JEFFERSON CITY—Today (12/1) marked the first day that bills pre-filed by Missouri senators for the 2010 legislative session could be assigned a bill number.

In preparation for the beginning of the legislative session in January, Missouri Senate rules allow pre-filed bills to receive a number beginning Dec. 1 (senators may pre-file bills as soon as July 1 each year). It is customary that each member of the Senate, beginning with the most senior member, picks his or her top three priority bills, which are then each assigned a number.

Lawmakers may pre-file bills continuing up to, but not including, the first day of session. Bills filed during this pre-introduction period are automatically introduced and read the first time on the opening day of session. Bills may also be introduced by any senator during the session, up until a certain deadline.

The bill pre-filing process is well underway, with Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, today introducing legislation that would create the position of an independent investigator within the Ethics Commission, bar certain contributions to incumbent officials during session and expand income reporting requirements to include legislative staff.

Specifically, the Senate bill, which will be assigned a number by the end of the day, would create the Office of Independent Investigation within the Ethics Commission to investigate potential ethics violations and file ethics complaints. Complaints filed by the office would continue to be handled in the same manner as they currently are handled.

The measure would also bar lobbyists from contributing to any incumbent legislator’s candidate committee, incumbent governor's candidate committee, any continuing committee, or any campaign committee during the regular session of the General Assembly that runs from January to May. The prohibition would also apply to any incumbent governor's candidate committee or any continuing or campaign committee when legislation from the regular session awaits gubernatorial action.

The only exemption in the bill would be for those incumbents seeking office in a special election. The bill defines a lobbyist as someone who is employed to influence legislation on a regular basis.

The final provision would require all employees and staff of the General Assembly—including employees of the majority and minority caucuses of both chambers—to file yearly financial interest statements disclosing supplemental income received totaling $5,000 or more. The disclosure must include the source of the income and the general nature of the business conducted.

A summary, as well as full text of the bill and all others pre-filed before the 2010 legislative session will be available online at www.senate.mo.gov in the coming weeks.

In other Senate news, today Sen. Shields appointed Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, to serve as chairman of the Senate Education Committee. The panel is responsible for matters affecting early childhood learning, elementary and secondary schools, and higher education in Missouri. The appointment is effective today, December 1.

Senator Pearce is replacing Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, who was recently appointed to serve as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee after former chairman Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, resigned from the committee to pursue other opportunities.

Senator Pearce was appointed vice-chairman of the Senate Education Committee at the beginning of the 2009 legislative session after he was sworn in as a new member to the Missouri Senate.

The Second Regular Session of the 95th Missouri General Assembly begins at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010. For more information about the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or e-mail newsroom@senate.mo.gov. 

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