Volume 1, Issue 10 – The Week of April 1, 2019
Working Through the Legislative Process
On the floor this week, the Missouri Senate debated several major issues, including charter schools and sports gambling. Off the floor, I continue to move forward with my legislative priorities for the year.
One of the bills we debated on the Senate floor was Senate Bill 292. This legislation expands charter schools in Missouri to any charter county, or in an urban school district, provided the proposed charter school sponsor receives a petition with enough support from the local community. My chief concern regarding the expansion of charter schools in Missouri is that we must have the tools to hold underperforming charter schools accountable. I believe charter schools must be held to the same standards as our public schools. This bill was debated until 2 a.m., and was eventually laid over. As we continue to discuss charter schools, know that ensuring this legislation has effective accountability measures in it will be one of my priorities.
We also debated Senate Bill 44, regarding sports gambling. This bill allows for sports betting and legalizes video lottery terminals (VLTs) in places other than casinos. My concerns on this piece of legislation relate to the VLT provisions. VLTs are essentially machines that allow eligible players to use money, tickets or coins to gamble on the outcome of a video lottery game. While this legislation legalizes VLTs, it restricts their locations to only fraternal organizations, veterans’ organizations and truck stops. I believe SB 44 unfairly restricts access to these machines for bars and small businesses who may want to participate in this economic opportunity. Senate Bill 44 was laid over and is pending further debate.
This week, I also presented two pieces of legislation for consideration in committee. Senate Joint Resolution 21 was heard in Senate’s Local Government and Elections Committee. It is a proposed constitutional amendment that states the people of the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County have the exclusive power to consolidate or merge the city and county. This reinforces the process for consolidation already outlined in the Missouri Constitution. Article VI, Section 30(a) allows the residents of the city and county to call for a Board of Freeholders, who would draft a consolidation proposal that would be voted on by the people of St. Louis City and County. There would be no statewide vote on consolidation through that process. I believe SJR 21 preserves local control for both the city and county residents and ensures they have the final say on the issue.
I also presented Senate Bill 492 to the Senate’s Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee. This bill regulates the resale of scrap metals. It requires a license in order to sell scrap metals and makes it unlawful to knowingly sell stolen metals. There is a lot of money in the scrap metal industry, but there is also a lot of crime, theft and dishonesty. By putting certain measures in place, we can reduce the theft of copper and other metals and decrease vandalism in our communities.
Thank you for your interest in the legislative process. I look forward to hearing from you on the issues that are important to you this legislative session. If there is anything my office can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (573) 751-3599.