| Capitol Briefing for the Week of Jan. 19, 2015 | |
Senate Committees Begin Meeting to Consider 2015 Legislation |
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JEFFERSON CITY—The Missouri Senate spent most of its legislative work week in committees, where members of the upper chamber held public hearings on a number of bills. Many of the measures considered this week were pegged as legislative priorities by President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey during his opening day address, including legislation aimed at bolstering Missouri’s agricultural industry and reforming Missouri’s municipal court system. The week also concluded with the Senate Appropriations Committee in possession of the governor’s budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2016, delivered concurrently to the General Assembly with his annual State of the State address. Committees Begin Meeting The Seniors, Families and Children Committee met on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 20. The panel held a public hearing on Senate Bill 24, sponsored by Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville. The measure modifies requirements to receive public assistance, including a provision that would require any savings as a result of changes to Missouri’s TANF or SNAP programs be used to provide child care assistance to single parents, educational assistance and job training for individuals receiving benefits under the two programs. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee met to hear public testimony on Senate Bill 12, sponsored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown. The legislation is aimed at supporting Missouri’s farming industry. Key among the provisions is the Dairy Revitalization Act, which would:
Senate Bill 12 would also modify the Missouri Livestock Marketing Law and provisions relating to certified commercial pesticide applicators and weight limitations on vehicles hauling milk and livestock. The Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee also held a hearing on Wednesday to consider Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, which would reform Missouri’s municipal courts, chiefly by reining in the practice of overly relying on traffic fines to generate local operating revenue. In the mid-1990s, the Missouri Legislature passed what is known as the “Macks Creek Law,” which limits cities and towns in the state from collecting more than 45 percent of their total revenue from speeding tickets. The measure was named after the town of Macks Creek, once known for being a notorious speed-trap for Missouri motorists. Macks Creek was found to be collecting more than 80 percent of its revenue from traffic tickets. The law ended the practice. This year, Sen. Schmitt prefiled Senate Bill 5, which modifies Macks Creek Law. Under the legislation, local municipalities would only be allowed to fund 10 percent of their budgets with revenue generates by traffic tickets or fines. Any revenue collected above that threshold would be sent to the Department of Revenue, which would then annually distribute the funds to the schools of the county in the same manner other penalty proceeds are distributed. Additionally, the Senate Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 14, sponsored by Sen. Munzlinger. The measure would require all departments and divisions of the state, including statewide offices, to post copies of contracts entered into for the provision of legal services from outside firms on the Missouri Accountability Portal. The Veterans’ Affairs and Health Committee met Thursday morning, Jan. 22, to consider four measures, including Senate Bill 26, which establishes requirements for authorized entities to stock epinephrine (EPI) auto-injectors for use in emergencies. The panel also heard testimony on Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph. Right now, the Department of Health and Senior Services is required to issue a public report based on compiled data showing the infection incidence rate for certain infections for Missouri hospitals and surgical centers. Senate Bill 10 would add other infections to that list. The bill would also request hospitals and surgical centers to establish an Antibiotic Stewardship Program for evaluating the judicious use of antibiotics, especially antibiotics that are the last line of defense against resistant infections. The Stewardship Program procedures shall be reported quarterly to the department, which shall make those results available to the public on its website. Senate Bill 8, also sponsored by Sen. Schaaf and heard on Thursday, prohibits the enforcement of any contractual provision that prevents disclosure of the contractual payment amount for health care services. The Veterans’ Affairs and Health Committee additionally took testimony on Senate Bill 35, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau. The legislation would require the Department of Social Services to terminate MO HealthNet services, Missouri’s Medicaid program, when it receives information that an enrollee resides out of state. Also on Thursday morning, the Ways and Means Committee met to consider four measures. Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, would create the Office of Taxpayer Advocate. The Taxpayer Advocate will be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Taxpayer Advocate would have the authority to work with taxpayers regarding tax issues and will have access to information held by any state agency regarding the taxpayer's tax issue. The office must submit to the governor and General Assembly a regular report detailing the operations of the office as well as any suggested legislation for improving Missouri's tax laws. Senate Bill 15 would also amend the Missouri Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to include a right to fair and consistent application of Missouri tax laws, along with creating the Study Commission on State Tax Policy. Senate Bill 18 filed by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, would require the Department of Revenue (DOR) to notify sellers if there is a change in sales tax law interpretation. If the department fails to notify a seller of the change, the seller would not be liable for the additional taxes to be collected until the seller is notified. Additionally, DOR would be required to update its website with information regarding modifications of sales tax law. The bill is a result of public hearings held by the Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Tax Administration, chaired by Sen. Kraus. The group investigated the procedures and policies used by the Department of Revenue to collect taxes on individuals and businesses. The Ways and Means Committee also heard Senate Bill 19, sponsored by Sen. Kraus, which creates a new method for allocating corporate income between states for tax purposes, and Senate Bill 20, also sponsored by Sen. Kraus, which creates a sales and use tax exemption for materials and utilities used by commercial laundries. Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Work Begins Two notable events this week marked the beginning of work on the next fiscal year’s operating plan for the state. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, heard preliminary testimony from state departments and agencies on their financial needs for the upcoming fiscal year. Members of the panel will take this into consideration as they craft the Senate’s version of the budget. Then, on Wednesday evening, Jan. 21, members of the Senate joined their colleagues in the Missouri House to hear the governor’s annual State of the State address, in which he described his view of the General Assembly’s legislative priorities for the session, along with the release of his budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2016. The Appropriations Committee met the following morning to discuss the governor’s budget plan, along with Fiscal Year 2015 supplemental recommendations and overall FY 2016 statewide issues. Now that Senate Appropriations has those recommendations, they’ll use them as a basis to begin creating the upper chamber’s version of the state’s annual operating plan. The House, where the budget bills will first be debated and approved, has also begun committee work on the FY 2016 budget. The 2015 legislative session runs until May 15. To follow these and other issues before the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation considered by the General Assembly during the 2015 session, learn more about their legislative district and listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens on the Senate floor. The Missouri Senate’s Capitol Briefing will be distributed and posted weekly throughout session. For more legislative news, please visit the Senate newsroom at www.senate.mo.gov/newsroom, where you will find various audio and video programs and other informational services, such as:
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