Sept. 25, 2014 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews how the Senate Interim Committee on Tax Administration Practices completes its work. The panel held its final hearing on Sept. 9. Its purpose is to investigate the process and policy used by the Missouri Department of Revenue in the administration of tax law. The committee will issue a report no later than Dec. 31, 2014. We’ve included actualities from committee members — Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, and Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton — in this feature report narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

Sept. 18, 2014 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 841, which modifies provisions relating to alternative nicotine or vapor products (Audio: Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa);
• Senate Bill 829, which modifies provisions relating to burden of proof in tax liability cases (Audio: Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton);
• Senate Bill 523, which prohibits school districts from requiring a student to use an identification device that uses radio frequency identification technology to transmit certain information (Audio: Sen. Sifton); and
• Senate Bill 506, which relates to agriculture (Audio: Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown). 

This feature report is narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

Sept. 11, 2014 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews some of the work accomplished during the annual veto session, including:

• The first hearing held by the Joint Committee on the Justice System (Audio: Committee chair — Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, and Senate Minority Floor Leader Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City — who serves on the panel);
• Senate Bill 662, which modifies provisions relating to taxation (Audio: Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit);
• Senate Bill 656, which modifies provisions relating to firearms and corporate security advisors, is one of the bigger issues under consideration by lawmakers for veto session (Audio: Sen. Justus); and
• Other measures overridden by lawmakers. 

This feature report is narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

Sept. 5, 2014 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews two new laws relating to economic development in Missouri: 

• Senate Bill 635, which prohibits issuance of certain incentives to businesses relocating from certain counties in Kansas, if Kansas enacts a similar prohibition (Audio: Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City; Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City; and Sen. Paul LeVota, D-Independence); and
• Senate Bill 844, which modifies the shared work unemployment compensation program (Audio: Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield).

This feature report is narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

• Senate Bill 668, which requires health benefit plans to establish equal out of pocket costs for covered oral and intravenously administered chemotherapy medications (Audio: Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City);
• Senate Bill 532, which modifies provisions relating to educational and medical consent provided by relative caregivers (Audio: Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis);
• Senate Bill 492, which modifies provisions relating to the authorization for funding and administrative processes in higher education (Audio: Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg); and
• Senate Bill 680, which modifies provisions relating to public assistance (Audio: Sen. Shalonn “Kiki” Curls, D-Kansas City).

• Senate Bill 892, which changes the presidential primary election date from February to March (Audio: Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, and Sen. Paul LeVota, D-Independence); and
• House Bill 1136, which changes the laws regarding elections.

In addition, we review Senate Bill 593, which would have modified provisions relating to nonpartisan elections, but was vetoed by the executive branch; and Senate Bill 504, which requires state agencies to post proposed rules, summaries and fiscal notes on their websites.

Senate Bill 892, House Bill 1136 and Senate Bill 504 will all become law on Aug. 28, 2014. This feature report is narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

• Senate Bill 668, which will require health benefit plans to establish equal out-of-pocket costs for covered oral and intravenously administered chemotherapy medications (Audio: Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, and Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown);
• House Bill 1320, which will stop local governments from enacting ordinances that prohibit or restrict a mother from breastfeeding a child in public or private. The measure also allows nursing mothers to be excused from jury duty with a written statement from their physician (Audio: Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City);
• House Bill 1411, which will require persons younger than 17 years of age using a tanning device in a tanning facility to have the parent or guardian of the minor give written consent in person to the minor's use of a tanning device (Audio: Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton);
• House Bill 1656, which will specify that if an anatomical gift is medically unsuitable for transplantation or therapy, the gift may be used for research, education or pass to an appropriate procurement organization;
• Senate Bill 532 allows caregivers that are related either by blood, marriage or adoption — under a sworn statement — to consent to medical and educational services for a minor if the parent or guardian cannot be reached after a reasonable amount of attempts; and
• Senate Bill 716, which includes provisions pertaining to umbilical cord blood banks, the meningitis vaccine, newborn screening tests, vaccinations provided by pharmacists, and diabetes care and control.

This feature is narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

.mp3 — (5:00) | Digital Audio File Script — (.docx)