Legislature Archives - Missourinet

Parson goes to California to find more business for Missouri

September 16, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Photo courtesy of Parson for Missouri campaign page

Gov. Mike Parson is meeting with Bay Area company leaders interested in expanding or investing in Missouri. A press release from his office says he also plans to visit west coast-based companies in agricultural technology, professional services, and financial services sectors with an existing presence in Missouri. It says he wants to thank them for their business and discuss additional ways to collaborate and create jobs here.

Parson’s California trip will be his third mission trip this year. Last month, he took a business trip to Australia to meet with executives there in the business world, especially in infrastructure and agriculture, to discuss investment and workforce development opportunities here. He also went on a trade mission to Europe in June – resulting in German company Bayer moving its crop sciences division to eastern Missouri and bringing 500 new jobs along with the expansion.

His trip will go through Tuesday, September 17.

The Missouri nonprofit Hawthorn Foundation funded the California trip.

Missouri governor: meeting with Krewson and Page “was about boots on the ground”

September 15, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor is expected to announce details of his plan to battle violent crime within the next week or so. The plan will involve state, federal and local coordination.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters on September 13, 2019. He was joined by State Rep. Becky Ruth (left) and State Sen. Wayne Wallingford (Brian Hauswirth photo)

Governor Mike Parson (R) briefed Capitol reporters Friday afternoon in Jefferson City, saying his recent meeting with St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and the city and county police chiefs was not a summit.

“That meeting the other day (last week at City Hall) that we had in St. Louis was about boots on the ground, it was about people on the enforcement side of it,” Parson says. “That’s all it was about. We didn’t discuss prosecution, we didn’t discuss anything. We were trying to figure out how can we get more people on the ground.”

Parson plans to send state troopers to St. Louis within the next month.

The governor says he’ll be meeting soon with both St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, who are both Democrats.

13 children have been killed in shootings in St. Louis City in 2019, and the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reports six children in St. Louis County have died from gunshot wounds since January.

Governor Parson is expressing his condolences to the families of the children who’ve been killed by gun violence in the St. Louis region and across the state. Parson became emotional when speaking to Capitol reporters on Friday.

“My heart goes out to them (families). You know, I’ve lost an officer in the line of duty, I’ve lost a brother-in-law in the line of duty. I know what it’s like to lose somebody,” says Parson.

The governor says the issue won’t be fixed by one agency, adding that it will take a coordinated effort among federal, state and community officials.

Meantime, Governor Parson is criticizing comments made last week by House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, about the special session.

Quade told Capitol reporters on Wednesday that “it makes no sense to prioritize tax breaks for a few over the lives of Missourians who die nearly everyday due to gun violence.”

Parson tells Missourinet that Leader Quade’s comments are “political hype.”

“And I’ll be frank with the Minority Leader that made that statement,” Parson says. “I didn’t know she … what she should have done was have a press conference a month ago when children were dying in the street, but unfortunately she came here to Jefferson City when it was convenient for her to start talking about this issue.”

Quade and House Democrats asked the governor to add the gun violence issue to the special session. State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, notes Kansas City and St. Louis have ranked in the top ten deadliest cities for at least a decade.

As for Governor Parson, he emphasizes that he’s not comparing the car sales tax issue with gun violence.

20 House Democrats vote for vehicle sales tax bill pushed by Missouri GOP Governor

September 12, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House has voted to give final approval to bipartisan legislation in Jefferson City that involves a complicated state Supreme Court ruling about vehicle sales taxes.

House Transportation Committee Chair Becky Ruth, R-Festus, speaks on the Missouri House floor on September 11, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Wednesday’s vote was 126-21, and more than a dozen House Democrats voted for the bill. It’s sponsored by House Transportation Committee Chairwoman Becky Ruth, R-Festus.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, tells Capitol reporters there’s a lot of support for the bill’s merits.

“Anytime you have a special session, there’s a lot of people that say ‘what about this issue’, ‘what about that.’ But on the actual issue that we were debating (the Ruth bill), we had across (bi)partisan support since the beginning,” Haahr says.

Governor Mike Parson (R) called this week’s special session, following the summer court ruling.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, also briefed Capitol reporters following Wednesday’s vote. She is critical of the special session, saying it’s wasting tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

“It makes no sense to prioritize tax breaks for a few over the lives of Missourians who die nearly everyday due to gun violence,” says Quade.

Despite Leader Quade’s comments, 20 House Democrats voted for the bill. It involves using the sale proceeds of a vehicle as a credit against the purchase price of a new vehicle when calculating sales tax.

The bill now heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for a hearing Thursday morning at 11:15 at the Capitol. State Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, chairs Ways and Means.

No overrides at Missouri legislative veto session

September 11, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missourians who ride motorcycles will still be required to wear helmets for at least another year, after the Missouri Legislature sustained all six of Governor Mike Parson’s (R) vetoes on Wednesday at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (left) and Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, speak on the House floor on September 11, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Lawmakers gaveled-in at noon for the constitutionally-required veto session, which took less than 45 minutes in both chambers.

The motorcycle helmet bill is a perennial issue that’s been debated annually in Jefferson City for at least the past 20 years.

The organization “Freedom of the Road Riders” says it’s an issue of freedom, and that motorcyclists should have the option of riding without a helmet.

Governor Parson vetoed the bill, expressing safety concerns raised earlier by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) about crashes and injuries.

While there were no override attempts in the Senate, State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, unsuccessfully called on the House to override a veto on a health care bill, which was sponsored by State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport.

Lavender says Basye’s bill is needed, noting that eight rural Missouri hospitals have closed.

“I believe our number is up to eight rural hospitals that we’ve lost in our state,” Lavender tells House colleagues. “So yes, this would be one of the ways that we would be able to at least provide some type of health care.”

Representative Lavender predicts revenue will increase, if Medicaid expands.

As for Representative Basye, he tells the House he was focused on the autism/disability portion of the vetoed bill. That portion passed in a separate bipartisan bill, and has been signed into law by Parson. Basye and Lavender teamed up on that bill.

Basye opposed an override attempt, and Lavender’s motion was defeated 105-37, with the 37 votes to override. Under the Missouri Constitution, it takes a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override a veto.

Another high-profile bill that was vetoed involves outdoor cremations, which are known as “Viking funerals.” Governor Parson vetoed legislation from State Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, that would have allowed outdoor “Viking funerals.”

Holsman’s bill would have allowed funeral directors to perform cremations at an outdoor human cremation facility. Under the bill, only a licensed funeral director could have performed a cremation at an outdoor facility.

In his veto message, Governor Parson expressed concerns about health and safety issues, and called on lawmakers to do more vetting on the issue.

The overall bill was briefly discussed on Wednesday by State Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury. She talked about the importance of reducing maternal and infant mortality in Missouri, an issue contained in a separate portion of the bill. Infant and maternal mortality have been priority issues for Unsicker.

There was no attempt to override that veto.

Viking funeral and motorcycle helmet bills headline Missouri veto session (AUDIO)

September 11, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri lawmakers are back in Jefferson City on Wednesday for the constitutionally-required veto session. No overrides are expected.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, speaks on the House floor on May 17, 2019 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The state Constitution requires lawmakers to convene Wednesday at noon for the annual veto session. The Senate and House will both gavel-in at the same time.

Governor Mike Parson (R) vetoed six bills this year. The two most high-profile bills involve outdoor cremations and allowing motorcyclists to ride without a helmet.

Parson vetoed both of those, expressing safety concerns.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, spoke to Missourinet Tuesday afternoon on the Capitol lawn, following a “Back the Blue” license plate ceremony. Speaker Haahr tells Missourinet he doesn’t expect any veto overrides.

“The House bills that were vetoed, we’ve talked to each one of the (bill) sponsors and each of them have indicated that they don’t plan to offer theirs for a vote,” Haahr says. “And so I don’t anticipate any overrides this session.”

On the other side of the Capitol building, State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, tells Missourinet he doesn’t expect any override attempts in either the House or Senate.

It takes a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override a veto.

The governor vetoed legislation from State Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, that would have allowed outdoor “Viking funerals.” Senator Holsman told the “Kansas City Star” this summer that Viking funerals “have been around since the dawn of man.”

In his veto message, Governor Parson expressed concerns about health and safety issues, and called on lawmakers to do more vetting on the issue.

“The burial of our loved ones or the disposal of their remains is deeply personal and should be treated with the utmost care and respect. Without more thorough vetting to ensure that outdoor cremations can be conducted in a manner that fully disposes of the entire remains while also addressing the health and safety concerns of individuals who may be impacted nearby, I am not comfortable with allowing these types of ceremonies to be conducted in our state,” Parson’s July veto message reads, in part.

As for the motorcycle helmet bill, that’s a perennial issue that’s been debated annually in Jefferson City for at least the past 20 years.

The organization “Freedom of the Road Riders” and lawmakers like State Rep. Andrew McDaniel, R-Deering, support allowing motorcyclists the option of riding without a helmet, if they have health insurance. They say it’s an issue of freedom.

Governor Parson vetoed the bill, expressing safety concerns raised earlier by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) about crashes and injuries.

Governor Parson is the third governor to veto the bill in the past 20 years.

Then-Governor Mel Carnahan (D) vetoed a similar motorcycle helmet bill in 1999, and then-Governor Jay Nixon (D) vetoed a similar bill in 2009. Those two vetoes were not overridden.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full two-minute interview with House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, which was recorded on the Missouri Capitol lawn on September 10, 2019:

A snapshot of the Missouri Legislature’s special session this week

September 9, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri lawmakers will return to the State Capitol in Jefferson City on Monday for a special session involving a complicated State Supreme Court ruling about vehicle sales.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs legislation on July 10, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s office)

While it’s not officially on the special session agenda, Democrats in both the House and Senate will have an opportunity to speak on the respective floors about the issue of gun violence, which is a top priority for the Legislative Black Caucus.

Governor Mike Parson (R) announced in August that he’s calling the special session over the Supreme Court’s “Kehlenbrink vs. Department of Revenue” case.

“After reviewing the court’s decision, we’ve decided to call a special session because it’s simply the right thing to do for the people of our state,” Parson announced in August. “The enforcement of this decision would create a financial burden on Missouri taxpayers and unnecessary government red tape that we can proactively prevent.”

The Supreme Court’s summer ruling involves using the sale proceeds of a vehicle as a credit against the purchase price of a new vehicle when calculating sales tax. Essentially, the Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that state law unambiguously permits the sale proceeds of only one vehicle as a credit against the purchase price of a new car, for the purposes of calculating sales tax.

“And really, the simple version of it (the Supreme Court’s ruling) is when you trade cars in, for example if you trade two cars in, you get a credit back on those two cars or for that model if you’re buying another one. There was a ruling by the Supreme Court that says you can only do one,” Parson told Missourinet on August 15 at the State Fair in Sedalia. That was the first time the governor had spoken publicly about the issue.

Parson says the ruling impacts about 2,000 to 3,000 Missourians, adding this is money out of their pocket.

GOP leaders in both chambers indicate the special session should end by Friday.

House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, has released a schedule indicating the House will have a technical session on Monday, with floor debate and discussion expected Wednesday morning and afternoon. The House is expected to give final approval to the vehicle tax bill on Wednesday.

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, tells Missourinet he expects the Senate to take possession of the bill on Thursday. A Senate hearing would take place Thursday, and Schatz expects the Senate to approve the bill on Friday.

Under the state Constitution, both chambers will also hold the annual veto session Wednesday at noon, which means they will stop the special session and then reconvene it after veto session ends.

Governor Parson vetoed six bills this year. State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, tells Missourinet he doesn’t expect any override attempts in the House or the Senate.

As for the Legislative Black Caucus, they support legislation allowing cities with high gun violence, like St. Louis and Kansas City, to approve their own gun control legislation. They wanted Governor Parson to include the issue in this week’s special session.

The governor opposes that, saying there are “many different opinions on how to find a solution.” Governor Parson met with State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, and other Black Caucus leaders behind closed doors last week at the Capitol. Representative Manlove says the governor is pushing for improved job opportunities in St. Louis and Kansas City.

The governor told Missourinet’s Jill Enders in St. Charles last week that he plans to send Missouri state troopers to St. Louis within the next 30 days. Parson also supports working with churches, to help prevent violence.

Manlove and other Black Caucus members will have an opportunity to discuss the issue on the floors of the House and Senate. Manlove tells Missourinet children are still dying, noting there have been more than 100 Kansas City homicides in 2019.

She says gun violence is “ravaging our streets,” and notes Kansas City and St. Louis have consistently ranked in the top ten deadliest cities for at least a decade.

Missouri Lottery: I-44 corridor highlights problem with illegal slot machines

September 6, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Lottery’s executive director testified Thursday in Jefferson City that illegal slot machines are hurting public education in the Show-Me State.

The Missouri Lottery logo (courtesy of Missouri Lottery)

Former State Rep. May Scheve Reardon testified before a House interim committee, telling lawmakers there’s a major issue with illegal slot machines along the I-44 corridor. She talks about one Lottery sales representative whose territory goes from St. James to Lebanon.

“Down that I-44 corridor alone in six months, her route alone was down $800,000,” Scheve Reardon testifies. “That’s an estimated $3.2 million sales lost for six months.”

She says the average monthly Lottery sales lost, per retailer with the alleged illegal machines, is $90,000.

Illegal slot machines can be found in bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores.

Scheve Reardon testified during a 90-minute hearing before the House Special Interim Committee on Gaming, which is chaired by State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial.

Shaul tells the audience that illegal slot machines cost Missouri education at least $50 million last year. He says the alleged illegal slot machines are hurting the Lottery, thereby impacting classrooms.

“The (Missouri) Lottery is losing revenue here, because of these alleged illegal machines. So are the (Missouri’s 13) casinos, so is everybody across that’s funding the state. The state is losing money because of these,” says Shaul.

Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, speaks on August 22, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Chairman Shaul tells Missourinet the public will have the opportunity to testify at the next hearing, which is October 10 in Jefferson City.

Thursday’s hearing was the committee’s second in two weeks. The Missouri Gaming Commission testified before the committee on August 22, saying the state needs a coordinated effort to stop the illegal machines.

“We’re trying to coordinate efforts among law enforcement and prosecutors, trying to educate prosecutors on how to prosecute those cases,” Gaming Commission Executive Director David Grothaus testified in August.

Grothaus notes there’s one pending criminal case in western Missouri’s Platte County, in the Kansas City area.

Scheve Reardon says the Missouri Lottery generated more than $306 million for education in fiscal year 2018.

New Missouri law aims to shrink the number of offenders locked up

September 5, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri Legislature passed and Gov. Mike Parson signed into law this year a bill intended to reduce the number of offenders being locked up in local jails and state prisons. House Bill 192, sponsored by Rep. Bruce DeGroot, R-Chesterfield, wipes out mandatory minimum sentences for some nonviolent crimes.

Brian Munzlinger

Brian Munzlinger is a former state Senator from northeast Missouri’s Williamstown. He is also a new member of the State Probation & Parole board.

Munzlinger tells Missourinet the law requires the parole board to evaluate whether those serving required minimums for nonviolent crimes should go free.

“A lot of that would be drug charges – minor drug charges,” says Munzlinger.

The law, which took effect Aug. 28, also intends to block the practice of throwing people back in jail for not paying for their previous jail bills.

Two Missouri Congressional members question FEMA’s handling of flood aid

September 5, 2019 By Missourinet Contributor

Missouri’s Congressional delegation doesn’t want to see attention turned away from flood victims after a grueling summer for many Missourians.

The Missouri River spread out into St. Joseph earlier this year/Photo by Brent Martin

Two major concerns have emerged as the floodwaters have for the most part receded, though the Missouri River remains high. One, disaster aid to flood victims. Two, management of the Missouri River.

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves is pleased the Federal Emergency Management Agency is reaching out individually to flood victims.

But, Graves says it isn’t the Federal Emergency Management Agency workers on the ground who are the problem. He says it is FEMA officials in Washington who have made it difficult for northwest Missouri flood victims to get the federal help they need.

Graves, a Republican, does applaud FEMA for establishing disaster assistance centers across the region.

“Well, it’s allowed at least more access and it has allowed people to be able to apply in person and that does help, by the way,” Graves tells Missourinet affiliate KSGF in St. Joseph. “But it hasn’t cleared up just some of the confusion that’s out there.”

Graves says FEMA rules have confused many residents applying for federal relief.

“It seems like FEMA, disaster after disaster, continues to make this process a whole lot harder and a whole lot more confusing that it has to be,” according to Graves.

Graves has helped pass two pieces of legislation through the U.S. House calling for better accountability in the spending of federal disaster aid funds.

Flood victims throughout the area have until September 9th to apply for federal disaster assistance from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt contends individual disaster relief has been unevenly distributed.

“Here’s another case where you maybe had one neighbor in one flood that qualified for assistance and somebody who lived a mile away in a second flood that didn’t and that’s pretty hard to explain to people,” Blunt tells KSGF.

Some of that is due to how FEMA looks at the 2019 flooding. Federal officials separate the flooding into two disasters, one which hit in mid-March and another which hit in late May.

Missouri officials contend Missouri victims don’t see it that way, but rather, see a disaster which began in spring and didn’t release its grip until well into summer. Some areas of Missouri remain under floodwaters, even now.

Blunt and Graves have led the entire Missouri Congressional delegation to write FEMA, asking for clarification on how it is handing out disaster assistance.

Blunt says the devastation of the floods this year just might be enough to get the Army Corps of Engineers to seriously consider changes to how it manages the Missouri River.

He says Missouri has long complained about the Corps’ management. This year, other states have joined in the criticism as flooding has cut a swath of damage through Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.

Blunt says there has to be a way to adjust the Corps’ management of the river without getting into a fight with the upper Missouri River basin states.

“What we’re concerned about is management of the river in the basin we live in and our friends from Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas share those concerns; all those governors are working together,” Blunt says. “I think we’ve reached a moment here on the river that’s there is a way forward. If we work hard, we may just be able to find it and I intend to do my best to find that better way forward.”

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KSGF in St. Joseph

Nasheed: Missouri senators should hear testimony from parents of murdered St. Louis children (AUDIO)

September 5, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A key state senator from St. Louis is calling on Missouri’s GOP Senate leader to create an interim committee to study gun violence, saying it’s a public health crisis.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, briefs Capitol reporters in January 2018 (file photo courtesy of Missouri Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, notes 13 children have been killed in St. Louis city shootings in 2019. She tells Missourinet she wants the Senate committee to hold a hearing in St. Louis.

“And begin to hear all of the tragic incidents that have occurred due to gun violence from the surviving parents of those children that were killed,” Nasheed says.

Nasheed describes the gun violence in her hometown as an epidemic. She’s also calling for increased protection of crime witnesses, saying they are fearful for their safety.

Governor Mike Parson (R) signed legislation from Senator Nasheed into law this spring, which gives prosecutors discretion to redact personal identifying information about crime witnesses.

Senator Nasheed, who serves as the Democratic Minority Caucus Whip in the State Senate, says by forming a Senate committee now, policies can be ready for discussion when lawmakers return to Jefferson City in January.

She says lawmakers must also pass “concrete policy changes” to improve outcomes for police and prosecutors, when they return to the Capitol in January for the 2020 session.

“Outstate (rural Missouri), they hunt animals,” says Nasheed. “And in the city (of St. Louis), all we have been seeing throughout the summer is humans hunting humans, killing humans.”

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, says he’s open to having a conversation about an interim committee. He says he’ll discuss the issue with GOP state senators next week.

However, Pro Tem Schatz tells Missourinet that if it’s about restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, then it’s a “non-starter” for him.

Lawmakers will return to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on Monday for a special session on vehicle taxes. The annual veto session is next Wednesday.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, which was recorded on September 4, 2019: