Missouri Senate Newsroom

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    Aug. 23, 2011

Special Session Announced to Consider Job Creation Initiatives and Tax Credit Reform

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 Lawmakers Will Return to Jefferson City Sept. 6


JEFFERSON CITY — A previous agreement between Senate and House leaders has resulted in the call of a special session for September.  Members of the General Assembly will return to Jefferson City on Tuesday, Sept. 6, to consider legislation that contains incentives for businesses to expand or relocate to Missouri.  During special session, the Legislature will also debate a measure that would move the date of Missouri’s presidential primary from February to March, and legislation that would place the control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to the City of St. Louis.

The issues laid out by the governor for lawmakers to consider during special session were previously addressed during the 2011 legislative session.   Senator Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield, handled House Bill 116 in the Senate last session.  The measure, which received the Senate’s approval, was designed to reduce or eliminate various tax credits for businesses and developers and create new incentives to bring businesses to Missouri.

Sponsored by Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, Senate Bill 282 would have made various changes to a number of laws related to elections and public contracts in the state.  The bill was approved by the General Assembly, but was later vetoed by the governor.

And Senate Bill 23, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, would have allowed the City of St. Louis to control its police force, among other provisions.  Time ran out in the regular legislative session before the measure could receive final approval.

Special sessions, also known as extraordinary sessions, can be called by the governor to bring lawmakers back to Jefferson City to consider measures he deems necessary, according to Article IV, Section 9.  During this time, the General Assembly can convene for 60 days when the governor calls a special session (Section 20 (a) under Article III).  Special sessions can be held back-to-back or congruently.

Since 1995, the Legislature has met for seven extraordinary sessions:

  • 1997 First Extraordinary Session – Passed two measures pertaining to appropriations for the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health, and funding for statewide elected officials, judiciary and the Legislature.
  • 1997 Second Extraordinary Session – Approved four bills regarding programs coordinated or administered by the Department of Economic Development, nonprofit sewer companies and corporations, and a sales tax for the construction of civic/convention centers.
  • 2003 First Extraordinary Session – Passed four measures addressing appropriations for various state departments and boards, including the Department of Health and Mental Health, the Department of Social Services, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Higher Education.
  • 2003 Second Extraordinary Session – Approved legislation modifying the law regarding the hiring of employees for in-home and home health agencies.
  • 2005 Extraordinary Session – Passed four measures relating to abortion, the application of the workers’ compensation system to certain cases, technical corrections to various criminal statutes, and the posting of certain personal information on the Internet.  The Legislature also adopted a concurrent resolution encouraging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to not implement an artificial “spring rise.”
  • 2007 Extraordinary Session – Approved two bills that changed the laws regarding economic incentive and development programs and allowed the Highways and Transportation Commission to modify bonding requirements for projects designated as design-build-finance-maintain projects that exceed 25 years.
  • 2010 Extraordinary Session – Passed two measures regarding state employee retirement systems and the establishment of the Manufacturing Jobs Act, which provides incentives for qualified manufacturing companies and qualified suppliers that create or retain Missouri jobs.

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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