Volume 1, Issue 14 – The Week of April 29, 2019
Where Things Stand in the Legislative Process
We are coming up on the final two weeks of the 2019 legislative session. These next couple of weeks are sure to be hectic and busy as legislators furiously try to get their legislative priorities across the finish line and to the governor’s desk for his consideration. With that in mind, I’d like to take some time to discuss with you where some of my legislation stands in the legislative process heading into the final weeks of session.
Senate Bill 209 prohibits companies from doing hard credit checks on employers or prospective employees, but would allow them to do a soft credit check. Hard credit checks negatively impact your credit, whereas a soft check does not. By moving away from hard credit checks, we can better protect employees’ credit scores and job prospects. It is important to note that this bill does not apply to those in accounting and financial sectors or where a credit report is required by law. Senate Bill 209 was recently approved by the Missouri Senate’s Small Business and Industry Committee and now heads to the Senate floor.
Another bill making its way through the legislative process is Senate Bill 210, which creates two new state symbols. It designates the pawpaw tree as Missouri’s state fruit tree and the hellbender salamander as the official endangered species of the state. By passing this legislation, I believe we can raise awareness for these two native Missouri species. Senate Bill 210 has been approved by its assigned committee over in the Missouri House of Representatives and is now on the calendar for consideration by the whole chamber.
As mentioned before, the last couple of weeks of session are sure to be long and busy as senators discuss and debate the merits of numerous pieces of legislation. Being in the Missouri Senate, where “free and fair discussion is the firmest friend of truth,” these important policy discussions can often stretch into several hours and even overnight and into the next morning. This past week has given us a taste of what may be in store as the end of session approaches, since several bills were debated for over 12 hours.
On April 29, the Missouri Senate debated Senate Bill 391, dealing with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). CAFOs are industrial-scaled, animal agricultural facilities that raise a specific number of animals in production barns or confinement pens for 45 days or more during the year. I believe this bill would eliminate local control for CAFOs and prevent counties from enacting ordinances that are more stringent than the state regulations for these entities. Supporters of the bill believe SB 391 will help create a uniform, statewide agriculture policy and prevent a patchwork of differing regulations. Meanwhile, critics of the bill raised concerns about preventing local entities from regulating water pollution and the overall environmental impacts these operations may have on their communities. The Senate began discussing this bill around 7 p.m., and it wasn’t until 7:30 a.m. the following morning before the bill was perfected. This bill has since been approved by the Senate and has been sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for consideration.
The Missouri Senate also debated tort reform legislation this week. Senate Bill 224 modifies the Supreme Court rules regarding discovery for civil procedures. Ultimately, I believe this bill will make it harder for average Missourians to access our state courts, while favoring large corporations. This legislation is also likely to increase the already high cost of pursuing justice through the court system. This bill was filibustered into 2 a.m., but was eventually perfected by the Senate.
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.