House Speaker Elijah Haahr Archives

Haahr and Quade reflect on Missouri’s 2019 legislative session (AUDIO)

May 20, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House Speaker describes the 2019 legislative session as the most successful policy session he’s seen in his seven years in the Legislature.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, delivers a rare House floor speech on May 17, 2019 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, tells Capitol reporters the Legislature passed 94 bills that are now on the governor’s desk.

“Obviously the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, what we believe to be the boldest most comprehensive pro-life legislation in the nation. We also passed three different major criminal justice reforms,” Haahr says.

The heartbeat abortion legislation received final approval from the House on Friday afternoon. The vote was 110-44. The bill from State Rep. Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon, would essentially ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The criminal justice reform measures passed with bipartisan support, and were top priorities for both Speaker Haahr and Missouri’s Legislative Black Caucus. One of the bills eliminates mandatory minimum sentences for some nonviolent crimes.

Haahr is disappointed the Legislature didn’t pass prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation. During a Friday evening Statehouse press conference, Speaker Haahr told Missourinet he expects PDMP to be filed again in 2020.

“Obviously, the prescription drug monitoring bill was not able to get across the finish line. We remain committed to it, and I believe (Scott City) Representative Holly Rehder remains committed to it as well,” says Haahr.

Missouri is the only state in the nation without a PDMP, which is an electronic database that collects data on controlled substance prescriptions within a state.

Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, briefs Capitol reporters on May 17, 2019 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

As for Representative Rehder, she tells Missourinet she intends to file PDMP again in January. Rehder says that year after year as lawmakers have failed to act, “thousands of our children have lost their lives.”

Speaker Haahr is also praising the Legislature’s passage of Fast Track, which allows Missourians to receive advanced training in high-demand areas. He’s also pleased with the General Assembly’s quick passage of legislation aimed at attracting a $1 billion expansion at the sprawling General Motors plant in Wentzville.

Haahr says the Legislature has approved a $29.7 billion state operating budget, which fully funds the k-12 school foundation formula. He also praises passage of the bridge bonding bill.

House Democrats were outnumbered this year 114-46, putting them in a superminority.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, delivered a floor speech just before session ended on Friday, saying her members feel ignored by House GOP leaders. Missourinet asked Quade about her comments during Friday evening’s press conference. She says no Democratic budget amendments were approved in committee or on the floor in 2019.

“This is the first time since the Republicans took control of the House (in 2003) that the minority leader didn’t have a single bill move. So few of our members got hearings it was laughable,” Quade says.

Quade says she’s proud of her caucus, adding that Democrats will “work tirelessly” to flip seats in 2020.

Quade says her caucus fought in 2019 to hold the state Department of Revenue (DOR) accountable, over this year’s surprise tax bills.

“House Democrats fought for taxpayers, demanding answers from the Department of Revenue and ultimately forcing the resignation of its director,” says Quade.

Former DOR Director Joel Walters resigned in March, after being criticized by lawmakers in both parties about a tax withholding issue.

House Special Committee on Government Oversight Chairman Robert Ross, R-Yukon, told Missourinet recently that the committee is working to draft a final report about DOR.

One key bill that did pass that had strong support from both Speaker Haahr and Leader Quade is Hailey’s Law, which would require Missouri’s Amber Alert System Oversight Committee to meet at least annually.

The bill, which is sponsored by State Rep. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield, is in response to the gruesome 2014 kidnapping, rape and killing of ten-year-old Hailey Owens in Springfield.

The murder happened in Quade’s district.

Click here to listen to the full press conferences from House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, which happened on May 17, 2019 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

Missouri lawmakers trying to finalize language on GM Wentzville legislation (AUDIO)

May 7, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate leader hopes lawmakers can quickly finalize an incentives package for General Motors (GM), a package aimed at attracting a $1 billion expansion at GM’s sprawling Wentzville plant.

State Rep. Bryan Spencer, R-Wentzville, speaks on the Missouri House floor on April 3, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, told Missourinet late Monday afternoon that lawmakers were still working on the bill’s language. State Rep. Bryan Spencer, R-Wentzville, tells Missourinet he’s pleased that GM is making an effort to do the expansion.

“I think that’s not only going to help Wentzville, but it’s going to help the entire region all the way down from St. Louis all the way up to Hannibal all the way out to Jeff City even,” Spencer says.

Spencer describes this as a “joint community effort,” noting Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione, city administrator David Gipson, St. Charles County officials, state lawmakers and GM executives have all been involved.

Spencer is optimistic that Missouri lawmakers will approve an incentives package for GM by the 2019 session’s end, which is May 17.

“Because there’s a lot of people that have a lot of interest. It’s a good thing and everybody wants to make sure that we do the right thing not only for GM, but for the community and the state,” says Spencer.

GM’s website says the Wentzville plant covers 438 acres and has about 4,600 employees that work over three shifts. The plant produces vehicles such as the GMC Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado.

The plant, which opened in 1983, also has an on-site stamping facility that produces the majority of parts used in production of the Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans.

Wentzville is about 40 miles west of St. Louis. While many of those employees live in Representative Spencer’s House district, he emphasizes the plant is a regional employer. Spencer says he met an autoworker who commutes daily from Boonville to Wentzville, which is about 100 miles each way.

“He works a full shift, sometimes overtime, and then drives all the way back to Boonville,” Spencer says.

Boonville is west of Columbia.

Governor Mike Parson (R) has said lawmakers must approve a GM incentives package by May 17, to help land the project other states are competing for.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr (R-Springfield) told Capitol reporters on Thursday that we’ll know the package’s cost by this week. Speaker Haahr says he’s optimistic that lawmakers can approve the incentives package by the end of session, adding that he doesn’t believe that a special legislative session would be necessary.

GM’s Wentzville plant is union, represented by United Auto Workers Local 2250.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full four-minute interview with State Rep. Bryan Spencer, R-Wentzville, which was recorded on May 6, 2019 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

Haahr and Quade both optimistic about Missouri General Motors legislation

May 3, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House Speaker expects the Legislature to unveil an incentives package for General Motors (GM) by next week, a package aimed at attracting a reported $1 billion expansion at the massive Wentzville plant.

The General Motors plant in Wentzville has about 4,600 employees, according to GM’s website (photo courtesy of GM website)

The expansion package was first reported by the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch.” GM’s Wentzville plant produces vehicles such as the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon.

Wentzville is located on I-70 and is about 40 miles west of St. Louis.

GM’s website says the Wentzville plant is located in a former wheat field. It covers 438 acres and has about 4,600 employees that work over three shifts.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, told the Capitol Press Corps on Thursday that lawmakers received a “high-level overview” Thursday, including a short briefing with Governor Mike Parson (R). Speaker Haahr says lawmakers will work on the plan this weekend.

“The governor’s office is working with us on the possibility of some legislation,” Haahr says. “We’ll be working over the weekend to fine-tune that, and we’ll probably hopefully roll it out next week.”

Governor Parson says lawmakers must pass an incentives package in the next two weeks, to help land the project that other states are competing for.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, briefs Capitol reporters on April 18, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Speaker Haahr tells Capitol reporters we’ll know the package’s cost by next week. He’s optimistic that lawmakers will approve an incentives package by the end of session, which is May 17.

“You know at this point we don’t believe a special (legislative) session is necessary. We still got two weeks of runway left to use,” says Haahr.

This is an issue that has bipartisan support in the Missouri House.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, describes a possible expansion of the Wentzville plant as a “great opportunity for the state of Missouri.” Leader Quade also spoke to the Capitol Press Corps on Thursday, noting that she had just received a briefing from GM.

“I’m excited about the labor jobs that are going to come through with great pay and good benefits, and I’m excited to see how those negotiations work out,” Quade says.

While there aren’t a lot of details yet, Quade believes an expansion would also have a positive ripple impact on other Missouri manufacturers. She’s interested in seeing Governor Parson’s incentive proposal.

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, says the expansion project would benefit the entire state.

“The only thing that was promised was we are going to do everything we can to make Missouri an attractive place for them (General Motors) to do business, from the governor, from the leadership of the House and the Senate, is to do that- is to make sure we’re putting our best foot forward so that we can try to make sure that they stay here, they invest here, and they continue to build on the operation they have,” Pro Tem Schatz told reporters Thursday.

The plant opened in 1983. The GM website notes the Wentzville plant was outfitted so it can produce both vans and mid-size trucks on a single line. The plant also has an on-site stamping facility that produces the majority of parts used in production of the Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans.

It’s a union plant. Wentzville is represented by United Auto Workers Local 2250.