JEFFERSON CITY — Lawmakers hurriedly worked this week to get their priority legislation ready for introduction on the Senate floor as it was the last opportunity for them to present bills for consideration. The close of session on Thursday, Feb. 26, marked the official filing deadline. More than 600 Senate measures have been filed this session.
The Senate voted to pass three resolutions this week that create three new committees charged with building long-term strategic improvement plans for job creation, health care coverage and education.
Senate Resolutions 302 (job creation), 303 (health care) and 304 (education), introduced by Senate Leader Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph), each create “2020” committees, whose members are assigned the task of defining where Missouri should stand in these respective areas in the year 2020. Senator Shields named only senators serving in their first term to the committees, which begin meeting as early as next week and will serve through December 31, 2010.
Receiving initial approval on Tuesday was a measure addressing the human papilloma virus (HPV). Senate Bill 104 , sponsored by Sen. Jolie Justus (D-Kansas City), provides the opportunity for female students enrolling in the sixth grade at public schools to be immunized for HPV, which has been linked to cervical cancer. Students may receive the immunization at the option of a parent or guardian. The bill also requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to mail relevant information regarding the connection between HPV and cervical cancer, the risk factors for HPV and the availability of the HPV vaccination to the parents of sixth-grade girls.
Senate Bill 37 , sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon), also received a first-round passing vote on Tuesday. The public defender bill implements changes designed to relieve the workload of Missouri’s public defenders, including instituting maximum case loads in order to fulfill the constitutional obligation to provide effective counsel. The legislation also establishes procedures for the public defender system to follow if maximum caseload levels are reached.
Senate Bill 215 , sponsored by Sen. Shields, also received a first-round vote on Tuesday. The bill allows port authority boards to establish port improvement districts to fund projects with voter-approved sales taxes or property taxes.
Legislation that allows all abandoned vehicles left on the side of state highways to be towed away after 10 hours, regardless of whether they are located in an urban or rural area, received an initial passing vote on Thursday. Currently, a vehicle is deemed abandoned when it has been on the right-of-way of any highway or freeway in an urban area for 10 hours. However, a vehicle left on the right-of-way of any highway or freeway outside of an urban area is not officially abandoned until it has been there for 48 hours. Senate Bill 88 is sponsored by Sen. Bill Stouffer (R-Napton).
Senate Bill 140 , sponsored by Sen. Jeff Smith (D-St. Louis), received a final vote of approval from the Senate on Tuesday, and now moves to the House for similar consideration. The bill allows non-violent defendants in criminal non-support cases to receive education, vocational training and/or substance abuse treatment. Successful completion of these court-ordered programs may reduce or dismiss the charges or penalties against the defendant. The bill also lowers the non-support penalty from a felony to a misdemeanor if the amount owed is less than the total of 12 monthly payments.
Receiving final approval from the Senate on Wednesday was SB 128 , sponsored by Sen. Scott T. Rupp (R-Wentzville). The measure modifies the current three-project cap on design-build transportation projects. Instead of restricting these projects to a certain number, SB 128 requires that the number of highway design-build project contracts not exceed 3 percent of the total number of all approved state highway system projects in any given fiscal year. Design-build projects involve a single entity being responsible for the design and construction elements of a project, often allowing for the project to move faster.
Listen to the Senate Minute’s report on SB 128.
Several consent bills were passed this week. For a bill to be designated as “consent,” it must receive unanimous support in committee. Consent bills cannot be amended on the Senate floor unless they are taken off the Consent Calendar, or agenda. Typically, consent bills pass much faster than regular bills, which is why consent status is reserved for non-controversial legislation that is of no cost to the state.
Some of the passed consent bills include: Senate Bill 55 , sponsored by Sen. Rita Heard Days (D-St. Louis), which allows school districts to maintain permanent records digitally or electronically; Senate Bill 79 , sponsored by Sen. Yvonne Wilson (D-Kansas City), which modifies the definition of "bullying" as used in school district anti-bullying policies to include cyber-bullying and electronic communications; and Senate Bill 147 , sponsored by Sen. Tom Dempsey (R-St. Charles), which establishes the Missouri Healthy Workplace Recognition Program.
Brought to the floor on Wednesday—but not coming to a vote—was an omnibus crime bill. Senate Bill 261 , sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit), contains several provisions relating to crime in Missouri, including requiring those who commit felonies to serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentence; expanding the penalty for the crime of stealing livestock; prohibiting the use of false or misleading diplomas for admission to college or in connection with employment; and prohibiting certain sex offenders from serving as an athletic coach for teams with children younger than 17. The bill is expected to be brought to the floor again next week.
A debate on the merits of a universal health care system began on the Senate floor this week. Senate Bill 18 , sponsored by Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis), was taken up for discussion on Wednesday. The bill establishes the Missouri Universal Health Assurance Commission to study the possibility of creating a single, publicly financed statewide program to provide health care services for all residents of the state. The bill also expands eligibility for MO HealthNet, raising the income limit for the elderly and disabled from 85 percent of the federal poverty level to 100 percent of the federal poverty level.
A trio of Senate concurrent resolutions was passed by the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee on Tuesday. If approved by the Senate and House, these resolutions would convey certain opinions to the federal government. SCR 8 , sponsored by Sen. Wes Shoemyer (D-Clarence), urges the U.S. Congress to support the continuation of horse processing in the United States; SCR 11 , sponsored by Sen. Bartle, expresses the General Assembly's opposition to the federal Freedom of Choice Act; and SCR 16 , sponsored by Sen. David Pearce (R-Warrensburg), urges the Air Force to select Whiteman Air Force Base as the headquarters for Global Strike Command.
Bills receiving a public hearing in their respective committees this week include:
- Senate Bill 94 , sponsored by Sen. Justus. The measure modifies the income eligibility criteria for any person receiving state-funded child care assistance.
- Senate Bill 120 , sponsored by Sen. Bray. The measure allows small employers to join the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan.
- Senate Bill 264 , sponsored by Sen. Rob Mayer (R-Dexter). The measure adds new requirements to the informed consent law regarding abortions. It also makes it a crime to knowingly coerce a woman into having an abortion. Listen to the Senate Minute’s report on SB 264.
- Senate Bill 372 , sponsored by Sen. Dempsey. The measure allows the Conservation Commission to permanently revoke the hunting permit of any person who accidentally kills someone else while hunting.
The Missouri Senate will reconvene at 4 p.m. Monday, March 2, 2009. The First Regular Session of the 95th Missouri General Assembly will run through Friday, May 15, 2009.
The Missouri Senate General Column is written on a weekly basis. To follow these and other issues being addressed by the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov . Visitors can track legislation as it passes through the General Assembly, learn more about their Senate district, and listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens.
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