In the third to last week of the 2014 legislative session, the Senate spent a great amount of time debating the state’s budget, as well as several other priority bills for the session.

Senators returned early Monday afternoon to Jefferson City to begin floor discussion on the budget bills.  Every year, the budget process begins with state agencies submitting their budget requests to the Office of Administration’s Division of Budget and Planning. In mid-January, the governor presents his executive budget to the Legislature during the State of the State Address. After that, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, currently Rep. Rick Stream, introduces the annual appropriations bills. Those bills then each receive a hearing in House appropriations committees where the bills are modified and re-drafted to reflect the committees’ recommendations. The House Budget Committee then hears all of the bills, makes more changes if necessary, and send the bills to the House floor for debate.  Once passed by the House, the bills undergo the same process in the Senate.

Throughout Monday and Tuesday, the Senate approved a $26.8 billion budget that will increase funding for mental health services, K-12 and higher education, and social service programs. The Senate’s approved budget is based on a consensus revenue estimate of 2% growth. More information on this year’s budget can be found on Senate Appropriations Committee website: http://www.senate.mo.gov/14info/comm/aprp.htm

Most of Tuesday and Wednesday was spent debating House Bill 1490, the legislation relating to the Common Core State Standards. As I have discussed in previous columns, the bill aims to provide a much more transparent and open process for the development of our state’s education standards than was used when the CCSS were adopted.  That process includes creating work groups consisting of Missouri parents and educators who will gather to draft new standards for the state.   

Wednesday evening the House took up and debated Senate Bill 493, commonly referred to as the school transfer bill, that the Senate passed earlier this session.  Numerous amendments were offered during the debate before the final vote was recorded with 91 voting in favor of the bill and 46 opposed. Since there were changes to the bill from the version that passed the Senate, the bill now heads to the Senate where it can decide to accept the changes or request that a conference be granted to iron out the differences.

Thursday, the Senate debated a bill aimed at providing treatment for people living with epilepsy.  The bill would allow for the use of hemp extract, in the form of oil, which would be regulated by the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Health and Senior Services would issue a registration card to a Missouri resident who is 18 years old or older, or a parent or legal guardian of a minor, who has intractable epilepsy as determined by a neurologist. The bill is strictly limited to the use of hemp, or cannabidiol, oil. The bill passed the House by a vote of 139 to 13, received a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, and was third read and finally passed in the Senate on Thursday.

When we return next week, we will have two weeks left in the legislative session.  I assume both will be extremely busy.  I look forward to sharing updates on our work with you next Friday.  Best wishes to you and your families for a wonderful weekend.