Legislative Column for the Week of April 6, 2015

Senate Approves $26 Billion State Spending Plan
for Fiscal Year 2016

Last November, Missouri voters passed Amendment 10, which gave legislators the authority to override any of the governor’s line-item budget vetoes, as well as any decisions to withhold money from the state budget. Because of these new legislative powers, it has been a priority since day one of session to get the budget on the governor’s desk in enough time to address any funds the governor chooses to withhold.

Determined to accomplish this goal, on Wednesday, the Missouri Senate approved the state’s $26 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2016 after nearly 12 hours of intense discussion. Crafting the state budget is a long and meticulous process; as the Legislature’s only constitutionally required duty, however, it’s also the most important undertaking each session.

The most contentious part of the budget debate came in the early morning hours, as legislation moving approximately 200,000 of Missouri’s Medicaid recipients from a fee-for-service system to managed care plans passed after a lengthy six-hour filibuster. Managed care tends to focus more on preventive care.

Another major change included in the Senate’s budget proposal is the plan to appropriate lump sum amounts to the Missouri Departments of Mental Health, Social Services, and Health and Senior Services, as opposed to specifying amounts for each department’s programs. Opponents of this plan have been quick to say that the funding of these departments is being slashed. This is not true. These departments aren’t having their budgets cut. In fact, they are getting even more this year than they spent last year; they simply aren’t getting as much as they had requested.

The change to how these departments receive their funding is an effort to rein in runaway welfare spending. Every year, our social services departments are eating up more and more of our state budget. We must get a handle on their spending and put our state on a more financially sustainable path.

The Senate’s version of the budget also provides for an additional $84.2 million in foundation formula funding for elementary and secondary education, $27.6 million in performance-based funding for higher education and approximately $6.5 million in funding for our community and state technical colleges. Providing for the education of our children today, so we may have a highly educated workforce tomorrow, is the single greatest investment we can make. The education funding contained in this year’s budget is a good start, but we still have a long way to go.

Twelve of the 13 appropriation bills that make up this year’s operating budget will now go to a conference committee, where members from both chambers will work out any differences between the House and Senate versions before being delivered to the governor. While changes will undoubtedly be made, the Legislature has done a great job in creating the most fiscally responsible budget Missouri has seen in years.

In other legislative news, I’m very pleased to say that two measures I sponsored this session are now one step further along in the process: Senate Bill 445, allowing Ameren to purchase and use their own air quality monitoring system to monitor sulfur dioxide emissions, was perfected Wednesday afternoon; and Senate Bill 230, expanding telehealth services in Missouri, was third read and passed by the Senate on Thursday.

Finally, I was very pleased to welcome so many consitutents and groups to the Capitol this week, including: Vicki Reeves and Lauren Barret with MO Alliance for Animal Legislation; Gary Masters of Festus; Rachel Bradshaw and Rachel Masters with Easter Seals; Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner; members of the Ste. Genevieve FFA: Doug Basler, Michael Turner, Kendall Sulkowski, Jessica Boyer, Regan Zerwig, Freda Smith and Kelly Sulkowski; as well as members of the Ironton FFA: Silas Cofer; Jordan Watts; Michelle Browers; Lena Mcgill; and Tony and Jan Harbison.

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; re-referred to the House Emerging Issues Committee.

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; hearing conducted in the House Local Government Committee.

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; hearing scheduled in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

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 in 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.

Approved by the Senate; first read in the House.

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. Perfected by the Senate.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 5

Creates the Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force.

Approved by the Senate and House.