House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo Archives

Missouri lawmakers to tackle multi-billion dollar supplemental; senators to be given masks on Tuesday

April 6, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate will return to Jefferson City on Tuesday morning to tackle the proposed supplemental budget, which includes billions of dollars to battle the coronavirus outbreak.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet that the supplemental has increased to a proposed $5.8 billion.

The Senate will gavel-in Tuesday morning at 11, and the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a noon hearing. The proceedings will be unprecedented, due to the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, tells Missourinet that every state senator and their staff will be given a mask on Tuesday. Because of the governor’s statewide stay-at-home order and health concerns, Rowden is urging the general public to stay at home and to view the proceedings on the Missouri Senate website.

“The goal is to protect the public, staff and members of the General Assembly present in the Capitol building,” Rowden says.

Rowden and House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, have been working with MU Health Care to ensure the safety of state lawmakers to get back inside the Capitol to vote.

The Capitol has been closed to the public since March 24, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. It closed after longtime State Rep. Joe Runions, D-Grandview, tested positive for COVID-19. Runions has since been released from the hospital.

Governor Mike Parson says the Capitol has been receiving a deep-cleaning everyday, since it’s been closed.

Leader Rowden says anyone visiting the Capitol this week will have their temperature taken, and will be questioned about their health, travel and known COVID-19 exposure. Visitors will only have access to the joint committee hearing room and the Capitol’s fourth floor visitor galleries.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (left) talks to House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, in Jefferson City on February 12, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The public will not have access to legislators’ offices or the surrounding hallways, according to Rowden.

Rowden also says the roll call will be much slower this week.

“And people for the most part will probably be in their offices,” Rowden told Missourinet recently. “Their name will be called and we’ll give them plenty of time to come from their office into the chamber, cast their vote and then leave again. I think the House is going to do something fairly similar.”

The 163-member Missouri House is set to convene Wednesday afternoon at 1 at the Capitol.

“I am very skeptical because, at the end of the day, we don’t know who is coming in and out of that building (the Missouri Capitol) with the virus,” State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, tells the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch”. Hopefully everybody takes this thing serious and covers their mouths and their hands and tries to stay at a distance.”

State health officials say the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri has increased from 2,367 on Sunday to 2,722 on Monday. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) also says Missouri now has 39 deaths, compared to Sunday’s number of 34.

The “Stay Home Missouri” order signed by Governor Mike Parson on Friday is now in effect. The order took effect at 12:01 this morning, and says Missourians shall avoid leaving their homes or apartments unless necessary. You can still go to work at certain jobs and can access essential services such as grocery stores, gas stations, the pharmacy and banks.

You also also still go outdoors to exercise, but must practice social distancing.

Missouri now has 34 COVID-19 deaths; Governor Parson’s “Stay Home Missouri” order takes effect Monday

April 5, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

State health officials announced Sunday that Missouri now has 2,367 confirmed COVID-19 cases, along with 34 deaths.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced the updated numbers Sunday afternoon. The numbers have increased from Saturday’s number of 2,291 cases and 24 deaths.

Governor Mike Parson speaks at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on April 4, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flicker page)

Governor Mike Parson (R) notes about 27,173 people have been tested, and that the state’s total population is about six million.

During Friday’s announcement, the governor said about 8.5 percent of those tested have been positive and that of those 8.5 percent, about 22 percent have required hospitalization. Governor Parson said Friday that means the remaining 78 percent are recovering at home or have already recovered.

The governor announced Friday evening that he has issued a statewide “Stay Home Missouri” order, which will take effect at 12:01 am Monday and go until April 24.

The governor emphasizes that his order states that Missourians shall avoid leaving their homes unless necessary. He also notes the order still allows you to access essential services such as grocery stores, gas stations and banks. You can also go to work in certain jobs and can recreate outdoors, as long as you maintain appropriate social distancing.

“First and foremost, I want everyone to know that I love this state and the people of this state,” Parson says. “The people of this great state clearly define who were are in Missouri, and as Governor, I have no greater responsibility than to protect the health, well-being, and safety of all Missourians.”

The governor says his order will be observed throughout the state and will be enforced by all local and state health authorities. Governor Parson says all Missourians must make sacrifices, saying “this is about our families, friends, neighbors and the entire state of Missouri.”

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, issued a statement on Saturday, saying the governor’s order “does far less than advertised.”

“The order is not at all what was advertised and what health care professionals and Missouri residents had been demanding for weeks. It is so riddled with exemptions that it differs little from the weak and ineffective social distancing directive the administration previously issued, and it formally punts responsibility for imposing stricter measures to local officials,” Quade’s statement reads, in part.

Leader Quade is warning that COVID-19 will continue to spread in Missouri “until the Parson administration takes the strong action the situation requires.”

Meantime, Missouri lawmakers will return to Jefferson City later this week to vote on a key supplemental budget, which includes federal money to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate returns on Tuesday morning, and the Missouri House will gavel-in Wednesday at 1 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, and House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, have been working with MU Health Care to ensure the safety of state lawmakers to get back inside the Capitol to vote.

Governor Parson’s “Stay Home Missouri” order closes all state office buildings to the public, but the order does not apply to the Missouri Capitol “during meetings or proceedings of the General Assembly.”

The Capitol has been closed to the public, since March 24.

Legislators to return to Missouri Capitol to vote on supplemental for COVID-19 funding (AUDIO)

April 2, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri lawmakers will return to Jefferson City next week to vote on a key supplemental budget, which includes millions of dollars in federal funds to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, (left) talks to House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, in the House chamber on May 9, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, says senators will come back on Tuesday.

“We will get it done. I don’t envision it becoming a hyper-partisan thing by any means,” Rowden says.

Rowden and House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, have been working with MU Health Care to make sure it’s safe for state lawmakers to get back inside the Capitol to vote.

The Capitol has been closed to the public since March 24, to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The Capitol closed after veteran State Rep. Joe Runions, D-Grandview, tested positive for COVID-19. Runions has since been released from the hospital, and continues to recover.

Leader Rowden tells Missourinet that those entering the Capitol next week will have their temperature taken. They’ll also receive health questions.

“Taking temperature, asking questions making sure they’ve not been in any of the hot spots, that they don’t have any symptoms, etc.,” says Rowden.

He says they’re taking steps to mitigate risks for senators, staff and the public. The roll call will be much slower next week.

“And people for the most part will probably be in their offices,” Rowden says. “Their name will be called and we’ll give them plenty of time to come from their office into the chamber, cast their vote and then leave again. I think the House is going to do something fairly similar.”

The Senate is expected to return Tuesday morning. The 34-member chamber now has 31 senators, with three vacancies.

The 163-member Missouri House will gavel-in Wednesday afternoon at 1. House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Floor Leader Vescovo say it’s imperative that “the Legislature move without delay to keep Missouri’s government operating during this crisis and provide the needed resources to those on the front lines of the pandemic.”

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says there are now 1,834 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, along with 19 deaths.

Governor Mike Parson announced this week that he’s withholding $180 million in state spending, to ensure a balanced state budget during the pandemic. The governor is warning that the state could see a $500 million budget shortfall between now and the end of June.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, which was recorded on April 2, 2020: