JEFFERSON CITY—Following the governor’s call last week for the Legislature to return to Jefferson City for a special session, the Missouri Senate today (6/24) convened at noon to begin work on two measures, one aimed at providing tax incentives to certain companies that create Missouri jobs, and another that would reform the state employee pension system.
This special session marks the first time since 2007 that lawmakers have been called back to the Capitol. During the 2007 special session, the Legislature passed an economic development package, as well as a transportation bill.
This year, the governor is asking the Legislature to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act, legislation that would provide tax incentives for qualified suppliers or manufacturing facilities that create or retain Missouri jobs and bring new product lines to the state. The bill, HB 2 , is aimed at enticing Ford Motor Company to manufacture a new product line at its existing automotive plant in Claycomo.
Under the bill, the total amount of tax incentives—or allowed retention of employee withholdings taxes—would be capped at $15 million each year, and the qualified company would need to meet a specific set of requirements to receive the tax credits.
To offset the costs of the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act, the governor is also calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would reform the state employee pension system. The provisions are contained within SB 1, which is sponsored by Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau).
Pension reform, which was part of the Senate’s “Rebooting Government ” efforts during the regular session, involves creating a new retirement plan for anyone who becomes a state employee on or after January 1, 2011 (the changes would not affect current state employees). Members of this new system would be required to contribute 4 percent of their pay to the retirement system and work for the state for at least 10 years to gain ownership of their benefits. For regular retirement eligibility under the new plan, employees would need to reach age 67 and have at least 10 years of service, or reach age 55 with the sum of their age and service equaling at least 90.
The bill would also create the Missouri State Retirement Investment Board to manage the investment of the assets of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS) and the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees Retirement System (MPERS). Senate Bill 1 would require an affirmative vote by both systems to participate in the new Missouri State Retirement Investment Board.
The House also introduced a version of the pension reform bill, HB 1 .
Versions of all these measures were considered during the regular legislative session, but a consensus was not reached before the Legislature adjourned on May 14. The special session is expected to run through Thursday, July 1.
Listen to The Senate Minute’s report for this week.
Legislation Signed into Law
With the July 14 deadline to sign bills into law rapidly approaching, the governor also signed several bills into law recently, some of which include:
House Bill 2198 (effective Aug. 28, handled by Sen. John Griesheimer, R-Washington)
Changes provisions of the Missouri Motor Vehicle Franchise Practices Act, which sets rules regarding the relationship between automobile dealers and manufacturers. Some of the provisions include:
- Protecting geographical sales areas for dealerships.
- Requiring a reopened or replaced franchise to be offered to the former owner if a dealership reopens within two miles of the closed established place of business.
- Allowing for the filing of a complaint instead of an application for a hearing before the Administrative Hearing Commission regarding a violation of the act.
- Revising existing and establishing additional unlawful practice violations.
- Specifying the right to appeal a judgment of the commission in court, and allowing actual damages, court costs and punitive damages to be recovered.
- Protecting dealers from damaged inventory received from a manufacturer.
House Bill 1858 (effective Aug. 28)
Transfers administrative responsibility for the Minority Teaching Scholarship Program from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to the Department of Higher Education (DHE), and responsibility for the Minority and Underrepresented Environmental Literacy Program from the Department of Natural Resources to DHE.
House Bill 1840 (effective Aug. 28, handled by Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter)
Changes the membership of the Rice Advisory Council and revises the definition of "handler" to include a person in the business of buying rice and excludes a person who is a producer, and revises the definition of "end user" to exclude a business that is a producer for the purposes of determining membership eligibility on the council.
Creates the Missouri Rice Certification Fund consisting of fees collected under the Missouri Rice Certification Act. The fund will be administered by the Department of Agriculture and used for the sampling and testing of rice.
House Bill 1270 (effective Aug. 28)
Changes the name of the Crippled Children's Service within the Department of Health and Senior Services to the Children's Special Health Care Needs Service. Also renames the Crippled Children's Service Fund as the Children's Special Health Care Needs Service Fund, and specifies that the services are for a child who has a physical disability or special health care need.
Senate Bill 774 (effective Aug. 28, sponsored by Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis)
Creates the crime of endangering a Department of Mental Health employee, visitor or other person at a secured facility, or another person ordered to the department.
House Bill 1516 (effective Aug. 28, handled by Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah)
Repeals various expired provisions in the Revised Statutes of Missouri as identified in the January 2010 Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Legislative Research on Laws Which Expire, Sunset, Terminate, or Become Ineffective.
House Bill 1654 (effective Aug. 28)
Requires a notice of garnishment and a writ of sequestration to contain only the last four digits of a person's Social Security number rather than the full number.
House Bill 2056 (effective Aug. 28, handled by Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit)
Requires that a lien on real estate that is obtained based on a judgment or order for unpaid child support or maintenance show only the last four digits of the individual’s Social Security number instead of the full number.
This legislative update is written periodically throughout the interim. To follow these and other issues facing the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation as it passes through the General Assembly, learn more about their district, or, when the Legislature is in session, listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens. For more legislative news, please visit the Senate Newsroom . There you will find various audio and video programs and other services, such as:
- Missouri Legislative Update (MLU) – A video program produced periodically throughout the year that provides an overview of the news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missourians.
- Capital Dialogue – Missourinet's Bob Priddy hosts this monthly half-hour roundtable program bringing legislators together from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives from different political parties to discuss their positions on specific issues and legislation.
- This Week in the Missouri Senate – A weekly five-minute audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate. Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format.
- Senate Minute – A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news. Programs are posted in .mp3 format and are available through podcast. All four of these programs give listeners the option of subscribing via podcast.
- Daily Audio / Video Clips – Throughout the year, the Senate Newsroom posts broadcast-quality audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.
- Daily News Clips – The Senate Newsroom compiles daily news clips from various print and online publications that cover issues relating to the Legislature and state government. An archive of past clips is maintained online and is offered as a subscription service.
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