This week marked our 15th week of the 2014 legislative session.  Overall, it was quite productive.

Monday afternoon began with debate on Senate Bill 966, sponsored by Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, pertaining to ethics laws in Missouri.  A substitute version of the bill that was introduced during floor debate includes ideas of Sen. Lager’s, as well as many of the ideas I put forth in Senate Bill 512, also pertaining to ethics.  I’ve touched on the ideas contained in that bill in previous columns, but some of the major updates to ethics laws would include a revolving-door provision that would prevent legislators from becoming lobbyists immediately upon retiring and/or being termed out of the Legislature.  Under the bill, a former legislator would be required to wait two years before taking a job as a lobbyist.  Additional provisions would require legislators to reimburse lobbyists for any gifts they receive and prevent lobbyists from reporting expenditures, such as meals, to an entire committee without reporting the individual legislators in attendance.  Another provision would require political consultants in Missouri to register with the Missouri Ethics Commission.  The bill was debated for a few hours before being placed on the informal calendar, meaning it can be brought up for debate at any point in the future.

 

On Wednesday morning, the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard testimony on House Joint Resolution 68, sponsored by Rep. Hinson, R-St. Clair.  The resolution would, upon voter approval, raise the state sales and use tax by 1 percent for a period of 10 years.  The proceeds from the increased tax would be used for transportation purposes.  Many of you might remember this idea from last year.  It became the topic of much debate on the Senate floor during the final weeks of session.  I was one of those opposed to this approach to funding our transportation needs.  While I wholeheartedly support the fact that we need to fund Missouri’s transportation infrastructure, and in fact see it as one of the basic responsibilities of government, I do not believe that raising the sales tax is the appropriate avenue.  This year, I sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 43 and Senate Bill 987, which would require a portion of the state sales and use tax that is currently collected to be deposited into the State Road Fund to be used solely for transportation infrastructure purposes.  The amount deposited into the fund would be phased in over a period of four years.  Once fully phased in, one-eighth of all state sales and use taxes collected would be deposited into the State Road Fund.  I prefer this approach because it redirects existing government revenue rather than raising taxes on Missourians, and provides a permanent funding source for our state’s infrastructure.  If the constitutional amendment in the Senate joint resolution were to be approved by the General Assembly, it would still be contingent upon a vote of the people.

 

Also on Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee met to hear House Bill 1490, the House version of the Common Core bill.  HB 1490 closely resembles a substitute bill in the Senate that combines Senate Bills 798 and 514.  The substitute for those bills and House Bill 1490 contain language that would create work groups to draft new Missouri state standards for education that would take the place of Common Core once drafted and implemented.  As I mentioned in the column last week, this new language received bi-partisan support in the House, with a vote of 132 in support and only 19 representatives opposing the bill.  Both the House and Senate bills were voted out of the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday and were read in to the floor on Thursday, thereby meaning we could potentially debate them as early as next week.

 

This week I had the great pleasure of welcoming several school groups to the Capitol.  On Monday, students from Rohan Woods in Warson Woods spent the day touring the Capitol building and learning about the Missouri State Legislature.   On Tuesday, students from St. Monica in Creve Coeur visited and spent the day touring sites inside and outside the building.  Groups had the opportunity to tour the Governor’s Mansion, the Supreme Court, the Capitol building and an opportunity to meet with representatives on the House floor.  It’s always a fun experience to welcome students to Jefferson City and introduce them to the legislative process.

 

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to present Kay Park to the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee. Kay is a resident of Ladue and a practicing audiologist in St. Louis. She was recently appointed to the Missouri Genetic Advisory Committee by Gov. Nixon. I was pleased to present her to the committee and very much enjoyed learning about her impressive background. Her appointment was confirmed by the full Senate on Thursday.

 

As we mark the end of our 15th week, we are now preparing for the final month of session.  Over the next few weeks, we will be examining and passing the state budget and tackling some of the bigger issues of the session.  I encourage you to stay engaged during this time, as this is when a majority of our work is accomplished.  As always, feel free to call or email me any questions you might have.  Best wishes to you and your families for a wonderful holiday weekend.