Friday, May 17th, marked the final day of Missouri’s 2013 legislative session, thereby bringing to a close five months' worth of hard work and long hours in Jefferson City.

During the 2013 session, which officially got underway on January 9th, nearly 500 bills were filed by the 34 senators and more than 1,000 bills filed by representatives. I personally filed over 30 pieces of legislation, many of which were ideas brought forward by constituents and/or advocacy groups along with several of my own personal ideas. Several of those bills moved all the way through the process and eventually to the governor’s desk where they currently await the governor’s action.  

One such piece of legislation is Senate Bill 33, a bill I have discussed in-depth in previous updates. The bill would allow people with mental disabilities the same public accommodations as those with physical disabilities, including the use of a service dog specially trained to assist people with mental disabilities. Under Senate Bill 33, a member of a service dog team would be allowed to be accompanied in public places by the service dog. This aspect of the bill is especially significant, as it would allow a parent to quickly bring the dog to a child in need should an emergency situation arise. The idea for Senate Bill 33 was brought to me several years ago by a constituent and friend.  After filing it for three years, this is the first year that it actually made its way through the entire process.  I am hopeful that the governor will realize the importance of this legislation and sign it.

Senate Bill 47 is another bill I sponsored that was also truly agreed to and finally passed by the Legislature. The idea for this bill was brought to me by the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition in St. Louis. The bill would expand the list of persons eligible to receive a subsidy for becoming a legal guardian to a child in the foster care system. Currently, only grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings and first cousins may receive the subsidy. This bill would allow any person related to the child by blood or affinity or any close non-related person to also become eligible for the subsidy when he or she becomes a legal guardian of the child. Studies show that children who are placed with relatives or close non-related persons have a higher instance of staying in that home permanently, thereby giving the child a stable environment. Because of the many benefits that children experience when they find a forever home, I am hopeful that Senate Bill 47 would ultimately be signed by the governor.

Another bill I sponsored this year is also awaiting the governor’s signature after making it through the full legislative process. Senate Bill 77 is a bill that would allow the St. Louis, Girls Inc., organization to continue operating and providing a safe and empowering environment for young women. Senate Bill 191, is a bill that I have sponsored for the last two sessions.  It would allow the Public Service Commission to publish certain documents electronically which would result in an estimated $10,000 annual savings to the commission. Senate Bill 77 was delivered to the governor for final consideration and Senate Bill 191 was signed by the governor on May 16.

Another bill I sponsored this session was Senate Bill 366, which would provide funding to help rebuild some of the infrastructure in Joplin that remains damaged from the tornado that struck the town two years ago. Although Senate Bill 366 passed the Senate by a unanimous vote, it did not make it to a final vote in the House. However, the provisions in Senate Bill 366 were amended onto House Bill 1035, which was truly agreed to by both chambers and also awaits final approval by the governor.

Aside from the legislation I carried, the Senate as a whole had a very productive session.

A major priority for the Senate this session was to stabilize the state’s Second Injury Fund.  Senators did just that through Senate Bill 1, which limits the liability employers face, protects injured workers and helps to stabilize the fund.

Another priority of the Senate this session was that of spurring economic activity and generating growth.  In Senate Bill 26, senators passed legislation that would cut the personal income tax rate of Missourians and free up capital for job creators. It was the single largest tax overhaul in the state since 1921.

Education was another priority for the Senate this year.  In addition to passing a balance budget that included historic levels of funding for education, the Senate also passed Senate Bill 7, which removes the two-year waiting period between the time that a school becomes unaccredited and the automatic dissolution of the district.  The bill allows the Missouri State Board of Education to intervene more rapidly to ensure that students are receiving a quality education.

The Senate also passed SB 20, which extends certain benevolent tax credits through December 2019, to people who make donations to pregnancy centers, child crisis nurseries and food pantries.  This bill encourages individuals to donate directly to local programs thereby helping their local communities.

The Senate also passed SB 10, a measure that allows the state to issue up to $3 million annually to organizers who bring amateur sporting events to the state. This tax credit program differs from most others as the state is almost guaranteed to receive its investment back.  Those that travel to watch these events will help the local economy by staying in local hotels, shopping at local stores and eating at local establishments. 

Aside from the Senate priorities, other issues arose during the session that received a lot of attention, including that of allegations that the Missouri Department of Revenue scanned and collected citizens’ private information as part of a new policy for issuing driver’s licenses or CCW permits, despite the fact that rules to create the policy were not properly promulgated.

The issue was brought to the attention of state officials after a resident in Stoddard County filed a lawsuit against the department for scanning and collecting personal documents.  Senator Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, investigated the issue and discovered the private information was collected and shared with the Social Security Administration.

All senators took the issue very seriously and spent the session furthering investigating the matter to ensure the privacy rights of Missourians are protected.  Though the issue was brought to life during this session it will certainly not be an issue that loses steam.

This brief overview touches on only a few of the many important conversations and debates that were had in Jefferson City this session.  As senators return to their districts for the interim, each will have an opportunity to begin working on legislative ideas for the 2014 session and to focus on events and meetings with constituents in their districts. This interim will be no different for me as I will work to research ideas for next session that will help to move Missouri forward while spending time with constituents and attending district events to stay connected with the residents of the 24th District.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or need any assistance.  As always, thank you for your continued support.