Pulling All-Nighters
With just two weeks remaining in the legislative session, lawmakers are making the most of the available time to tackle difficult issues. This week, the Missouri Senate took on several contentious topics and pushed deliberations into the early morning hours to finish its work.
My Senate Bill 224 modifies several provisions of rules relating to the discovery stage of civil litigation. “Discovery” refers to the process of gathering evidence prior to the start of a trial. While television dramas focus on the events that take place in the courtroom, easily 75 percent of the time and expense of a civil action is devoted to discovery.
My legislation places limits on the frequency and extent of discovery requests and requires those requests are proportional to the needs of the case. These reforms will expedite lawsuits, ensure more timely resolution of disputes and reduce costs for all parties involved.
This bill first came before the full Senate in late March. We brought it up again this week and worked to reach consensus throughout the night. At 2 a.m., we arrived at a compromise and perfected the bill. While the legislation still needs a final Senate vote before moving to the House of Representatives, I am hopeful that our colleagues will approve the measure, as I believe it improves Missouri’s litigation environment and will relieve stress from a clogged legal system.
Help for flood victims
Approved this week, Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 urges the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to reevaluate its priorities and manage upstream dams to reduce flooding along the Missouri River and protect human lives and property. Together with the senator from the 12th District, which like the 34th District is bounded by the Missouri river, I co-sponsored this resolution out of concern that the Corps has wrongly placed the needs of fish and wildlife before those of people. We call on the federal government to prioritize the protection of taxpayers and their homes, farms and businesses as the Corps manages water levels on the Missouri River.
In related action, the Senate approved $8 million for flood mitigation efforts along the Missouri River. Differences between the Senate and House versions of the budget will be sorted out by conference committees in the coming days, but we’ll do what we can to make sure funding for flood relief remains intact.
Term limits Measure Closer to Going to the Voters
Senate Joint Resolution 14, establishing consistent term limits for all statewide elected officials, was voted out of committee and will next be heard by the full House of Representatives. Voters will now be allowed to weigh in on whether the Missouri lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor and attorney general should be bound by the same 8-year term limits that currently apply to the governor, treasurer and members of the Legislature.
Voters have overwhelmingly approved term limits for elected officials whenever they’ve been given the opportunity. My suspicion is that they will also welcome the chance to also put limits on the four statewide offices that now have unlimited terms. Voters don’t want career politicians in Jefferson City. This bill allows the people of Missouri to bring consistency to our laws.
Protecting Farmers
The Senate held its second overnight session this week as Senate Bill 391 was brought before the body for perfection. Currently, large livestock and poultry operations are regulated by the state departments of Natural Resources and Health and Human Services. In recent years, there have been attempts by local health or zoning bodies to circumvent state regulation and impose additional restrictions on these operations. This legislation prohibits local bodies from interfering with farming by enacting regulations or requirements that are more restrictive than state law.
This measure was a priority for Missouri’s agricultural community and received widespread support from farm groups. Agriculture is vital to my Senate district and to the state of Missouri as a whole.
Debate on the bill began Monday afternoon and a filibuster quickly ensued. A number of legislators – primarily from areas far removed from farms – offered a succession of amendments intended to stall the legislation. Rural lawmakers advanced the view that state regulators had the appropriate expertise and background to properly regulate large farms, and that a statewide agricultural standard was preferable to a patchwork of local rules. At 7:30 Tuesday morning, the position of lawmakers from agricultural areas prevailed and the bill was perfected. The measure received final Senate approval Thursday.
It is my great honor to represent the citizens of Platte and Buchanan counties in the Missouri Senate. Please contact my office at 573-751-2183, or visit www.senate.mo.gov/luetkemeyer.