Executive Action on Senate Bills
Lead Measures Down Different Paths

JEFFERSON CITY — Just two days before the constitutional deadline for the governor to take action on legislation delivered to him by the General Assembly during the 2012 legislative session, eleven Senate bills approved by the Legislature today either joined others slated to become law on Aug. 28 or completed their legislative journey.

One of the measures signed into law today included Senate Bill 636, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis.  The bill changes various provisions relating to the judiciary system in Missouri.  The legislation creates the 14-member Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, which is charged with studying and analyzing the state child abuse and neglect report and investigation system; devising a plan for improving the decision process for removal of a child from a home; determining the additional personnel and resources necessary to adequately protect children and improve their welfare; and addressing the need for additional foster care homes and improving the quality of care provided to abused and neglected children in the custody of the state.

The legislation also addresses lawsuits regarding inverse condemnation and dangerous conditions on public property, information for release contained in the Department of Revenue’s motor vehicle or driver registration records, punishment for failing to pay Bi-State Development Agency fares, juvenile court jurisdiction, and video conferencing of probation and parole hearings, among other provisions.

Three measures also receiving the governor’s signature, all relating to transportation, include:

• Senate Bill 470, sponsored by Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, addresses the fees associated with the transportation of radioactive materials, creates new definitions to the Uniform Commercial Driver’s License Act, amends the state’s “Move Over” law to include certain MoDOT vehicles, and provides sales tax exemptions for certain motor vehicles in the state, among others.  Most provisions found in the act will take effect Aug. 28.

• Senate Bill 568, sponsored by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, is another encompassing transportation bill that includes many of the provisions found in Senate Bill 470.  Other sections found in the bill include language that addresses inspections for rebuilt salvage vehicles, certificates of title for new outboard motors, and boater safety identification cards for certain nonresidents visiting Missouri.

• Senate Bill 719, sponsored by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, also addresses boating safety identification cards and outboard motor titles, as well as exemptions for certain citizens regarding additional driving tests to obtain a motorcycle license.  In addition, the legislation modifies state law regarding selling or advertising merchandise or other goods in Missouri’s state parks.

The governor also vetoed several Senate bills, citing technical, constitutional or policy reasons for his disapproval.  Senate Bill 566, sponsored by Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, was among those measures vetoed today.  The legislation would have required owners of dogs and cats under suspicion of carrying rabies to provide documentation of vaccination or else surrender the animal.

Senate Bill 749, sponsored by Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, would have provided protection for the religious beliefs for those who provide certain health care services, such as abortion, contraception, or sterilization.  If signed into law today, the act would have taken effect immediately.

Senate Bill 569, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, would have made several changes in state law regarding elections, including prohibiting the printing of party emblems above a party caption on ballots, removing certain dates available for elections, and making it a class four election offense for an election authority or political subdivision to discourage potential candidates from filing for the purpose of eliminating the requirement to hold an election, among other provisions.

Also sponsored by Sen. Kraus, Senate Bill 715 would have allowed the Missouri Adjutant General to waive the age limit for service in the state militia on a case-by-case basis. 

Senate Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, sponsored Senate Bill 837, which would have changed the definition of franchise under Missouri franchise law between alcohol wholesalers and suppliers. 

Other bills vetoed by the governor today include Senate Bill 607, which would have established a procedure for resetting billboards during periods of highway construction; and Senate Bill 635, which would have modified Missouri law relating to financial institutions, school funds, private roads, real estate appraisal, agricultural education programs, liens, and state purchasing preferences.

July 14 is the last day measures receiving legislative approval may receive executive action.  To see a complete list of the bills truly agreed to and finally passed by the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov and click on the “Truly Agreed Bills” link under the “Legislation” tab.  To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or email: newsroom@senate.mo.gov.