Reaching the Session Mid-Point
We have reached the mid-point in the 2019 legislative session. To date, the Senate has passed more than 30 measures and sent those to the House of Representatives for consideration. Nearly 70 measures have come from the House to the Senate. Lawmakers will take a week off from session to spend time back in their districts. One week from now, we’ll return to Jefferson City and get back to work for the citizens of Missouri.
Legislation continues to advance through committees and onto the Senate floor. Several important bills came out of the Judiciary Committee this week.
Senate Bill 9 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 both address the impeachment process. Missouri law is unique among the 50 U.S. states in that impeachment trials are heard by the judicial branch. These companion bills move the decision to remove judges and elected officials to the Missouri Senate, a change that would put our law in line with federal practice and that of nearly every other state.
Spirited discussion about these measures began during the committee hearing and continued into floor discussion in the Senate chamber. Two areas of debate involve what constitutes an impeachable offense and the appropriate threshold of votes required to remove a public official from office. I felt that the previous standard of “misconduct” was too vague and proposed narrowing the definition of an impeachable offense to corruption or criminal conduct in office.
Opponents expressed the view that the traditional two-thirds required vote for the removal from office should be increased, given the super majority that Republicans currently enjoy in the Senate. We approved an amendment requiring a three-fourths vote for the ouster of an elected official, while retaining the lower standard for judges. The details of these two bills are still being hammered out and the Senate will likely revisit the topic when it returns from break.
The Judiciary Committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 8 and Senate Bill 74. These similar bills both provide flexibility to the Board of Probation and Parole to allow early release of non-violent offenders. We heard testimony in support of these bills from the governor’s office, prosecutors and corrections officials. All agreed the legislation represents a good compromise that will reduce our prison population without putting the public at undue risk.
In other action, two identical bills that give a boost to Missouri’s deputy sheriff salary supplementation fund were combined and sent to the House of Representatives. The substitute for Senate Bills 12 and 123 won’t cost taxpayers a dime, but will help ensure that sheriff’s deputies earn a living wage. The bill requires that a fee will be paid to the deputy sheriff’s fund anytime a court summons, writ or subpoena is served, regardless of whether a deputy or someone else delivers the court order.
As someone deeply interested in constitutional issues, I enjoyed the discussion of Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 in the Rules Committee. This measure relates to the appointment of commissioners to a potential federal constitutional convention, as authorized by Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution. I believe that if there ever is an Article 5 convention, we need to have rules in place to make sure that delegates do the will of the people of Missouri and not exceed their authority.
There was also quite a bit of activity this past week outside of the committee hearing rooms and the Senate chamber. On Monday, I had an opportunity to visit with members of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and update them on tort reform and other pro-growth legislation intended to move the state in the right direction. It’s always good to catch up with community and business leaders and get their sense of how we’re doing in the Legislature. We had a really productive conversation and I’m looking forward to continue working with these leaders.
I also had an opportunity to meet with quite a few people from the 34th Senatorial District who traveled to Jefferson City to participate in Right to Life Day at the Capitol. I was happy to see so many people come here to support the right to life.
At a time when other states are liberalizing abortion laws, Missouri is going in the opposite direction. We’re saying, no, we need to stand for life. There are a number of extremely strong pro-life bills moving through the Missouri General Assembly this year and we may soon see a time when the national debate is framed by what we do here.
This week, I was honored to be named to a new task force that will study the feasibility of building a “hyperloop” to connect Kansas City and St. Louis. If you’re not familiar with the concept, a hyperloop is an enclosed tube that would ferry passengers inside magnetically levitated pods at speeds up to 700 miles per hour. It’s a futuristic idea, but preliminary research conducted in Nevada shows promise. Missouri has been selected as a potential site for one of the first practical applications of the technology.
I’m withholding judgement. I like the hyperloop idea, but we’re going to have to see whether it’s something that’s workable. I am excited to be part of the conversation, though, and grateful for the lieutenant governor for asking me to serve on the task force.
Finally, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Alan L. Landes to a seat on the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors. Along with the appointment of another board member from the 12th Senatorial District, in Missouri’s northwest corner, all the vacancies on the Missouri Western Board are now filled.
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.