Dec. 9, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews some of the legislation that could be debated when lawmakers return to the Capitol for the Second Regular Session of the 98th General Assembly, which will start at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. We’ve included actualities from Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, and Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, in this feature report narrated by Senate Communications Officer Dean Morgan.

Dec. 3, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews the progress of four of the committees that met during the week:

• The Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Select Committee on Budget held a rare joint hearing to discuss Syrian refugees in the Show-Me State (Audio: Senate Appropriations Committee Chair — Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia — and Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, who serves on the panel);
• The Task Force for Examining Statewide Medicaid Delivery Models;
• The Missouri Human Trafficking Task Force (Audio: Task force members Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, and Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors): and
• The Senate Interim Task Force on Predatory Towing Practices.

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

Nov. 24, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 24 modifies provisions of law relating to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Audio: Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, and Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City);
• Senate Bill 174, a measure that establishes the Missouri Achieving a Better Life Experience Program;
• Senate Bill 244, which creates the Senior Savings Protection Act;
• Senate Bill 341, legislation that modifies provisions of law relating to the protection of children and other vulnerable persons;
• House Bill 343, which establishes a committee to assess the continuation of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program in order to help disabled or aging individuals transition from nursing facilities to community settings;
• House Bill 501, a measure that requires course material relating to sexual education to contain information regarding sexual predators, online predators and the consequences of inappropriate text messaging; and
• House Bill 1149, which modifies provisions related to the Missouri Division of Youth Services.

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

Nov. 19, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 321, a measure that allows victims of sexual assault to receive protective orders and modifies the definitions of sexual assault and stalking as they relate to orders of protection (Audio: Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, and Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors);
• Senate Bill 141, which raises the amount the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund can pay to eligible victims and provides that the Missouri Department of Public Safety can negotiate costs on behalf of victims; and
• Senate Bill 340, legislation that changes a reference in a provision of law regarding the determination of heirship.

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

Nov. 12, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 5, a measure that modifies distribution of traffic fines and court costs collected by municipal courts (Audio: Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale; Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City; Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington; and Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur);
• Senate Bill 87, which requires people who submit petitions for political subdivision audits to reside or own property in the subdivision and allows for signatures to be rescinded;
• Senate Bill 194, legislation that extends the date that a business must commence operations to qualify for a business facility tax credit;
• Senate Bill 405, which raises the outer threshold amount for a county to be eligible to collect a greater percentage of the total taxes collected as a fee;
• Senate Bill 497, a measure that modifies provisions relating to special purpose districts; and
• Senate Bill 539, which allows the county commission, or a county officer designated by the county commission, to provide passport services if the circuit court clerk does not provide the services.

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

Nov. 5, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 34 & 105, which extends voter registration requirements (Audio: Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau);
• Senate Bill 104, legislation that modifies provisions relating to elections (Audio: Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit; Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur; and Senate Minority Floor Leader Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis); and
• House Bill 63, a measure that changes the laws regarding persons seeking public office (Audio: Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, and Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City).

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

Oct. 29, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 93, which creates the Campus Free Expression Act to protect free expression on the campuses of public institutions of higher education (Audio: Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar);
• Senate Bill 224, which requires a student to be a United States citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program (Audio: Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur);
• House Bill 41 is legislation that removes portions of the school funding formula that are no longer relevant due to the passage of time (Audio: Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, and Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton);
• Senate Bill 116, a measure that creates an exemption from the proof of residency and domicile for school registration for students whose parents are stationed out-of-state;
• Senate Bill 334, which modifies provisions relating to the boards of regents of state colleges and universities and broadens the degree-granting authority of Harris-Stowe State University; and
• Senate Bill 366, legislation that modifies the provisions of the Missouri higher education savings program.

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

Oct. 22, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 142, which requires the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to take certain actions when submitting certain plans to the Environmental Protection Agency (Audio: Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, and Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton);
• House Bill 531, a new law that requires liquid nicotine products to be sold in child-safe packaging (Audio: Sen. Jeanie Riddle, R-Callaway County, and Sen. Sifton);
• Senate Bill 445, which modifies provisions relating to environmental protection;
• Senate Bill 456, legislation that makes changes to provisions relating to the ownership of motor vehicles; and
• House Bill 92, which changes the laws regarding the Department of Natural Resources.

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

Oct. 14, 2015 — This Week in the Missouri Senate reviews:

• Senate Bill 210, which extends the sunset on certain health care provider reimbursement allowance taxes and modifies provisions relating to MO HealthNet and Disproportionate Share Hospital payments (Audio: Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, and Senate Minority Floor Leader Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis);
• House Bill 17, which helps fund several capital improvements projects (Audio: Sen. Schaefer and Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton);
• House Bills 18 and 19, which also fund capital improvements projects; and
• House Bill 384, which changes laws regarding taxation.

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

• The Joint Committee on the Justice System (Audio: Committee chair, Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield);
• The Senate Interim Committee on the Sanctity of Life (Audio: Committee member, Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur); and
• The Joint Committee on Tax Policy, which will hold an organizational meeting this week.

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

• Senate Bill 224, which will require a student to be a United States citizen, or permanent resident, in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program (Audio: Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, and Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City);
• Senate Bill 20, which will create a sales and use tax exemption for materials and utilities used by commercial laundries;
• House Bill 150, which will modify the duration of unemployment compensation, the method to pay federal advances and raise the fund trigger causing contribution rate reductions (Audio: Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, and Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton);
• House Bill 722, which will change the laws regarding prohibited ordinances by political subdivisions (Audio: Sens. Kehoe and Holsman).

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