correct administrative child support decisions or orders and proposed administrative modifications of a judicial order.  
• Senate Bill 744, sponsored by Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis, would require video surveillance cameras to be present in public spaces within the State Capitol, and authorizes private security within the building. 
• Sponsored by Sen. Lembke, SB 745 would provide protections for Alternatives to Abortion Agencies to freely engage in religious practices. The act specifically states, “…the constitutions and laws of the United States and the state of Missouri shall be interpreted, construed, applied, and enforced to fully protect the rights of an alternatives-to-abortion agency and its officers, agents, employees and volunteers to freely assemble and to freely engage in religious practices and speech without governmental interference.”

The Missouri Senate is scheduled to reconvene at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6. The Second Regular Session of the 96th General Assembly runs through Friday, May 18, 2012.

For a complete list of bills filed this session, please visit the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov and click on “List of 2012 Senate Bills” under the Legislation tab.

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.

Throughout session, you can also utilize the Missouri Senate website to follow the Senate’s legislative accomplishments. On the left-hand side of the screen is a window that states the meeting status of the Senate. You can also listen to live debate, follow dates of committee hearings on the hearing calendar, and view the Senate Journal to keep up with the upper chamber’s work.

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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