Missouri senators returned to Jefferson City this week after concluding their annual mid-session recess. Before adjourning for the week, lawmakers gave their final approval to 10 bills, sending them to the House for its consideration.

Sponsored by the Senate President Pro Tem, SB 755 would make it a crime to disturb a house of worship if a person intentionally and unreasonably disturbs a building used for religious purposes by using profanity, rude or indecent behavior, or making noise within the house of worship or so close to the building that the services are disturbed. The bill is designed to allow Missourians to worship in peace.

To protect Missouri seniors and citizens with disabilities from abuse, SB 689 would criminalize the “undue influence” of a senior or disabled citizen — undue influence is described as a crime of financial exploitation committed against an elderly or disabled person by taking advantage of the individual’s vulnerable state of mind, neediness, pain or agony.

To promote safety for Missouri workers, SB 769, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, would require certain safety markings on anemometer towers (wind speed testing towers) that are located outside of city limits and at least 50 feet tall. Requirements would include:

• The top third of any such tower must be striped orange and white;
• Each outside guy wire must have two attached marker balls;
• The vegetation around guy wire anchor points must contrast with surrounding vegetation; and
• Guy wires must have safety sleeves.

Sponsored by Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, SB 557 would not require owners of certain rebuilt salvage vehicles who submit these vehicles to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for examination in order to obtain a certificate of ownership to repair or restore these vehicles to their original appearance in order to pass or complete the vehicle examination.

Senate Bill 714 would allow recreational off-highway vehicles to be operated on highways, as long as such vehicles are:

• Government-owned and operated for official use;
• Operated for agricultural purposes or industrial on-premise purposes between sunrise and sunset;
• Operated within three miles of the operator’s primary residence; or
• Operated occasionally by handicapped individuals for short distances only on Missouri’s secondary roads between sunrise and sunset, among other exceptions.

Sponsored by Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, SB 667 would authorize the establishment of a peer review process for architects, landscape architects, professional land surveyors, and professional engineers. Third-party peer reviewers and any post-project completion peer reviewers would be granted immunity from civil liability for their actions if they are reasonably related to the peer review process, in good faith, and without malice.

Senate Bill 626, sponsored by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, states that the liability of a manufacturer or remanufacturer will terminate if a product is materially altered by a person not in the business of selling the product or using it as a component. The legislation does not apply to actions arising out of a defective or unsafe condition of any improvement to real property.

Additional bills sent to the Missouri House this week include:

• Senate Bill 620, which would amend a section in state statute to allow life insurers licensed in Missouri to write limited amounts of non-life business, subject to specified limitations, outside of the United States.
• Senate Bill 767, et all, is an omnibus transportation measure that would designate several highways and bridges and create or modify several special license plates in Missouri, including the Navy Cross, Breast Cancer Awareness, Missouri Junior Gold Foundation and the “I Have A Dream” special license plates.
• Senate Bill 633, which would allow a scrap metal operator, under certain circumstances, to purchase older, inoperable motor vehicles or vehicle parts without receiving a title.

Senate Bills Receive Debate in the Upper Chamber

Missouri senators considered several bills this week, which may receive further debate at a later date.

Sponsored by Sen. Luann Ridgeway, R-Smithville, SB 650 would require Senate approval for gubernatorial appointments to certain boards, commissions, and committees. Panels that would need Senate approval under this legislation include the Missouri Pet Spay/Neuter Fund Board, the Missouri Health Insurance Pool, the Missouri State Employees Retirement System Board, and the Governor's Council on Disability, among others.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from March 22, which highlights the debate on SB 650. Senators featured in this report include Sen. Ridgeway and Sen. Timothy Green, D-Spanish Lake.

Designed to provide additional safety to lawmakers, Capitol staff, and visitors to the State Capitol building, SB 744 would require camera surveillance of public spaces within the State Capitol building and authorize private security within the building. The Office of Administration would establish and maintain the video system, which would be available to Missouri Capitol police officers.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from March 21, which features debate on SB 744. Senator Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, and Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, are included in the report.

Senate Bill 743, sponsored by Sen. Brown, would exempt motorcyclists who are 21 years of age and older from wearing a helmet when operating a motorcycle. Proponents indicate it is a personal liberty issue, while opponents of the bill argue it would decrease safety on the roadways and push medical costs for motorcycle accidents on other citizens.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from March 20, which highlights debate on SB 743. Included in this report are Sen. Brown and Sen. Justus.

Sponsored by Sen. Crowell, SB 693 would prohibit any state agency from printing a calendar for distribution to the employees of the agency, members of the General Assembly, statewide elected officials, or any other private or public entity or person. The measure is designed to help manage budgets more effectively.

Senate Committee Considers Legislation Regarding Campaign Contribution Limits

On Tuesday, March 20, the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee assembled to consider SB 546, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield.

The legislation would impose contribution limits for individuals and committees in support of candidates running for public office. Surcharges would be imposed upon committees that accept or give contributions exceeding the limits.

Contribution limits for such offices would include:

• $2,500 for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, or attorney general.
• $1,000 for senators.
• $500 for representatives.

Click here to watch “Daily Audio and Video Clips” from March 20, which feature postings from the committee hearing. Lawmakers included in these clips are Sen. Purgason and Sen. Justus.

Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Sent to the Senate

On Thursday, March 22, the House sent the 13 budget bills making up the state’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2013 to the Missouri Senate for its consideration. These bills total $24 billion, allocated for Missouri’s programs and departments that run critical functions of the state for FY 2013, which will run through July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013.

The Senate Appropriations Committee began to evaluate figures and listen to testimony regarding the budget in January. Panel members will now begin the task of considering these 13 budget bills before the legislation moves to the full Senate for debate.

Lawmakers are required to have the budget delivered to the governor by 6 p.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from March 13, which features a report on the FY 2013 budget. Lawmakers in this report include Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, and Sen. Green.

The Missouri Senate stands adjourned until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 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, and, 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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