Numerous Measures Await Debate on Senate Floor

JEFFERSON CITY—The legislative work week in the Senate began a day late due to a winter storm that moved through Missouri late Sunday and early Monday, leaving heavy snow accumulation throughout portions of the state. The Senate began this week’s work on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. While lawmakers had one less day to work, priority legislation was heavily debated on the Senate floor, committees met to consider filed legislation, and the upper chamber sent a handful of bills to the House for consideration.

Legislation Approved by the Senate

On Monday, the Senate gave final approval to Senate Bill 149, sponsored by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, by a vote of 28-4. The legislation would create state and local sales and use tax exemptions for data storage centers and allows municipalities to enter into loan agreements, or sell, lease, or mortgage municipal property for a technology business facility project.

Then, on Thursday, the upper chamber passed Senate Bill 104, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit. The legislation would require actions challenging initiatives and referendums to be full adjudicated, or decided upon in legal court, 56 days prior to the election in which the measure will appear on the ballot.

Both of these bills now move to the Missouri House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Spends Bulk of Week Debating School Transfer Legislation

Senators spent the better part of the week on the floor debating Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Pearce, R-Warrensburg. The legislation seeks to address the ongoing school transfer issue and how the state handles unaccredited schools, among other provisions. The issue was pegged as a top priority by the Senate and education advocates.

The transfer law situation came to a head in 2013 when thousands of children in Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts transferred out of an unaccredited district to nearby schools. What was always a pressing problem suddenly became an immediate one, and remains one. Just this week, a St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge ruled that area schools couldn’t reject transfer students from the Normandy School Collaborative, and that the “state oversight district” is indeed unaccredited. This is still very much an ongoing issue, further necessitating legislative action.

During the 2014 session, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle came together, worked through numerous differences and passed bipartisan legislation that contained various provisions regarding unaccredited school districts and the current problems associated with the transfer law. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed the measure.

Lawmakers have indicated they will spend the necessary amount of time to pass legislation this year to address the ongoing transfer law issue. Debate on Senate Bill 1 is expected to continue next week.

Legislation Ready for Possible Debate

Committees have been hard at work over the last month vetting legislation filed for the 2015 session. Some of those bills have now been approved and await debate on the Senate floor.

Ready for third read and final approval is Senate Bill 24, sponsored by Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville. The legislation would modify provisions to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance programs. The legislation was heavily debated amongst senators. It requires one more vote to be sent to the House.

There are also numerous measures that are awaiting initial consideration by the full body of the Senate, including:

• Senate Bill 19, sponsored by Sen. Kraus, which would create a new method of allocating corporate income between states for tax purposes;
• Senate Bill 115, also sponsored by Sen. Kraus, which would allow taxpayers to seek a refund after the statute of limitations has passed if they amend their federal return;
• Senate Bill 174, sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, which would establish the Missouri Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program;
• Senate Bill 82, sponsored by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, which requires long-term care facilities to be encouraged to institute policies facilitating familiar involvement in the well-being and support of its residents;
• Senate Bill 110, sponsored by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, which would modify the appointment and employment authority of the University of Missouri Board of Curators;
• Senate Bill 122, sponsored by Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, which would establish a Health Care Directives Registry;
• Senate Bill 142, sponsored by Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, which would require the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a regulatory impact report when submitting a state implementation plan to the Environmental Protection Agency;
• Senate Bill 330, sponsored by Sen. Parson, which would allow bonds issued by the State Board of Public Buildings for state projects to be used for new construction;
• Senate Bill 131, also sponsored by Sen. Parson, which would modify provisions relating to weight limitations on vehicles hauling certain agricultural products; and
• Senate Bill 205, sponsored by Sen. Parson, which would modify insurance holding company regulations and expands the power of the director of the Department of Insurance to examine insurance holding company systems.

These bills are on the Senate Calendar for perfection, which is the initial step in approving a bill by the full body. These proposals will more than likely make their way to the Senate floor for full debate in the coming weeks. To view the Senate Calendar, click here.

Thursday, Feb. 26 is the last day senators can file measures for the 2015 session.             

The 2015 legislative session runs until May 15. To follow these and other issues before the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation considered by the General Assembly during the 2015 session, learn more about their legislative district and listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens on the Senate floor.

The Missouri Senate’s Capitol Briefing will be distributed and posted weekly throughout session. 

For more legislative news, please visit the Senate newsroom at www.senate.mo.gov/newsroom, where you will find various audio and video programs and other informational services, such as:

• Missouri Legislative Update – A video program produced throughout the legislative session and interim that provides an overview of news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives.  The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missourians.
• This Week in the Missouri Senate – A weekly, audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate.  Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format.
• The Senate Minute – A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news.  Programs are posted in .mp3 format and are available through podcast.
• Daily Audio/Video Clips – Throughout the year, the Senate Newsroom posts broadcast-quality audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.  Please note: Clips linked to this Capitol Briefing are only available for the legislative week referenced in the publication.