May 18, 2013

House Republican leader talks Tilley resignation, veto session

The resignation of Steven Tilley as Speaker of the Missouri House comes as Republicans could try to overturn vetoes on as many as seven bills in the September veto session.

Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones (photo courtesy, Missouri House Communications)

Majority Floor Leader and the likely eventual Speaker, Tim Jones, says he and Tilley discussed whether Tilley’s resignation would hurt the chances of securing any of those overturns.

“We ended up coming to the conclusion that with the bills that are going to be likely available for debate and override, that they’re either going to pass with a clear supermajority or an override is not going to be attainable. It’s not going to come down to one vote.”

Jones says Republicans are looking hard at two House bills for possible override attempts, on bills that passed by large margins.

“The auto tax bill that was sponsored by Representative (Ryan) Silvey. Representative Silvey is advocating very strongly for that to be overridden. There was one other bill that had 108 votes during the session. That was Representative Tom Long’s bill related to child custody. I spoke with Representative Long. He’s going to mull that over and decide whether or not he would like to move forward on that bill.”

See Silvey’s Bill, HB 1329

Jones says five to seven Senate bills could be the subjects of possible override attempts, including SB 749 dealing with health insurance rights.

Tilley says he anticipates being elected speaker at the veto session in September, and again after new lawmakers are sworn in, in January.

House Speaker announces resignation

House Speaker Steven Tilley

House Speaker Steven Tilley (R-Perryville) has announced he is resigning as Speaker and as a member of the House of Representatives, effective at the end of the day today.

Tilley says he wants to focus more time on his optometry practice, campaign work and spending time with his two daughters. He says he plans to remain active in politics and public policy.

Tilley was elected to the House in 2004 and became speaker in January, 2011. His term would have expired in January.

Speaker Pro-Tem Shane Schoeller will assume the duties of House Speaker upon Tilley’s resignation becoming effective.

Jones wants interim education committee

The likely next Speaker of the Missouri House wants to see a committee formed to work on education issues in the interim, after some key issues were left on the table in the 2012 session.

Minority Floor Leader Tim Jones

Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones (R-Eureka) says compared to past years when education issues fizzled, the 2012 session was “remarkable” with several passing out of the House.

“We had the charter school bill which became law which I’m very happy with, that became law … We passed the teacher tenure bill. A small step forward but a significant step. It passed the House, it almost got through the Senate. Died on the Senate floor in the last day. A second bill that passed, that school busing transportation bill which is a form of education reform. That also became law.”

Jones wants to keep that momentum going ahead of the 2013 session.

“I would like to see some kind of interim committee or even joint interim committee where the sides could get together and talk about the future. Maybe a little difficult in an election year but this issue is a priority for all Missouri children and families so I’d like to see it happen.”

Jones can’t appoint committees, but Speaker Steven Tilley can. He says if Jones wants to see any interim committees formed, “I’d be open to any suggestions he might have.”

Jones says the foundation formula for public school funding will be a key issue in 2013, but he also wants to see things like tuition tax credits and teacher tenure addressed.

With many faces in the legislature changing, Jones isn’t sure who he wants to chair such an interim committee but he knows who he would want on it: Representatives Steve Cookson (R-Fairdealing), Mike Lair (R-Chillicothe), Mike Cierpiot (R-Lee’s Summit) and Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) are some names he mentions.

Transportation panel appointment is a return to public work for Jetton (AUDIO)

A 21-member committee will hold meetings across the state this spring and summer looking into the future of transportation in Missouri. It also marks a return to public service for a former House Speaker a year after pleading guilty to assault.

Former House Speaker Rod Jetton (photo courtesy: Missouri House Communications)

The Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on Missouri Transportation Needs has been appointed by House Speaker Steven Tilley (R-Perryville), who wants it to look at the state’s transportation needs and look for solutions.

It is co-chaired by a fellow Republican and former House Speaker, Rod Jetton, who says his history of attacking infrastructure issues in Missouri is likely why he got the nod. “I did a walk to Jeff City back then after I was elected, my first year as a new state rep. I fought any new taxes for MODOT … there were some initiatives that year to put some more money there … and then when I was in office we dealed with some bills to reform the Highway Commission, approved some different funding mechanisms … bonding … for MODOT, and then in 2007 as Speaker I did a big statewide tour on transportation.”

Self-described as once being one of the Transportation Department’s strongest critics, Jetton says the agency has come a long way in improving its reputation since 2000, but he says the state has not made a new investment in transportation since Amendment 3.

“We spend more and more money on all kids of crazy programs and things and I don’t know if it really helps our state all that much, and yet there’s no doubt in my mind when we build a bridge or a highway, or even when you talk about a port or other modes of transportation, it’s something you can feel, see, touch and we know that it’s there and what it’s doing for our state.”

Jetton admits some hestitation at accepting the appointment and stepping back into the public spotlight. Last year, he pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor assault charge and was sentenced to probation and paying restitution. The case stemmed from a sexual encounter with a woman in 2009.

In the end, he says he decided to accept the position, calling it an opportunity to do work to benefit the state. “I’ve got children and hopefully will have grandchildren and I want them to travel our roads safely and have jobs.”

The Committee’s meeting schedule is:

Monday, May 14, 1:00 p.m.
MODOT – St. Louis District Transportation Mangement Center
14301 South Outer 40 Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017

Monday, May 21, 1:00 p.m.
MODOT – Northwest District
3602 North Belt Highway
St. Joseph, MO 64506

Monday, June 1, 1:00 p.m.
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
202 South John Q Hammons Pkwy
Springfield, MO 65806

Friday, June 29, 10:00 a.m.
Show-Me Center
1333 North Sprigg Street
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

Monday, July 9, 10:00 a.m.
Activity and Recreation Center (ARC)
1701 West Ash Street
Columbia, MO 65203

Monday, July 23, 10:00 a.m.
MODOT – Northeast District
1711 South Route 61
Hannibal, MO 63401

Monday, August 6, 10:00 a.m.
Gamber Center, Shenendoah Rum
4 SE Independence Avenue
Lee’s Summit, MO 64603

AUDIO:  Hear Mike Lear’s interview with Rod Jetton, 8:27

House budget chairman confident balanced budget will be on time

A conference committee of the House and Senate could begin meeting as early as today to hash out the two chambers’ differences in the budget. The Chairman of the House Budget Committee says the Senate’s budget proposal is not balanced.

House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Silvey will be one of the House budget conferees. (photo courtesy, Missouri House Communications)

Ryan Silvey says an amendment offered by Senator Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis) threw the Senate’s proposal off kilter. “Senator Lembke was very clear … there was only $3 million left in the bank and he was very upset there was only $3 million left on the bottom line, and then by the time he got to House Bill 2011, he offered a $10 million dollar amendment. It’s not rocket science to figure out that three minus ten is negative-seven, so they put it out of balance singlehandedly.”

Silvey says what puts the Senate proposal out of balance is the restoration of a $28 million dollar blind medical subsidy fund, which the House proposed cutting. “It’s been our argument all along that it’s not sustainable, so it’s ironic that issue, which has become such a focal point, is what put the budget out of balance.”

Silvey says the two chambers do agree on at least one point. “Clearly the House made higher education a priority. We’re glad that the Senate concurred with that. The Governor’s $106 million cut to higher education is no longer on the table and won’t be discussed in conference.”

The state Constitution requires the budget be balanced and delivered to the Governor by the end of next week. Silvey is confident that will happen. “We’re going to figure out how to clean up the mess and what we can get in conference, but I’m confident that we’ll have conference committee reports on time by the constitutional deadline and that the Governor will get a balanced budget from the general assembly.”

Silvey will be one of the budget conferees for the House. Speaker Steven Tilley (R-Perryville) says he has a good idea who the others will be. “The vice chair of budget, Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood), then you’re going to see the third person from the Republican side be either Lincoln Hough (R-Springfield) from southwest Missouri or Tom Flanigan (R-Carthage) from southwest Missouri as well. On the Democratic side it will almost always be Chris Kelly (D-Columbia) and Sara Lampe (D-Springfield).”