February 22, 2012

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Red light camera bill stops in senate (AUDIO)

February 9, 2012 By

A  state senator runs into a red light with his bill keeping cities from profiting from red light cameras. 

Cameras that catch people ignoring the stop lights at busy intersections are in several Missouri cities.  The jury is out on whether they make previously-dangerous intersections safer. Some state lawmakers question whether cities really are interested in safer intersections or just interested in getting more money from red light-running motorists.

Senator Will Kraus wants fines from red light cameras to go to local school districts. If cities really are installing the cameras for safety reasons, he says, they should not profit from them. 

But University City Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal sees nothing wrong with cities using the cameras to raise money…”There are certain expenses that you have, ” she notes. But she says most municipalities are pinched for money and the cameras help produce it.

Other opponents say schools would not really benefit because state law says state aid to districts is reduced by the amount of traffic fines that are earmarked for local districts.

Opponents have talked long enough to bring Kraus’ bill to a complete stop.

AUDIO: debate 54:33

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Finance, Human Interest, Law Enforcement, News

Mayer to Nixon: cuts, no taxes, no continengies in State of State

January 10, 2012 By

Governor Nixon outlines his legislative and budget package a week from today.  Legislative leaders say they don’t want to hear any proposals for a budget that needs legislative action to be balanced.

State lawmakers have heard some proposed budgets that require the legislature to pass tax increase or pass other bills that affect state income in some way to keep income in line with spending.   Those proposals have not gone over well with legislators. And they won’t fly with this year’s general assembly, either. 

Senate leader Rob Mayer says the slow rebound of the economy demands a straightforward, no-contingency, budget blueprint from the governor.

Mayer is a former Senate appropriations chairman.  He refuses to say what he would cut if he were in the governor’s shoes. 

The governor’s proposal is only a suggestion.  The legislature is not bound by what he recommends.

 

 

Filed Under: Finance, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Rep. Schoeller files voter ID bill, election reform legislation (AUDIO)

January 2, 2012 By

The perennial fight over whether voters should have to produce a valid ID to cast elections ballots is set to begin.

Rep. Shane Shoeller of Willard — who is also running for Secretary of State — has filed a bill that would require a photo ID requirement for voters. He says it’s common-sense legislation.

AUDIO: Jessica Machetta reports (2:21 min.)

The measure was vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon last year, and the Supreme Court struck down the requirement in 2006. Opponents of the measure say it disenfranchises poor and elderly voters. Nonetheless, Schoeller thinks it will gain approval by the Republican-led General Assembly, and hopes if it does that Nixon will pen the legislation into law.

Schoeller is also proposing legislation that would create two state commissions — one would have authority over ballot summaries for initiative petitions, the other would be responsible for drawing new borders for Missouri’s 163 state House districts and 34 state Senate districts.

The legislative session begins January fourth.

Schoeller says the budget will undoubtedly be front and center of this year’s legislative agenda. It’s the one thing legislators are required by the constitutional to pass each year. Schoeller says he’ll be watching closely how the state’s public schools fit into that budget, and doing his part to make sure schools aren’t short-changed. Schoeller says another issue that will likely come before legislators is whether to make Interstate 70 a toll road. He says he will vote against that measure.

Filed Under: Education, Elections, Finance, Legislature, News, Politics & Government, Transportation

Higher Ed Dept to request performance based funding (AUDIO)

December 9, 2011 By

The State Coordination Board on Higher Education has voted to ask the state to base how much money colleges and universities get on how well they perform.

Performance based funding will be requested to the state legislature next year. Department of Higher Education deputy commissioner Paul Wagner says after the Governor created a task force to investigate how this should work, the members started looking at other states. One of the things he learned is that sometimes schools have good years and bad years, so an average would be more fair.

Measures like graduation rates, retention and job placement will determine how much additional funding a school would get.Wagner says there would be five points, and the funding would be split evenly among those points. For example, if a school were to 3 out of 5 of those marks, then it would get 60 percent of the funding raise.

 None of this is enacted until it’s accepted by the legislature as part of the budget for next year.

AUDIO Allison Blood reports Mp3 [1:01]

Filed Under: Education, Finance, News

Missouri premature birth rate, infant mortality too high, task force says

November 19, 2011 By

The March of Dimes annual report card gives Missouri a grade of C. Rep. Jeff Grisamore (R-Lee’s Summit) says that’s too high, and is working to bring it down. The premature birth rate in Missouri is 12.1 percent, slightly down from the previous total, 12.2 percent.

Click map to see state-by-state statistics.

In some urban cores, in Jackson County, St. Louis County, St. Louis City and the Bootheel, that rate climbs to about 18 percent, he says, pointing out the rates are directly correlated with poverty.

An 18-member task force that was created by House Bill 555 last session and sponsored by Grisamore met for the first time this week. (Nov. 17 is World Prematurity Day.) Grisamore says more than 13 million babies are born prematurely every year — 10,000 of them in our state.

Grisamore says immediately after birth, the costs can be several thousands to millions of dollars … add to that costs that come with developmental disabilities and other health complications, the cost to the state in into the billions.

The group comprises senators, representatives, officials from the departments of health, social services, insurance, advocates from the March of Dimes, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and parents who have children affected by premature births and infant mortality. Grisamore, himself, lost an infant child to Prawder Willi Syndrome. He says he and others on the panel bring a lot of passion to solving the issue.

He says the Missouri State Task Force on Prematurity and Infant Mortality is striving to developing “evidence based” strategies to reduce the rates, as well as work with faith-based groups to bring more availability of care and support to pregnant women.

The group will continue to meet and explore options, meeting quarterly over the next two years. It will present recommendations to the governor and legislature in December 2014. Grisamore says that deadline does not preclude proposing legislation before then.

 

Filed Under: Finance, Health & Medicine, Legislature, News
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