JEFFERSON CITY—Lawmakers gathered for a joint legislative session of the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives this week to hear the governor’s long-anticipated recommendations for creating a fiscal year 2011 state budget, as well as his priorities for the 2010 legislative session.
The State of the State address, which was held in the House chamber at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, is an annual event that gives the governor an opportunity to outline his legislative goals and unveil his budget recommendations for the coming year to the full General Assembly. Given the current economic climate, it came as no surprise that job creation, small business development, investment in emerging industries and job training topped the governor’s legislative agenda. Other issues he prompted the General Assembly to address this year are autism insurance coverage, DWI laws and campaign contribution limits.
In terms of the budget, the governor proposed reducing general revenue spending by more than $250 million for the next fiscal year, bringing his overall budget recommendation for FY 2011 to $23.9 billion. Part of the governor’s budget proposal also calls for cutting 544 state jobs in addition to the 1,200 that have already been eliminated. While many lawmakers lauded his pledge to balance the budget without raising taxes, some expressed concern that the budget plan is too dependent on federal funding not guaranteed because it has yet to be approved by the U.S. Congress.
Full text and streaming video of the governor’s State of the State address is available here . The governor’s budget recommendations for FY 2011 are available here .
Listen to the Senate Minute’s report on the State of the State.
The Senate Appropriations Committee begins meeting next week and will take the governor’s recommendations under advisement as members begin building a budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2010, and runs through June 30, 2011.
In Senate news this week, a bill that would require health insurers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders was among the first to receive a committee hearing this session.
Senate Bill 618 , sponsored by Sen. Scott T. Rupp (R-Wentzville), was heard on Tuesday in the Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee . A committee hearing for a bill typically involves the measure first being presented by its sponsor, and then proponents and opponents both issuing opinions on the bill.
Under SB 618, health carriers that issue or renew health benefit plans on or after Aug. 28, 2010, must provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The bill would also prohibit health carriers from refusing to cover an individual or dependent solely because the individual is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Senator Rupp’s bill would, however, establish coverage restrictions for autism, limiting coverage to treatment that is ordered by the individual’s treating licensed physician or licensed psychologist, in accordance with a treatment plan.
Coverage provided under SB 618 for applied behavior analysis, a common teaching method for those with autism, would be subject to a maximum annual benefit of $72,000 for individuals under the age of 21 (no coverage for applied behavior analysis would be provided to those 21 years of age or older).
And finally, SB 618 would require the Missouri Department of Insurance to grant a waiver from the autism insurance coverage plan to small business employers that have group health plans if compliance with the new autism coverage plan raises premium costs by a certain percentage. Employers must demonstrate (over any consecutive 24-month period) that compliance with the coverage has increased the premium costs of their health insurance policy by at least 5 percent over the course of a calendar year.
The committee must vote on SB 618, making its recommendations for changes, if any, and pass the bill out of committee before sending it to the Senate floor for consideration by the full body.
Listen to the Senate Minute’s report on SB 618.
In other committee action, on Wednesday the Senate Education Committee received an update on Missouri’s application for the federal government’s Race to the Top program during its weekly meeting in the Capitol.
Race to the Top is a newly established, highly competitive $4.3 billion grant program that is challenging states to develop ambitious school-improvement proposals addressing four central areas of education reform. These areas are: developing standards and assessments, supporting instruction through data systems, cultivating great teachers and leaders, and turning around struggling schools.
At the committee hearing, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education presented an update on the state’s application, which was officially submitted Tuesday, Jan. 19—the deadline for first-round consideration for federal funding under the program. First-round awards are scheduled to be announced April 2010.
The Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee heard testimony this week on SCR 35 (sponsored by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton) and SCR 32 (sponsored by Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau), both of which ask the Legislature to undo a potential tax increase on some Missouri landowners. On Dec. 15, 2009, the Missouri State Tax Commission voted to increase land valuations on some grades of farmland in Missouri. If a resolution is not passed by the General Assembly rejecting the changes recommended by the commission within 60 days, the land valuation increases will take effect Jan, 1, 2011.
Click here to watch streaming video of Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis) discussing the legislation in committee.
Listen to the Senate Minute’s report on the issue.
And finally, the Senate Judiciary Committee this week heard testimony on a pair of identical bills that would regulate sexually oriented businesses in Missouri. Senate Bill 586 , sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit) and SB 617 , sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon) would, among other things, prohibit anyone from establishing a sexually oriented business within 1,000 feet of a pre-existing school, house of worship, state-licensed day care, public library, residence, or other sexually oriented business.
Click here to watch streaming video of Sen. Bartle presenting his bill to the committee.
Bill introductions also continued this week with Sen. Joseph Keaveny (D-St. Louis) filing a bill that would strengthen laws relating to “payday” loans (SB 811 ) and Sen. Luann Ridgeway (R-Smithville) filing a joint resolution that would replace all taxes on income with a sales and use tax (SJR 37 ). March 1 is the last day senators may file Senate bills for the 2010 session.
The Missouri Senate reconvenes at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25. The Second Regular Session of the 95th Missouri General Assembly runs through Friday, May 14, 2010.
This legislative update is written on a weekly basis. 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 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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