With just one week left until the end of the 2013 legislative session, this week proved to be very fast-paced.

Prior to the start of session Monday, Senators and Representatives gathered at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the groundbreaking of the Missouri Capitol. The Capitol is a beautiful building full of rich history.  As we take the time to celebrate the 100th year of the groundbreaking, we remember just how fortunate we are to have a beautiful facility in which to do the people’s work. If you haven’t visited our Capitol before, I encourage you to do so not only to learn of the great history but also to see the legislature in progress.

When the Senate reconvened Monday afternoon, senators took up Senate Bill 210, a bill I am sponsoring this session, for debate. The bill would require the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to hold eight meetings across the state of Missouri, one in each of the eight congressional districts, for the purpose of providing information on the Common Core Standards. Prior to the first meeting, DESE is required to develop a report of the costs associated with implementing common core as well as a report on the data that will be collected pursuant to the implementation of common core. The reports must be available for review prior to the first meeting being held.  The bill also requires that DESE allow those who attend an opportunity to testify on the idea of common core should anyone desire to do the same.  Following the hearings, DESE is required to draft a report of the findings from each of the meetings.  That report must then be provided to the legislature for review.  After roughly an hour of debate, senators perfected the bill, thereby giving it first-round approval.  The bill was third read and given a final vote later in the week before being sent to the House for similar consideration.  Following debate on Senate Bill 210, the Senate took up several other bills for perfection prior to adjourning late in the evening.

Senators returned to the floor Tuesday morning to debate House bills.  At the close of morning debate, I presented Senate Bill 473 to the Senate Small Business and Insurance Committee. The bill states that if a health insurance issuer operating in Missouri accepts any remuneration that may result in the imposition of penalties contrary to Missouri's public policy, then the director of insurance shall suspend the issuer's license to transact business in Missouri. That suspension will stay in place until the issuer represents that it has returned the remuneration to its source and will decline any such future remuneration.  When the public policy set forth in the act is violated, the bill requires the attorney general to seek injunctive relief, as well as any other remedy that is deemed appropriate. This bill helps to protect Proposition C, known as the Health Care Freedom Act, passed in Missouri in 2010.

Following the hearing, I had an opportunity to visit with students from West Christian School in St. Louis County.  We had a great discussion of the legislative process before they were given a tour of the building.

Tuesday afternoon, senators returned to the Senate floor to debate House Bill 253, a bill aimed at providing broad based tax relief to Missouri citizens and businesses.  The bill would decrease the personal income tax rate by one-half a percentage point to 5.5 percent while also decreasing the corporate tax rate by three percentage points to 3.25 percent.  Both cuts would be phased in over a ten-year period.  The bill also includes language regarding the Streamlined Sales Tax which would require the state to tax online purchases.  After a lengthy debate, senators perfected the bill.  Later in the week, it received a third and final reading in the Senate before being sent to the House for similar consideration.

Also on Tuesday, the House took up and passed Senate Bill 47, which relates to subsidized guardianship.  Currently, adoptive parents and certain legal guardians are eligible to receive a subsidy for a child that they have taken in from the foster care system.  Senate Bill 47 would expand the definition of “family” to include all relatives and close family friends for purposes of eligibility to receive a subsidy as a legal guardian.  I believe this bill is a great step to encourage more people to become legal guardians and provide permanent homes for children in state custody.

The House also passed Senate Bill 77, which would allow a great organization in St. Louis, Girls Inc., to continue to operate and to help girls become strong leaders in our community.  A wonderful friend of mine, former state Senator Betty Sims, brought this issue to my attention.  Senator Sims works very hard with the organization to provide a positive environment in which young women can cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary to make good decisions and become responsible leaders.    

Wednesday morning, the Senate returned to the floor to debate and third read numerous House bills, including Senate Bill 230 which establishes Chloe’s Law.  The bill states that every child born in Missouri shall be screened for congenital heart disease using pulse oximetry.  The bill provides procedures for the screening, including informational material regarding reporting and referral that parents can use to report the results to the Department of Health and Senior Services.  Parents whose religious beliefs conflict with such practices are not required to abide by the law.

Wednesday evening, the House passed Senate Bill 33, a bill I sponsored both this session and last session.  Senate Bill 33 would allow people with mental disabilities the same public accommodations as those with physical disabilities.  It also expands the definition of “service dog” to include those dogs that are specially trained to assist people with mental disabilities and provides that a member of a “service dog team” has the right to be accompanied by the dog in public while training.  During debate on the House floor, several amendments were added by House members dealing with a multitude of issues relating to disability and mental health.  Since the version passed by the House differs from the one approved by the Senate, I requested the bill be sent to a conference committee where a group of senators and representatives will work to reconcile the differences. 

On Thursday morning, the Senate Seniors, Families and Pensions Committee met to vote on House Bill 252, sponsored by Rep. Jeanie Lauer, R-Blue Springs.  House Bill 252 addresses several issues relating to adoption, including the development of a contact preference form and medical history form that is to be given to birth parents prior to the finalization of an adoption.  The bill also allows for a post adoption contract agreement to be made between the birth parents, siblings and other relatives and adoptive parents and the adoptee that would govern the relationship between the parties after the adoption is finalized.  The bill also provides a process by which adoptees can access their original birth certificates on a go-forward basis.  Finally, HB 252 includes language from a bill I have filed for the last two years that would remove race as a consideration when placing a child with an adoptive family, except in certain cases where the consideration of race advances the child’s best interests. In those particular cases, the judge must enter written findings of fact explaining the court’s ruling. The bill now waits to be reported to the Senate calendar for floor debate.

The Senate spent the majority of Thursday working on final votes on this year’s budget bills.  The legislature is required by the Missouri Constitution to pass the state budget by 6:00 pm on the first Friday following the first Monday in May.  Both the House and Senate were able to take finals vote on all of the budget bills by Thursday evening, thereby sending the bills to the governor for his approval or veto.

It’s hard to believe that next week is our final week of the 2013 legislative session.  It’s this time of the year that we unfortunately have to wish our legislative interns well as they graduate to bigger and better opportunities.  Both Julie Blatz and Sean Donegan, pictured herein, spent their final week with our office.  I wish them both well as they pursue their next endeavors. 

I am sure we will be working around the clock next week to ensure that we pass the best public policy possible.  I look forward to sending you an update next week to give you a general sense of the final legislation that passes the legislature and thereafter hope to provide a broad session overview.

Best wishes for a great weekend to you and your families.