Legislative Actions and Information for the Week of Jan. 13, 2020
| On the Floor
One of the responsibilities of the Missouri Senate is to provide advice and consent for the gubernatorial appointments to a range of state boards and commissions. Individuals from all over the state are selected by the governor to serve and help move Missouri forward. On Jan. 16, the Missouri Senate confirmed several gubernatorial appointees, including two of their former Senate colleagues. Jason Holsman, who served the 7th Senatorial District, will now be serving on the Public Service Commission. Shalonn “Kiki” Curls, who served the 9th Senatorial District, was appointed to the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. Both are from Kansas City. Senator Nasheed has had the opportunity to work with both senators during her time in the Missouri Senate, and counts them among her dear friends. Senator Nasheed and Senator Holsman started their political careers together, when they began serving in the Missouri House of Representatives in 2007. They both moved over to the Missouri Senate in 2012. Meanwhile, Senator Curls was one of the longest serving members of the Missouri Senate since term limits have been implemented, and her knowledge and leadership will certainly be missed. It was an honor for Sen. Nasheed to work with both of these dedicated public servants over the past several years. While it is bittersweet to see her colleagues leave, she knows they will continue to do great work while serving the people of Missouri in their new positions. Additionally this week, the governor delivered this annual State of the State Address. In his speech, the governor highlighted the success of current workforce development programs in helping create a more skilled workforce. He urged continued support of such programs and called on lawmakers to fund programs aimed at ensuring students leave school with the ability to immediately join the workforce, if they so choose. To address violent crime plaguing our communities, the governor suggested toughening our laws to target violent criminals and providing greater protections for victims and witnesses. Before the governor made his address, he was escorted by several member of the Missouri Legislature. This was the last time Sen. Nasheed was able to serve on the escort committee, as well as her last State of the State Address as a state senator. Bills and Committees As the legislative session gets underway, senators continue to file new pieces of legislation. This week, Senator Nasheed filed another bill. Senate Bill 871 – This legislation modifies local tax increment financing (TIF) projects by limiting these projects to redevelopment areas. Senate Bill 871 also modifies the definition of “blighted area.” Appropriations During the annual State of the State address on Jan. 15, the governor proposed a $30.57 billion state operating budget for the 2021 fiscal year that provides no spending increases for Missouri’s public colleges and universities. The governor did call for a $12 million increase for the state’s K-12 education system, which amounts to about a 0.3 percent increase. The governor’s budget is only a recommendation and not in any way binding upon lawmakers, who will now begin crafting the various appropriations bills that make up the state budget. By tradition, the process will begin in the House of Representatives before moving to the Senate. Lawmakers face a May 8 constitutional deadline for sending a completed budget to the governor. The upcoming fiscal year begins on July 1. Other News Senator Nasheed’s Legislative Priorities Published in the St. Louis American Senator Nasheed’s legislative priorities for the 2020 legislative session were recently published in the St. Louis American. Senator Nasheed to Host Sex Trafficking Awareness Event On Jan. 21, Sen. Nasheed will be hosting the 5th Annual Sex Trafficking Awareness Event in the State Capitol. The event helps raise awareness for the fight against sex trafficking in Missouri and connects lawmakers and the public with the resources needed to combat this epidemic. Being located at the crossroads of the country, Missouri is one of the prime locations for sex trafficking. The day-long set of events will begin with a networking event from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. where individuals can learn more about the silent epidemic of sex trafficking in the state and how to combat it. A rally will be held at 1 p.m. in the first floor rotunda of the State Capitol. Supreme Court Invalidates Part of Voter Photo ID Law On Jan. 14, the Missouri Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a provision of state law that authorizes voters to use an approved, non-photo ID for voting only if they swear under penalty of perjury that they don’t have an ID authorized for voting. In its ruling, the state high court upheld a lower court judge who blocked the provision’s enforcement in October 2018, calling it “contradictory and misleading.” While called a voter photo ID law, the law did allow voters without a driver’s license or non-driver state ID card to continue to use alternate forms of ID to vote that previously had been allowed under state law, such as a voter registration card, bank statement, utility bill or student ID. At the same time, the law required voters seeking to use a non-photo ID to sign an affidavit swearing that they don’t have a form of ID authorized for voting purposes, even though the alternative forms of ID are specifically authorized. The court ruled the provision’s contradictory language unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of voters.
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