Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr Archives

Departing Missouri House Speaker Haahr reflects on successes, disappointments (AUDIO)

November 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s outgoing House Speaker says life issues and the largest tax cut in state history are some of his biggest successes in the Legislature.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, gavels the chamber into session on August 24, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, was first elected to the House in 2012. He’s finishing his eighth and final year in the House, due to term limits. He’s also finishing his term as Speaker.

“I was very proud of the work we did on the pro-life bill last year, I thought that was a big thing,” Haahr says. “Prior to me being Speaker, I carried also the largest tax cut in Missouri history and that was a really big one, I think, for our constituencies in the state.”

The 2019 abortion legislation essentially banned abortions once a fetal heartbeat was detected. The House vote was 110-44, and the Senate approved it last year after about 15 hours of filibuster and negotiations behind the scenes.

Haahr is the first and only House Speaker from Springfield in state history, and says that symbolizes Springfield and southwest Missouri’s growing political and economic influence. He says boosting funding for Missouri State University is another success he’s proud of.

“Worked really hard last year on bringing Missouri State University’s funding on parity with other schools, and so we did a $10 million increase to them to get them to a place where they’re funded equally with all the other schools,” says Haahr.

Haahr says this has been talked about for years and even decades, and that to get it done while he was Speaker is very important.

While Haahr has been Speaker, State Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, has served as House Minority Leader. While the two have disagreed on issues like abortion and Medicaid expansion, they have worked together on issues involving Greene County, such as Missouri State funding and Hailey’s Law, which was sponsored by State Rep. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield.

Haahr has said several times from the House dais that while he and Leader Quade frequently disagree on policy, they both share a love for Springfield.

Haahr became speaker on November 1, 2018. His predecessor, former House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, resigned the day before to take over as state Medicaid director. Haahr campaigned hard for House GOP candidates across the state in the fall of 2018, helping Republican Mary Elizabeth Coleman unseat State Rep. Mike Revis, D-Fenton. He also helped protect Republican seats in swing districts across the state.

Not all of Haahr’s priorities have passed in the Legislature, even with GOP supermajorities in both chambers and a Republican in the governor’s mansion.

During an interview in his Capitol office in Jefferson City last week, Haahr reflected on some of his disappointments. He says Hyperloop is one of his biggest disappointments.

“I had made a real strong push to try to bring the Hyperloop to Missouri,” Haahr says. “And they chose West Virginia. We were one of the three finalists that got really close but we didn’t get it. I think in 15 or 20 years that will have a transformative impact on West Virginia’s economy.”

Speaker Haahr says that would have jump-started Missouri as a leader on an issue of transportation importance.

Virgin Hyperloop chose West Virginia for its futuristic tube travel test track and certification center, but has said Missouri is not out of the picture. Haahr is hopeful that will still happen.

Haahr is speaker until the end of the year, and expects the House to be in session in December to take up COVID liability during the ongoing special session.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with outgoing Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, which was recorded on November 10, 2020 at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City:

Haahr anticipates addition of COVID liability to Missouri’s special session (AUDIO)

November 11, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s House Speaker anticipates that the governor will expand his special session call to include COVID-19 liability.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, presides over the House on November 10, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, made his comments to Missourinet, during a Tuesday afternoon interview in his Capitol office in Jefferson City. He expects the Missouri House to be in session in December to work on COVID liability.

“We’ve been in long talks with the (Capitol’s) second floor (the governor’s office) on that for several weeks now and those talks have gotten pretty serious, and I think we’re at a place where we’re comfortable moving forward,” Speaker Haahr says.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also urging the governor to include COVID liability in his special session call, saying January is too long to wait to shield businesses, schools and hospitals that follow public health guidelines from COVID suits.

Chamber President Dan Mehan describes COVID-19 liability protection as an important step towards re-opening the economy.

“There’s a lot of employers out there that are a little bit concerned about opening for fear of being sued on frivolous grounds for COVID, by customers, by employees, that sort of thing,” says Mehan.

Mehan says more than 800 Missouri employers, mostly small businesses, have signed a letter requesting it. He says that includes a skate park and a pizzeria.

Mehan also says many of Missouri’s neighboring states have passed similar legislation.

“We’ve seen six of the eight contiguous states, the border states, adopt something in this light. Most recently Iowa signed it into law,” Mehan says.

As for Governor Parson, he supports the COVID-19 liability proposal and has publicly stated at several Capitol press conferences that he would include it during the special session, if there’s a path for it to pass.

House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, who will be Speaker in January, has also written a letter to the governor, asking him to expand the special session call.

“Right now there are numerous small businesses afraid to open because of the threat of litigation tied to COVID-19,” Leader Vescovo writes. “Additionally, many of our hospitals and health care professionals are asking us to help them to better be able to do their jobs by passing commonsense COVID-19 liability protections.”

Speaker Haahr tells Missourinet that many businesses across the state have reached out, adding that lawmakers are working to keep the language tight.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Dan Mehan, which was recorded on November 6, 2020:

Missouri’s state budget director to testify Monday in-detail about supplemental budget

November 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

We’ll learn more details about Missouri’s proposed $1.27 billion supplemental budget on Monday afternoon, during the House Budget Committee’s hearing in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (right) talks with House Budget Committee Chair Cody Smith, R-Carthage, and Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, on
May 7, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The committee plans a noon hearing in the Missouri House chamber. The funding will provide additional resources to respond to COVID.

Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, is expecting a four to six-hour hearing on Monday. Smith tells Missourinet that state budget director Dan Haug will be the primary person testifying on Monday, adding that state departments with appropriations in the bill will be at the Capitol to answer questions from committee members.

Governor Mike Parson (R) has called the special session, which began on Thursday. The governor notes there is still CARES Act funding that needs to be distributed to Missourians.

The governor says the supplemental budget includes funding for several items, including school nutrition service programs, job training grants, funding for a domestic violence grant and child support payments.

Governor Parson has spoken to both House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, about the special session. Parson says he is working with the Legislature to ensure that these funds are distributed across Missouri as quickly as possible.

The governor says since the Legislature approved the $35 billion state operating budget in May, additional CARES Act funding has been made available to the state.

During Monday’s hearing, Missouri House Budget Committee members will also hear testimony from the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) about nursing home family access. Smith says DHSS staff members will testify, about that issue.

Monday will also be the first meeting that new committee vice chairman Rep. Dirk Deaton attends, as vice chair.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, appointed Rep. Deaton, R-Noel, to the post last week, saying Representative Deaton will be ready to assist in the committee’s work to appropriate funding during the special session to combat COVID.

Speaker Haahr says it was important to name a vice chairman ahead of the special session.

Haahr chooses southwest Missouri’s Deaton as new House Budget Committee vice chairman

November 3, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A freshman state lawmaker from southwest Missouri’s Noel is the new vice chairman of the powerful Missouri House Budget Committee.

State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 4, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, has appointed State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, to the post, saying Deaton will be ready to assist in the committee’s work to appropriate funding during the upcoming special session to combat COVID.

The special session begins Thursday in Jefferson City, and Speaker Haahr says it was important to name a vice chairman ahead of the special session.

Deaton, who is unopposed in Tuesday’s election, was elected to the Missouri House in 2018.

“My top priorities are to support (House Budget Committee) Chairman (Cody) Smith as he guides the committee and work with my fellow committee members as we seek to appropriate taxpayer dollars wisely,” Deaton tells Missourinet.

Governor Mike Parson (R) announced the special session in late October, saying there is still CARES Act funding that needs to be distributed to Missourians. The governor has called a special session on a supplemental budget bill. The amount of that supplemental is unknown, at this time.

“The supplemental budget contains funding for several items, including school nutrition programs, job training grants, emergency solutions grant program for homeless prevention,” Parson told Capitol reporters on October 21.

The governor says the supplemental will also include funding for a domestic violence grant and child support payments.

Speaker Haahr has also added State Rep. Craig Fishel, R-Springfield, to the House Budget Committee.

Virgin Hyperloop still has its eye on Missouri to transport passengers in tubes

October 13, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Virgin Hyperloop says West Virginia has been chosen for its futuristic tube travel test track and certification center, but Missouri is not out of the picture. Company spokesman Ryan Kelly tells Missourinet West Virginia might not necessarily be where the first route is located.

A Hyperloop model visits the Mizzou campus (Photo courtesy of Virgin Hyperloop One)

“We still plan to continue work with some of the states that we’ve been talking to including Missouri, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and a couple more to really look at where the first projects could be once our technology is safety certified,” says Kelly. “If you think about how the interstate highway system came around when (President) Eisenhower decided to make that investment, even though it was based in Missouri, it was a national campaign. That’s where it started, but obviously not where it finished.”

St. Charles in eastern Missouri was the home of the first interstate highway project in the nation.

A Hyperloop is said to have the ability to lug passengers from Kansas City to St. Louis in about 30 minutes – a potential game changer for the way the state does business in the region. People could commute from one end of the state to the other, tying both economies together.

Kelly says the company’s top three criteria in its decision to award the projects to West Virginia had to do with land, political support and financial support. He says the company is not disclosing the incentives offered or any other financial information.

The Missouri Legislature passed and the governor signed into law this year a bill that keeps state road funds away from the project, keeps the project away from I-70’s right of way, and bans the use of eminent domain to build it. Did the new law derail plans of the test track and certification center coming to Missouri?

“I’ll counter that with Missouri was one of the first ones to actually legislate about Hyperloop in the United States as well,” says Kelly. “Speaker (Elijah) Haahr has been a huge proponent of what we were doing and have felt that support in Missouri. So, I wouldn’t point to that as a be all end all or something that we can point to that really tipped the scales, so to speak.”

Haahr, R-Springfield, formed a task force charged with creating a road map to commercialize a Hyperloop in Missouri. Lieutenant Gov. Mike Kehoe led the team.

“The vision that the state had for something like this is really commendable and exciting,” says Kelly. “We want to continue forward to talk to the state and continue to look at a path forward – for not only Missouri but for America as well.”

A study the panel compiled found that the technology could have up to $3.6 billion annually in economic impact and create up to 17,200 new jobs in Missouri. The group’s 176-page report also says the network could reduce I-70 vehicle crash injuries and fatalities up to 50%.

It estimates a full 250-mile Hyperloop track along Interstate-70 would cost about $7 to $10 billion and be mainly privately funded.

Earlier stories:

Missouri not chosen for Virgin Hyperloop test track https://www.missourinet.com/2020/10/08/missouri-not-chosen-for-virgin-hyperloop-test-track/

Missouri House Speaker, Majority Leader say Hyperloop should happen https://www.missourinet.com/2019/10/29/missouri-house-speaker-majority-leader-say-hyperloop-should-happen/

Task force: Hyperloop would fuel Missouri economy by billions, make 17k jobs https://www.missourinet.com/2019/10/28/task-force-hyperloop-would-fuel-economy-by-billions-make-17k-jobs/

Is flooding a problem for a potential Hyperloop in Missouri? https://wp.me/p16gMv-vjP

Push for Hyperloop certification track in Missouri https://wp.me/p16gMv-vjy

Could ‘Hyperloop’ tube travel thrive in Missouri? New group aims to find out, accelerate construction https://wp.me/p16gMv-uQg

Missouri coalition launches study about speedy passenger tube rides https://wp.me/p16gMv-sOP

Coalition hyped up about tubes taking you from KC to St. Louis in 31 minutes https://wp.me/p16gMv-sfe

Sponsor: Missouri House Speaker deserves credit for helping pass St. Louis Police officer bill (AUDIO)

September 24, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

An eastern Missouri state lawmaker who sponsored legislation eliminating the residency requirement for St. Louis police officers credits House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, for getting the bill passed in the recent special session.

State Rep. Ron Hicks (right) talks with State Rep. J. Eggleston, R-Maysville, at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on April 28, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Dardenne Prairie, says Haahr’s support was key.

“When I brought him the research and everything, he said we will get this done and we at one point thought we had lost it (the bill) and then it came back, and he made sure this was pushed and continued,” Hicks says.

The bill also eliminates the residency requirement for St. Louis firefighters and EMS personnel.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) signed the bill into law this week. The governor made the issue a top priority during the special session, and Hicks praises him as well.

Governor Parson says the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is currently short by about 140 officers, and says the bill can help fill that gap.

Hicks says he’s been working on the issue for years.

“Originally started this because families had reached out to me, children and wives had reached out to me,” says Hicks. “And some husbands even had reached out to me about the requirements of them having to have their children go to school there in the city and to have to live in the city and not be able to branch out into more affordable housing or better schools for that matter.”

The Missouri Senate approved the Hicks bill 25-5 and the House approved it on a 117-35 vote.

Bill opponents say St. Louis residents feel safer with police officers living in their neighborhoods. Other opponents note that Hicks doesn’t represent St. Louis City in the Legislature, and is from St. Charles County.

Hicks tells Missourinet this is not about politics, noting that he’ll be “done in two years,” referring to legislative term limits for the House. He says this is about giving back to officers who have been putting their lives on the line for citizens.

He also says St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden’s testimony put a spotlight on the issue. Chief Hayden traveled to Jefferson City during the regular and special sessions this year, to testify for the bill. Hayden says his department desperately needs more officers due to the surge in violence.

St. Louis has had 198 homicides this year.

Governor Parson canceled Wednesday’s ceremonial bill signing in St. Louis, after he and the First Lady tested positive for COVID. The event is expected to be rescheduled.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s five-minute interview with State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Dardenne Prairie, which was recorded on September 22, 2020:

St. Louis Police Chief: “We desperately need more officers and we need them now”

September 2, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation eliminating the residency requirement for St. Louis police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel is heading to the Missouri Senate floor in Jefferson City after being approved Tuesday in committee.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden testifies before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee in Jefferson City on August 17, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee approved the bill by a party-line 5-2 vote. State Sens. Karla May, D-St. Louis, and Brian Williams, D-University City, cast the two no votes.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden traveled to Jefferson City on Tuesday to testify for the bill, saying “we (St. Louis Police) desperately need more officers and we need them now.” During his testimony, Hayden discussed recent violence against his officers.

“That’s seven officers shot, one officer shot and killed in the line of duty and one retired captain shot and killed in the past three months,” Hayden testifies.

St. Louis Police officer Tamarris Bohannon was shot and killed in the line of duty this weekend. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has charged suspect Thomas Kinworthy, 43, with first degree murder and numerous other felonies.

Chief Hayden says his department is currently down 145 officers and that the residency requirement is the greatest challenge his department has with recruitment and retention. Hayden testifies that there has been an unprecedented surge in gun violence in St. Louis in the past 12 weeks, with the city averaging more than nine homicides per week.

“Bringing us up to 183 homicides compared to 137 at the same time last year. 32 homicides in June, 53 in July and now 29 in August,” says Hayden.

The Missouri Police Chiefs Association and the St. Louis Police Officers Association testified for the legislation on Tuesday.

State Public Advocate Arnie Dienoff testified against it, saying the only elected official in St. Louis who supports the bill is Mayor Lyda Krewson. He also says the bill only applies to St. Louis and not Kansas City, Springfield or Columbia.

Dienoff notes the bill sponsor, State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Dardenne Prairie, is not from St. Louis City.

State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, and other bill opponents have also said that St. Louis residents feel safer with officers living in their neighborhoods.

Chief Hayden testifies that no other department in the St. Louis region has a residency rule, and says citizens want more visibility and more enforcement.

The Missouri State Council of Firefighters also testified for Hicks’ bill on Tuesday, saying St. Louis is now down 32 EMS staffers.

Missouri Senate committees approved four other crime bills on Tuesday, including witness protection legislation from State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, that would create a fund to provide security to witnesses, potential witnesses and their immediate families in criminal proceedings or investigations.

All five bills are part of Governor Mike Parson’s special session call on violent crime.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, told Missourinet last week that the juvenile certification bill is dead.

‘Political trailblazer for women’ inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians

August 27, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

America’s first female county clerk has been inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. A bronze bust of Annie White Baxter of southwest Missouri’s Carthage joins 47 others in the esteemed hall already showcasing journalist Walter Cronkite, radio host Rush Limbaugh, and the 33rd U.S. President – Harry Truman. They line the third floor of the Missouri Capitol Rotunda in Jefferson City to pay tribute to the legacy they have left.

Bronze bust of Annie White Baxter unveiled on August 26, 2020 (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

As House Speaker, Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, gets the final say on who is inducted into the hall. During a ceremony today in the Missouri House of Representatives, White Baxter was remembered as one of the state’s best county clerks and a political trailblazer.

In 1890, she defeated her opponent by about 400 votes to become the Jasper County Clerk during a time when women did not have the right to vote. White Baxter, a Democrat, later served as state registrar of lands and financial secretary of the Missouri Constitutional Convention.

Her induction coincides with today being Women’s Equality Day to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – prohibiting government from denying the right of American citizens to vote based on gender. Women of color were not guaranteed the right to vote until later.

Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, led today’s opening prayer. She is a former Carroll County clerk.

“Thank you for allowing her to pave the way for the 85 female county clerks and personal friends serving throughout the 114 counties in Missouri today,” she said.

The Pledge of Allegiance was then flawlessly led by Haahr’s three daughters.

Former state Rep. Charlie Davis, the current Jasper County Clerk, said White Baxter blazed the trail for women – not only in Missouri but in America. He notes the county auditor, assessor, circuit clerk, public administrator, prosecuting attorney, recorder of deeds and treasurer in Jasper County are all women.

“It’s amazing that half of our elected officials in Jasper County are women,” he said. “That kind of shows the importance that women place on our society, but especially our community of Jasper County.”

Davis said the second female Jasper County Clerk was elected 100 years later. Out of the last 30 years, he said 20 years were served by female Jasper County clerks.

According to Davis, a bust of White Baxter will also be placed in the Jasper County Courthouse.

Wendy Doyle, the President and CEO of Women’s Foundation, said millions of people who visit the Missouri Capitol each year, including many students, will enjoy the symbol of inspiration that White Baxter represents.

“I’m thrilled she’s getting the recognition she finally deserves,” she said. “By writing women back into history, we can ensure that women can see themselves in the change makers and barrier breakers of the past.”

Women’s Foundation and its supporters, particularly generous Missourians from White Baxter’s home county, funded the project.

“It’s important to the Women’s Foundation that we are able to go back in time to preserve legacies and history so that we can see how far we’ve come but also for us to see who we could be, to show women that there is a path forward – that we are working toward equality,” she said. “We are demonstrating to Missouri women that we are making progress.”

The cost of the bust is in the neighborhood of $15,000.

Haahr said putting White Baxter in the hall was a no-brainer.

“There’s a lot of really talented people that are not yet in the Hall of Famous Missourians. I started thinking about Annie White Baxter back in 2018 when I first became Speaker. It made a lot of sense – it’s the 100th General Assembly, it’s the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote. So, it all kind of dovetails together,” said Haahr.

He hopes today’s event will serve as a learning experience for his three daughters.

“My mom was my first political advisor,” he said. “But having three daughters, they are going to grow up in a world where they are never going to worry about not being able to vote, not being able to hold office. And so for me, without having to go through that struggle to remind them of the people that did, I feel like is very important.”

The sculpture was crafted by E. Spencer Schubert of Kansas City.

America’s first female county clerk to be inducted into Hall of Famous Missourians Wednesday (AUDIO)

August 25, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The first female elected to public office in Missouri in 1890 will be inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians Wednesday morning in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, presides over the House in Jefferson City on April 29, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, notes Annie White Baxter, who grew up in southwest Missouri’s Carthage, was the nation’s first female county clerk, in Jasper County.

“It’s our 100th General Assembly and it’s the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote. Annie White Baxter got elected years before women could vote. She couldn’t even vote for herself,” Haahr says.

Haahr praises Baxter as a trailblazer in Missouri history, noting his three daughters have the right to vote because of people like Baxter.

The Speaker notes the Secretary of State certified the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote on August 26, 1920. Wednesday’s ceremony is 100 years later.

“Annie White Baxter is still sort of a legend down in Jasper County. There’s an award for her every year that they give out. The goal here (at the Missouri Capitol) is to sort of bring her to state and national prominence,” says Haahr.

The State Historical Society of Missouri says Annie White Baxter was nominated for Jasper County clerk in 1890, by the Democrats. Some questioned whether she could legally run for office, since women weren’t permitted to vote at that time. She defeated Republican Julius Fischer in that race, and he challenged it in court. A judge in Greene County upheld the election results.

The Historical Society website says that during her time in office, “Baxter earned a reputation as one of the best county clerks in the state, overseeing taxes, elections and licenses.” She later worked for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office in Jefferson City.

She died in 1944 in Jefferson City, at the age of 80.

Speaker Haahr is encouraging you to attend Wednesday morning’s 11 o’clock ceremony, which will take place at in the Missouri House chamber. Haahr will unveil a bronze bust of Baxter, at the ceremony. A reception is also planned.

“We’ve got Wendy Doyle from the Women’s Foundation will be speaking,” Haahr says. “My three daughters are going to do the pledge of allegiance. Peggy McGaugh, (State) Representative and former county clerk is going to do the prayer. And then Wendy and Charlie Davis and myself will speak.”

Former State Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, is now the Jasper County Clerk, a position that Baxter once held. State Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, is a former county clerk in northwest Missouri’s Carroll County.

Speaker Haahr says Baxter played a prominent role in Missouri’s history. Annie Baxter Street in Joplin is named for her as well.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Brian Hauswirth and House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, which was recorded in the Speaker’s Missouri Capitol office in Jefferson City on August 25, 2020:

UPDATE: Missouri House gives final approval of five crime bills; juvenile certification bill is dead

August 25, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House voted Tuesday in Jefferson City to give final approval to five bills that are key components of Governor Mike Parson’s (R) special session call on violent crime. The five bills received initial House approval on Monday.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, gavels the House into session on August 24, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Meantime, House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, confirms that juvenile certification legislation that has drawn criticism from state lawmakers in both parties will not be taken up by the House, and is dead.

“There’s no consensus about moving a juvenile certification bill, so at this point we’re going to let the law remain where it is,” Speaker Haahr told Missourinet late Monday morning, during an interview in his Capitol office in Jefferson City.

Earlier this month, the Missouri Senate approved legislation that would allow Missouri courts to certify juveniles 14-18 as adults for violent weapons offenses. Governor Parson called for the provision, saying it’s aimed at violent crime like murder. But State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, and other critics say it would lock up children and put them in prison with violent offenders and murderers.

The Missouri House Special Committee on Criminal Justice amended the bill last week, changing the ages to 16-18.

“You know I always had concerns with it. Senate Bill One came over and there was some concerns about a variety of parts. We thought it was better for the House to break them down and analyze them separately,” says Haahr.

The five bills given final approval by the House today include witness protection legislation and legislation eliminating the residency requirements for St. Louis police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel.

The bipartisan witness protection bill was approved today by a 147-3 vote. The legislation from State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, will create a pretrial witness protection services fund, to be operated by the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) to law enforcement agencies. The money would be used to provide security to witnesses, potential witnesses and their immediate families in criminal proceedings or investigations.

We learned Monday that a second special session will be called to fund the program. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, told colleagues on the House floor that if lawmakers approve the Patterson bill, Governor Parson will call the second special session to fund the program.

State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Dardenne Prairie, sponsored the legislation that eliminates the residency requirements for St. Louis police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel. It has a three-year sunset clause. Today’s final House vote was 117-35.

State Rep. Barry Hovis, R-Cape Girardeau, sponsors the legislation that increases penalties for witness and victim tampering. The vote was 133-11.

The other two crime bills are sponsored by State Rep. Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon. The Schroer bills passed 117-33 and 103-45.

Neither the Senate nor House has held a hearing yet on the governor’s amended special session call involving St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (D). Speaker Haahr says he’s been in touch with his Senate colleagues.

“The (special session) call was sort of expanded in the middle of the special session. We’ve been in constant dialogue with the Senate. Neither side seems to be prepared at this point to move forward yet on that issue. So I think we are going to try to put these other ones (crime bills) to bed before we figure out what to do with that,” Haahr says.

The governor wants to allow the Missouri Attorney General’s office to take on some murder cases that haven’t been prosecuted yet by Gardner’s office. Circuit Attorney Gardner and the bipartisan Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys oppose that plan.