One Month Remains

Less than one month remains in the 2023 legislative session. In fact, as I prepare this report, there are just 18 working days before the First Regular Session of the 102nd General Assembly adjourns sine die on May 12. So far, the two chambers of the Legislature have sent just two bills to the governor’s desk: a supplemental budget bill that funds pay increases for state workers and a measure that allows patients to seek physical therapy without first obtaining a doctor’s prescription.

To be fair, many other bills have advanced through the legislative process and are nearing the finish line, but we still have a lot of work to do. All of the major priorities for this session await final passage. Both chambers have passed separate bills banning gender transition surgeries and hormonal treatments for transgender youth, but no single one of these has cleared both the House and the Senate. Likewise legislation to ban transgender females from competing against biological females in student athletics still has not made it to the governor’s desk. We’re still debating how best to address Missouri’s aging infrastructure, especially Interstate 70. A resolution that would ask voters to approve reforms to Missouri’s initiative petition process is still being debated. We’ve made progress on tax reform, but that work isn’t done yet.

As we enter these final weeks, I thought it would be useful to recap where some of my legislation stands in the legislative process. Senate Bill 2, the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” has stalled as a stand-alone bill, but nearly identical provisions are advancing as Senate Bill 39. This is a perfect example of results mattering more than who gets the credit. Likewise, my version of the “Safe Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act,” Senate Bill 236, has been rolled into a combined bill to protect children from gender transition surgery, Senate Bill 49. With the House of Representatives working on similar legislation, it appears some version of both the SAFE Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act are headed toward passage.

One of my priority economic development measures, Senate Bill 3, has passed out of the Senate and has been heard by a committee in the House. This measure includes the “Regulatory Sandbox Act,” which would free emerging businesses from burdensome regulation as they bring new products to market. Senate Bill 92, which includes the “Rural Access to Capital Act” and expands incentives for biofuels production, was passed by the Senate this week. It now moves to the House. The “Show MO Act” and the “Entertainment Industry Jobs Act,” both of which are included in Senate Bill 94, also await action by the House. This legislation would restart incentives for motion picture production in our state and encourage touring musical acts to base their performance rehearsals in Missouri.

A number of other bills I’ve sponsored have passed out of Senate committees and have been placed on the official calendar, making them eligible for floor debate. It’s my hope we can advance more of these measures in the coming weeks.

Looking forward, the Senate Appropriations Committee will begin marking up House budget bills, possibly next week. We’ll go through every line of each state agency budget and determine whether the Senate will support the House recommendations or make our own. Eventually, differences in the two versions of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget will have to be resolved by conference committees. That all has to happen by May 5. Clearly we have a lot of work to do, and not much time.

Unrelated to legislative activity at the Capitol, I want to make everyone in the 21st Senatorial District aware of an important development in our area. The U.S. Air Force is actively planning for deployment of the new B-21 “Raider” aircraft, which will eventually replace the B-2 bomber. As I’m sure everyone knows, America’s B-2 fleet is primarily based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster. Although Whiteman is no longer contained within the 21st District, the impacts of that facility extend far beyond legislative boundaries.

The Air Force has scheduled two public meetings to discuss the deployment process. Attendees will learn about the environmental impact studies currently being conducted for Whiteman Air Force Base and will have an opportunity to weigh in. I encourage everyone who’s interested to attend. The two events will take place on Tuesday, April 18, and Thursday, April 20. Tuesday’s public meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Central Missouri campus in Warrensburg. Thursday’s meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Knob Noster High School. For more information, call the Whiteman Public Affairs office at 660-687-5727.

As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-4302. You may also email me at Denny.Hoskins@senate.mo.gov.