A Full Committee Schedule and the State of the Judiciary
We just finished another exciting week in the Missouri Senate. Our schedule of committee hearings was full, with bills presented morning and afternoon each day.
The Judiciary Committee, which I chair, held its first hearing, with two bills and one resolution presented before the committee. One bill would expand the list of non-violent criminal convictions that could be expunged from a person’s record following a sufficient span of an otherwise law-abiding life. The other bill, and a related resolution, would change the process of impeachment of public officials.
I also serve on the Government Reform Committee. This week, the committee heard testimony on the complex topic of “joinder and venue.” Simply put, this bill addresses who can be a party to a lawsuit and where the case can be heard. It’s a surprisingly contentious issue and one with wide-ranging implications for both plaintiffs and defendants.
SENATE BILL 155 PRESENTED TO COMMITTEE
This past week, I presented Senate Bill 155 to the Missouri Senate Committee on Seniors, Family and Children. This bill establishes the Narcotics Control Act and will finally institute a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Missouri is the only state in America that does not have a statewide PDMP. It’s time to change that.
The director of the Department of Health and Senior Services calls opioid addiction Missouri’s No. 1 health crisis. Overdoses of narcotic painkillers and other opioid drugs are one of the leading non-natural causes of death in Missouri. More Missourians lose their lives from drug overdoses than die in car crashes. That’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
Groups as diverse as the Missouri Medical Association, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Farm Bureau have identified the passage of a statewide PDMP as a top priority for this legislative session. Representatives of those groups were on hand as the committee began to consider the bill. I was thrilled to see the committee’s hearing room jam-packed with people standing in line to testify in favor of this legislation.
The committee heard from physicians and pharmacists who said they need a strong prescription drug monitoring program to provide the information they need to make the best possible decisions for patients. All of those in the room were struck with emotion as witnesses spoke of the devastation opioid addiction brought to their families.
Ultimately, those families are the reason this bill is necessary. A PDMP alone will not solve the opioid addiction crisis. It is a critical tool, and I believe it will allow doctors and pharmacists to recognize addictive behavior and save lives.
STATE OF THE JUDICIARY ADDRESS
The chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court delivered the annual State of the Judiciary speech to a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly on Wednesday, January 30.
The chief justice called on lawmakers to honor the governor’s funding request for treatment courts, which seek to heal, rather than punish those who run afoul of the law due to substance abuse. The judge also highlighted treatment courts that specifically address the needs of veterans. Three dozen counties, as well as the cities of Kansas City and St. Louis, now have veteran’s treatment courts.
Also on the subject of the military, lawmakers learned of a new program that allows attorney spouses of military personnel stationed in Missouri to apply for a temporary license to practice law in the state.
The judge also updated legislators on efforts to decrease pre-trial detention of criminal defendants. New rules, which take effect in July, require courts to first seek non-monetary conditions for pre-trial release and impose bail only when necessary. Pre-trial detention will only be permitted when other means are not sufficient to ensure the defendant’s court appearance or to protect the safety of the community or other persons.
Other topics in the address included a program to encourage retired attorneys to volunteer to represent clients who cannot afford legal counsel, the need to invest in technology for the continued success of Missouri’s court automation plan and a reminder of the need for an independent judiciary. For those of us who are passionate about the law and its courts, it was a thoughtful and engaging speech.
It is my great honor to represent the citizens of Platte and Buchanan counties in the Missouri Senate. Please contact my office at 573-751-2183, or visit www.senate.mo.gov/luetkemeyer.