Senator Gary Romine

Legislative Column for the Week of March 16, 2015

Senate Concludes First Half of Session

With the end of session today, my colleagues and I in the Legislature will be traveling back to our home districts for our annual spring recess. In anticipation of a busy and productive second half of session, committees continued moving legislation through the process, and we advanced several measures to the House for its consideration.

Legislation I filed allows Ameren, upon approval by DNR, to purchase and use their own air quality monitoring system to monitor sulfur dioxide emissions, as required by the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 standards, was voted out of committee on Thursday. This legislation requires Ameren in conjunction with DNR to monitor levels and changes the reporting from yearly to quarterly. Since 2007, Ameren has spent approximately $1 billion complying with the EPA’s strict standards. Senate Bill 445 will help keep consumer rates down by reducing Ameren’s compliance costs. This is a proactive step in making sure Missouri can set the standards for how we want to control and gather data, and that we’re operating off the most accurate and reliable data going forward.

Health care reform legislation I filed pertaining to telehealth services is on the calendar and ready to be taken up by the Senate for debate. Senate Bill 230 expands the number of providers and health care sites that are eligible to provide telehealth services under our Medicaid program. Telehealth allows doctors to practice remotely, via a computer or telephone connection, increasing medical access to rural communities that usually don’t have access to specialists and the most advanced technologies. This is another of the needed reforms that came out of the Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation and Reform, which I chaired.

Also this week, the Senate third read and passed Senate Bill 330, a bonding measure authorizing the State Board of Public Buildings to issue renovation bonds for the renovation and repair of state-owned buildings. This measure would directly benefit several buildings within the 3rd Senate District, including the Farmington Correctional Center and Mineral Area Community College. Senate Bill 330 also includes a provision that would prohibit the governor from extending existing or issuing new bonds, including bonds for a new St. Louis Rams stadium, without legislative or voter approval.

Last Friday, I was honored to tour the Special Acres State School, located in Park Hills. Special Acres is a great school that serves Missouri students with severe disabilities. As a state, the most important thing we can do is take care of our most vulnerable citizens, and touring Special Acres was a great opportunity to see that in action. It was an extra special visit for me, since one of my granddaughters is a student there, and I was able to stop in and say hello to her class.

Finally, I welcomed a number of visitors to the Capitol this week. I was happy to meet with Sr. Anne Francioni and Natalie Williams from Whole Kids Outreach, along with Jennifer Hartburn, Shelly Wood, Kevin Fallert, Scott Stoddard, Pam Watkins, Emily Loft and Alan Barnette; Renee and Amanda Bates, of Jefferson County; Domien and Eileen Meert, of Festus, who were up advocating on behalf of the Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Christina Jackson and Audrey Yates from MSTA; Sandra Holifield, dental hygienist with COMTREA; and Ted Niedert with the Teamsters Local 600. It’s always a pleasure to meet with constituents and organizations from back home and hear their thoughts and concerns on legislation and state government.

Contact Me

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-4008. You may write me at Gary Romine, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101; or email me at gary.romine@senate.mo.gov; or www.senate.mo.gov/romine.

Sen. Romine’s Sponsored Legislation for 2015

Bill Number	Description	Status
Senate Bill 36	Modifies the law relating to the Missouri Human Rights Act and employment discrimination.	Hearing conducted in the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
Senate Bill 37	Awards attorney's fees and court costs in cases where a settlement offer was previously rejected and when the court rules on a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.	On the Senate Informal Perfection Calendar.
Senate Bill 38	Modifies provisions relating to the Joint Committee on MO HealthNet.	Approved by the Senate; second read in the House.
Senate Bill 68	Provides that directors of industrial development corporations in St. Francois County may be taxpayers and registered voters in the county.	Approved by the Senate; second read in the House.
Senate Bill 142	Requires the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a regulatory impact report when submitting a state implementation plan to the Environmental Protection Agency.	On the Senate Informal Perfection Calendar.
Senate Bill 143	Modifies the crime of animal trespass.	Bill combined with SBs 112, 212, 143 and 234.
Senate Bill 171	Modifies provisions relating to high school equivalency degree testing.	Referred to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 172	Requires the State Board of Education to establish minimum graduation requirements for a career and technical education high school diploma.	Passed by the Senate; first read in the House.
Senate Bill 173	Modifies state funding for small school districts.	Passed out of the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 224	Requires a student to be a United States citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program.	Passed by the Senate; second read by the House.
Senate Bill 225	Modifies Department of Natural Resources permit decision appeal procedures.	Passed out of the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee.
Senate Bill 230	Modifies provisions relating to the MO HealthNet program.	On the Senate Perfection Calendar.
Senate Bill 252	Prohibits two-way telecommunications devices and their component parts in correctional centers and jails.	Hearing conducted in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 253	Expands the authority of the Governor to convey easements without the approval of the General Assembly and expands the rights granted by the easements.	Referred to the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee.
Senate Bill 412	Modifies laws regarding arbitration agreements between employers and at-will employees.	Referred to the Senate Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee.
Senate Bill 413	Modifies provisions relating to natural resource damages authorized to be recovered by the state natural resources trustee.	Referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
Senate Bill 445	Requires owners of an electric generating unit in Jefferson County to develop an ambient air quality monitoring or modeling network.	On the Senate Perfection Calendar.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 5	Creates the Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force.	Approved by the Senate and House.