General Column – November 2008
Bill Pre-Filing to Begin Next Week
Joint Interim Committee on Voice Communications Regulations, Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight and Joint Committee on Tax Policy Meet
Jefferson City — Missouri senators will begin pre-filing their high-priority legislation on Monday, Dec. 1, and will continue to pre-file bills up until the first day of the 2009 legislative session on January 7. Bills filed during the pre-filing period will be automatically introduced and read for the first time on the opening day of the session.
This month the Joint Interim Committee on Voice Communications Regulations met (11/13) in the Capitol to hear testimony from telecommunications experts and the public about making possible changes in how the voice communications industry is regulated in Missouri. The committee was created to study the industry after the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 30 during the 2008 legislative session, with the eventual purpose of making recommendations that will help protect Missouri consumers while providing them with more choices.
One of the primary issues lawmakers are wrestling with is inter-carrier charges, which occur mostly in rural areas where one carrier handles a long-distance call for another carrier. Some carriers, especially smaller companies, are considering passing the fees off to the customer, rather than absorbing them. Senators serving on the committee include Co-chair Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington), Sen. Kevin Engler (R-Farmington), Sen. Tom Dempsey (R-St. Charles), Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis) and Sen. Rita Heard Days (D-St. Louis). The committee will present its findings and recommendations when the General Assembly convenes in January.
Listen to committee coverage in This Week in the Missouri Senate.
Also meeting this month (11/17) in Kansas City was the Joint Committee on Tax Policy. Serving on the committee is Co-Chair Sen. Brad Lager (R-Maryville), Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis), Sen. Victor Callahan (D-Independence), Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington), and Sen. Carl Vogel (R-Jefferson City). The committee met to discuss agricultural tax credits, including the New Generation Cooperative, Ag Production, Wine and Grape Production, and Family Farm Tax Credits.
Listen to the Senate Minute’s report on the committee meeting.
The Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight also met in the Capitol on Nov. 19. Co-chair Sen. Bill Stouffer (R-Napton), Sen. Scott T. Rupp (R-Wentzville), Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington), Sen. Delbert Scott (R-Lowry City), Sen. Frank Barnitz (D-Lake Spring), Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis), and Sen. Rita Heard Days (D-St. Louis) all serve on the committee. At the meeting, MoDOT Director Pete Rahn presented the Annual Transportation Accountability Report to lawmakers, who also reviewed highway and bridge naming procedures and discussed the MO Highway Funding Options Report.
Listen to committee coverage in This Week in the Missouri Senate.
This column is written on a monthly basis until December 2008, when it will be published more frequently. To follow these and other issues facing the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can research legislation, learn more about their Senate district, or watch video or listen to audio highlights.
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