Senator Elaine Gannon’s Capitol Report for March 2, 2023

Mid-Term Report

As we enter March and approach the half-way mark of the legislative session, I’ll borrow a teachers’ phrase and provide you with a “mid-term” report. Thankfully, I do not have to assign a grade to the Legislature for its progress so far! March 1 was the last day legislators could file bills, and senators have filed 706 bills, 15 senate concurrent resolutions, 47 senate joint resolutions and a handful of other proposals. This doesn’t count the 1,400 bills and 80+ resolutions filed in the House. We definitely have our work cut out for us in the coming months!

During the first two months of session, the Senate perfected 33 pieces of legislation. This list includes my bill to exempt homeless children from paying for IDs. All of these bills need to pass one more vote in the Senate before they are “third read and passed” and sent to the House. I am proud to report my Senate Bill 45, extending MO HealthNet coverage to postpartum women, earned this mark on March 2 and will now be considered by the House. In total, I am sponsoring 19 bills, ranging from animal protections to child placement to teaching cursive.

As I was writing this report, 35 proposals had been referred to the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee I chair. This committee has conducted five hearings, heard 14 proposals and voted to “do pass” four of them.

Out of all of these thousands of proposals and resolutions, the General Assembly will only send a small fraction to the governor for his signature. The legislative process is deliberate and lengthy by design because we want to be absolutely sure the policies we pass are properly vetted, fiscally responsible and abide by our state’s constitution. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved in this elaborate process, contact my team. We are at your service!

FCCLA Legislative Shadowing Day

On March 1, the Missouri Association of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) held its annual Legislative Shadowing Day at the Capitol. I had the honor of mentoring two students who are interested in public policy and introducing them to my colleagues on the Senate floor. I want to thank Haley Huskey, from Hillsboro High School, and Morgan Webb, a student at Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, for their cheerful demeanor, willingness to shadow me and ability to keep up with the fast Senate pace.

Morgan Webb, Sen. Gannon and Haley Huskey participate in FCCLA’s Legislative Shadowing Day.