JEFFERSON CITY, MO Having devoted some 30 hours of floor debate over three consecutive days last week to legislation enacting various changes to civil liability laws and trial procedures, Sen. John Cauthorn and his Senate colleagues gave SB 280 first-round approval. This week, in relatively quick order, the Senate voted to pass the bill and send it to the House of Representatives.

"Some said that placing award caps and trial location stipulations would restrict a plaintiff's right to seek justice in the courts," Cauthorn said. "But what this bill is really set to do is smooth out spikes in jury awards, which contribute directly to liability insurance rate hikes. Rising medical malpractice insurance costs are forcing many doctors to restrict the types of services they provide or to quit their professions altogether and the same thing is happening in small business, too. We need doctors, we need commerce, and this legislation will help keep both in Missouri."

The Senate's "tort reform" bill can be signed into law if it earns House approval.

The Senate's Small Business, Insurance and Industrial Relations Committee this week heard testimony on Cauthorn's "Missouri Physicians Mutual Insurance Company Act." Senate Bill 658 would create an independent public corporation for the purpose of insuring Missouri physicians, their employees and their business against liability for professional negligence and other casualty losses.

"This is designed to help reduce soaring medical malpractice insurance premiums we've all been talking about for the past few months," said Cauthorn. "It's not the final solution, but it's an important step in the process of keeping doctors from heading to other states."

The Senate's Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee this week approved a measure creating a "Competition and Privatization" subcommittee within the Joint Committee on Legislative Research. Cauthorn explained that SCR 13 would have subcommittee members study ways in which the state can reduce costs and increase efficiencies by making the best use of competitive bidding and sub-contracting practices. Committee approvals send the resolution to the full Senate.

The Senate's Financial and Governmental Organization, Veterans' Affairs and Elections Committee this week approved a measure that would put Missouri election laws in compliance with the "Help America Vote Act of 2002." Among several provisions, SB 569 would require the secretary of state to provide voter registration information to absent uniformed services voters on federal office elections, create a statewide pool of election judges and implement a computerized statewide voter registration list.

The full Senate will now debate the election measure, which has an identical House companion bill wending its way through the legislative process.

The Senate Financial and Governmental Organization, Veterans' Affairs and Elections Committee heard testimony this week on a measure that would eliminate Missouri's presidential primary elections. Senate Bill 531 would return Missouri to the caucus system, where presidential candidates are chosen in political party meetings.

"At first this might look like a step in the wrong direction, like the power of choice is being shifted from a large group of voters to a much smaller group," Cauthorn said. "But these special statewide elections cost us nearly $4 million each time, and voter turnout barely tops 15 out of 100. Let's let the political parties choose their candidates and let the voters choose the President."

The Senate's Economic Development, Tourism and Local Government Committee this week held a hearing on the "Missouri Rural Economic Stimulus Act." Cauthorn explained that SB 692 would allow certain municipalities to create a Rural Economic Stimulus Authority to oversee the building of facilities producing alternative fuels, such as ethanol and bio-diesel.

"The panel would submit a development plan to the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority for approval to use incentive-based plans that return some sales and/or property tax proceeds back to the project," Cauthorn said. "It's a bill that acknowledges the important role that Missouri's rural communities have on the Show-Me State's economy."

Committee approval would send the economic development measure to the Senate floor for debate by the full body.

Each year, the state budget draws the most amount of work, debate and time from the 197 members of the General Assembly. As it has in most years past, the House initiated the budget process, recently adopted their version of the series of appropriations bills that fund the various state agencies, and sent the proposals to the Senate. The draft version the House has sent to the Senate relies heavily on lump-sum appropriations, allocating funding on a department-by-department basis, rather than the more detailed program-by-program basis used in prior legislative sessions.

"This is a new approach to writing the budget and I can see good and bad things about it," Cauthorn said. "What we'll have to do in the Senate is consider whether forcing department heads to make their funding priorities known to the General Assembly outweighs a reduction in the Legislature's degree of spending oversight, it is an interesting concept that the Senate will have to debate whether it is worth pursuing."

State Senators closed the week by adopting a resolution supporting U.S. efforts in the multi-national coalition working to bring democracy to the people of Iraq.

"Whatever your opinion was on Monday, our nation is now in battle," Cauthorn said. "Our President, our troops and soldiers of all countries engaged in this mission deserve our unwavering support."

Following a brief spring recess, the Missouri Senate will re-convene at 4:00 p.m. on March 31.