Missouri legislature Archives

What you need to know about Parson’s proposed K-12 schools budget

January 20, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Gov. Mike Parson is proposing $3.56 billion in base funding for Missouri’s K-12 public schools – a $10 million increase compared to the current fiscal year. Under Parson’s requested state budget that begins in July, the amount would fully fund the formula used to finance the state’s 518 public school districts.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to Missourinet on September 23, 2019 at Jefferson City’s Memorial Park (Brian Hauswirth file photo)

Parson’s budget outline calls for $117 million to bus kids to and from school. The requested amount is $10 million more than the current year’s school transportation budget. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is about $185 million short of full transportation funding and it has been trying to close the gap by asking for an increase over a multi-year period.

During last week’s State of the State address, Parson said he also wants the state to expand access to virtual education for high school students and those who are home schooled. He wants to pump an extra $500,000 into the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Programs next fiscal year for the statewide expansion of an online learning platform.

Parson’s budget outline gives about $281,000 more to the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, along with the addition of two new positions.

Under the governor’s fiscal plan, it calls for $21 million for Parents As Teachers – the same level of funding as the current budget year. The organization provides services to high-need families seeking help with the successful educational outcomes of their children. The request would help 538 high-need families on a wait list for services.

Under Parson’s plan, early childhood special education would get $206.5 million. The requested amount is a $12 million boost. DESE’s Division of Learning Services would also get a roughly $3.8 million boost to its Early Childhood Program. The Division’s other special education efforts would get about a $1.5 million reduction.

STEM Awareness and Computer Science Education Programs would get the same level of funding as the current year. An extra $200,000 would go towards recruiting teachers in urban areas. Parson wants to give the Division’s Dyslexia Programs $400,000 and Federal Refugees program $300,000 – the same level of funding as the current budget year. About $696,000 – a nearly $300,000 increase – would go to high school equivalency testing fees for first-time test takers.

Parson is proposing that $750,000 goes to certify about 12,000 new high school students as work-ready. Parson says the effort could open doors to students not sure if college is in their immediate plans, but still put them on a path to greater opportunities.

“We need to ensure our students understand the many opportunities out there, whether it be going into the workforce, the military, a community college, a technical school, or a four-year degree,” said Parson.

Parson says about 30% of Missouri’s population has a four-year degree from a college or university.

Now that Parson has sketched his fiscal desires, Missouri House and Senate members will roll up their sleeves this week and get to work on the state budget.

(AUDIO) Missourinet 5 p.m. Newscast for 1-8-2020

January 8, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri House or Senate coffee? The longtime discussion brews again

January 8, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg

The coffee will be flowing for brew addicts during this opening day of the Missouri legislative session. When the chambers are in session and sometimes burning the midnight oil, a good cup of java can make the world go round, especially when debate is not so riveting.

A longtime discussion among those who frequent the Missouri Capitol surrounds which chamber has better coffee. According to an unscientific poll of three lawmakers who have served in both the House and the Senate, there’s no question.

“The Senate’s coffee is a lot better than the House,” says Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg. “It’s just a lot more bold and spicy, I believe, in the Senate. In fact, I see a lot of State Representatives come down here to get their coffee versus the coffee that they have in the House. I have yet to see one State Senator head down to the House of Representatives to get coffee down there.”

Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, says he consumes a lot of coffee – without the doctoring of cream and sugar additives.

“For me, the best coffee is the most readily accessible,” Burlison says. “I’m not picky. I think the grounds are the same whether it’s on the House side or Senate side. I can’t tell a difference.”

Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield

Burlison might also give you a lesson about coffee. Last year, he and his wife visited Costa Rica and toured some coffee plantations.

“When you are looking for coffee beans, you want to look for ones that say peaberry. It’s got more flavor and it roasts a little bit better. Most stores sell them at the same price, but you’re getting a lot better quality of a coffee bean. I don’t think either the House or the Senate is buying peaberry coffee nor are they grinding the coffee beans,” he says.

Burlison, a member of the Senate Conservative Caucus, says the state-funded java gets the job done in an efficient and affordable way.

Sen. Bill White, R-Joplin, has a system for his coffee needs.

“The Senate side definitely has coffee that is better than the House. Although my own coffee is a lot better than either of them,” says White. “I drink the coffee on the Senate side when it’s really late at night and I’ve already run up and down the stairs twenty times or something is going on and I just need a quick refill before something happens on the floor, I’ll drink out here. But generally I’ll go upstairs and use my Keurig machine. I have not since I’ve been in the Senate gone back to the House for coffee. No.”

Sen. Bill White, R-Joplin

He has a worthy theory behind what could make the Senate coffee an easier drink to swallow.

“My impression is that they brew it more often, because a lot of times I’ll run into somebody in there firing up one of the pots,” he says. “There’s five or six of them in there. Whereas the House has the great big huge machines that I think they make once or twice a day and it just sits there and kind of gets a little burnt flavor.”

Senate coffee – 2. House coffee – 0. Whatever coffee I can get my hands on first – 1.

Missouri Legislature gets down to business today

January 8, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The General Assembly gets to work today for the legislative session’s opening day at the state Capitol in Jefferson City. Both chambers gavel in at noon.

Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications

Today’s work will be largely ceremonial with six new House members being sworn in. It will be a couple of weeks before lawmakers really start getting into the swing of things.

So far, more than 800 bills have been filed in the House and 300 in the Senate. Some of the priorities of the Republican-controlled Legislature include:

*Additional funding for Missouri’s roads, bridges and internet broadband in rural areas
*Sports wagering
*Overturning a legislative redistricting ballot measure
*Changes to liability lawsuits
*Expanding charter schools
*Workforce development
*Curbing Missouri’s violent crime problem
*Property tax relief

Missourinet will be covering today’s events and will be there throughout the session with the latest state political information.

Missouri legislator: Local sports referees need more protection from being threatened or attacked

December 31, 2019 By Ashley Byrd

Barnes, D-Raytown (Tim Bommel, House Communications)

Sports officials acknowledge that their task is challenging on the field and from the sidelines, where disgruntled coaches and fans yell and jeer about calls they do not like.

But lately, says former referee and now state Representative Jerome Barnes, game environments are getting more violent.

He says in his own town of Raytown, outside Kansas City, a basketball official was hit and knocked out by someone coming out on the court. The victim had to get medical care and miss work.

“Referees are getting attacked, yelled at, cursed at, threatened before during and after the game and nothing is really being done about it,” says Barnes.

So Barnes has been repeatedly tackling the topic in the Legislature, and this year is sponsoring two bills this session:

H.B. 1570 which expands the definition of “special victim” under Section 565.002, RSMo, to include sports officials at a sporting event while performing their duties as sports officials, and

H.B. 1803, which creates a penalty for verbally harassing officials and defines “recreation athletic contest official.”

Barnes says emergency workers are legally protected as “special victims,” which also includes MoDOT workers and utility or cable service technicians.

“When the guy comes out to cut your utilities or cable off, it’s not because they want to do that, he’s following the company rules. If you hit him or do something to him, he’s in that special victims group. Same thing with the officials, they are not out there enforcing the rules because they like them, they are out there enforcing the rules of the basketball or football game and should be protected as well,” Barnes tells Missourinet.

Barnes says college and pro sports officials have escorts and protection before, during and after the games. Not so for high school and youth sports. He hopes adding a layer of legal protection will help.

He says most officiating is a “thankless job” and now there is a shortage because of the increasing stress.

Barnes cites a recent study by the National Association of Sports Officials that shows the median age of officials in all sports is more than 50 years old. Almost half of the male officials feel unsafe on the job because of spectators. Most say they stick with it because of the love of the game itself. The survey also shows that 57 percent of officials say that sportsmanship is getting worse, mostly at the youth competitive level.

Barnes said he heard from an active referee about how to solve the problem:

“He says that if you assault a referee, then after you serve your sentence, it should be mandatory that you become a referee for three years–as punishment,” Barnes laughs.

More seriously, he says he is worried about the rise of violent crime among youth in general and what it may mean for sports.

“The way things are happening, you can see it coming,” Barnes says. “Once the word gets out about stiffer prosecutions, this will slow things down.”

Missouri Supreme Court to hear arguments Tuesday in key Planned Parenthood case

December 9, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday morning in Jefferson City in a key case involving the state’s legal dispute with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.

The complicated legal case began when the Legislature appropriated money for fiscal year 2019, which prohibited expenditure of funds to any abortion facility. The sentence specifically reads “no funds shall be expended to any abortion facility as defined in Section 188.015, or any affiliate or associate thereof.”

The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), through its Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit, denied funding requests from Planned Parenthood, which appealed to the administrative hearing commission (AHC). The AHC ruled in the state’s favor.

However, St. Louis Circuit Judge David Dowd ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, saying portions of the appropriations bill violated the state Constitution.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) and Solicitor General D. John Sauer have submitted a 32-page brief to the Missouri Supreme Court, outlining their case. Schmitt and Counselor Sauer say the trial court erred, and that the bill does not violate the single subject provision. They also say the trial court erred in taxing costs against the state of Missouri.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region is being represented by Jefferson City attorney Chuck Hatfield, who’s submitted a 42-page brief to the Supreme Court.

Counselor Hatfield writes that Judge Dowd’s ruling should be affirmed. He says the appropriations bill violates the state Constitution, and says the Attorney General’s office is quoting opinions that “are neither binding nor persuasive.” Hatfield also says existing state law required the state to pay Planned Parenthood for physician and family planning services it provides to Missouri Medicaid beneficiaries.

The Supreme Court will hear the arguments Tuesday morning at 9:30 in Jefferson City. Missourinet managing editor Alisa Nelson will be covering the case.

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.

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.

Lawmakers, lobbyists to revisit issues for 2020 Missouri legislative session

July 24, 2019 By Ashley Byrd

Missouri Senate from staff entrance

Long before the new Missouri Legislative session begins in January, lobbyists, lawmakers and activists begin to rally around their respective bills. Here are a few that may live to see another day (or live in another version) in Jefferson City in 2020.

“Stop the Grainbelt Express use of eminent domain” is not the official title of House Bill 1062 but that’s the idea of it. Frankford Rep. Jim Hansen wanted to curtail the Grain Belt Express (or any privately held company) from evoking eminent domain to get to the land it needs to run electrical transmission lines through the state. In this case, wind power is crossing from Kansas to the East Coast via approximately 780-mile overhead, direct current (DC) transmission line. After the Missouri Public Service Commission voted unanimously that the project is in the public interest, the state agriculture industry and many affected landowners went to lawmakers to stop the project, even holding a rally at the Capitol with Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Why did it fail?

The bill met resistance in the Senate as rural communities, businesses, and municipal utilities also reached out to their lawmakers, seeking the $12.8 million in savings for electricity offered by the Grain Belt Express in Missouri. Democrats and Republicans wanted to see struggling small towns get the extra cash. The company says the project is a $500 million investment. Wind energy proponents see this project as critical in reaching the East Coast with clean, cheaper energy.

What’s next?

Bill sponsor Rep. Jim Hansen says there is another plan in the works. But the bill in this version is not likely to come up again. Meanwhile, the Grain Belt Express owners say they “look forward to working directly with Missouri communities and landowners.” The criteria for granting the power of eminent domain could emerge again in some form.

Prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP)

Missouri continues to hold out as the only state in the U.S. without a statewide database to monitor controlled substance prescriptions, to the frustration of top Republican (and Democrat) leaders. They see it as an effective tool in fighting the national opioid epidemic. U.S Senator Roy Blunt agrees, calling for it in his speech to the General Assembly this spring.

Why did it fail?

Senate and House members in the small but strategic Conservative Caucus equate the database with an invasion of privacy that can also be exploited by hackers.

The St. Louis Post also explains the bill’s struggles.

What’s next?

Republican Representative Holly Rehder tells Missourinet she’ll file the bill once again in January. In the meantime, more counties and states are working with St. Louis County’s voluntary PDMP.

Pro Tem Schatz is disappointed lawmakers didn’t approve prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation this year. He’s already looking ahead to 2020. “But I will tell you that we will come back next year and I have three more years in this chamber (Missouri Senate). And I will work every year until we get that thing accomplished,” Schatz says.

Legalizing sports wagering in Missouri will continue to come up since the U.S. Supreme Court last year allowed sportsbooks across the country. Most of the sportsbook bills introduced in the 2019 session allow Missouri-based casinos to host online betting online.

Why did it fail?

State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, sponsor of Senate Bill 44 has been working on this issue for three years and says there are still disagreements about casinos paying fees to sports leagues and requiring the use of sports league official data instead of a third-party chosen by casinos. (See also SB 327, SB 222, HB 119)

What’s next?

Hoskins will refile the bill which uses part the state’s revenue (in the tens of millions) to improve public infrastructure around sports venues to improve the safety and fan experiences. However, he’s open to compromise to lure sports betting out of Nevada and into Missouri.

“We do have a lot of sports betting going on here already, but it’s not regulated and it’s not legal,” Hoskins says.

Film Tax Credits could bring in millions to Missouri, but they have not been used since 2012, when the incentive to the movie industry expired. The bill got some debate in both the House and Senate in 2019, as lawmakers lamented money lost to Georgia (no limit to tax credits) while on-demand film companies like Netflix are spending billions on new content. Read more here.

Why did it fail?

Tax incentives face a fight from the six-person Conservative Caucus in the state Senate fundamentally opposes rewarding private companies with taxpayer money. Despite that, film credits were overshadowed by a much larger tax credit bill brought in by Governor Parson in the final weeks of the session in order to land a GM automotive manufacturing expansion in Wentzville.

What’s next?

Senate bill sponsor Denny Hoskins says he’ll try again. He’s a member of the Conservative Caucus, but says he’s tired of film projects (set in Missouri) going to other red states–bringing jobs, tourism and local spending in return for a cap of $5 million from the state.

B-Corporation designation is a special distinction for community-minded companies who want to attract like-minded investors (ex. Patagonia, Etsy). In order to be a “Benefit Corporation,” however, these businesses have to put their money where their mouth is, dedicating resources and money to a specific mission and creating financial transparency. There are no costs to the designation, but being a B-Corp protects company leadership from being sued for putting mission over profits or stockholders.

Why did it fail?

Missouri Right to Life added restrictive language to every B-corp bill this session, according to lawmakers on both sides. The group’s concerns are unclear and requests for comment from Missourinet have been unanswered. Missouri’s Constitution restricts research tied to abortions. The lead lawmaker for this bill is Republican Senator Lincoln Hough of Springfield. Democratic Senator Jill Schupp who supports the bill calls the MRL action a “poison pill.”

What’s next?

Companies are asking legislators, the Department of Economic Development and Governor Mike Parson to rally around the bill this coming session. One of those is Brewer Science in Rolla, which makes electronic components for computer chips.

“What it really does in terms of telling startups and high technology companies such as Brewer Science that you want to come to Missouri this is a great state to do business with. We’re a low-tax, low-regulation state, and we want to give you all the benefits more than 35 other states do being a Benefit Corporation, ” Brewer’s chief legal officer told Missourinet. With the construction of the NextGen Precision Health facility for the University of Missouri System, high-tech life science research companies will want to come to this state, he contends.

“Kansas has this bill, Arkansas has this bill, Illinois has benefit corporation legislation. This is not something that we want to be out of, particularly where there’s no negatives: nobody ever has said anything negative, that this wasn’t a good bill and positive for Missouri. The only issue was the opposition from one interest group,” Gerson said.

Rep. Bruce Franks resigns July 31, to leave Missouri

July 19, 2019 By Ashley Byrd

St. Louis Representative Bruce Franks officially resigns at the end of this month. The black activist leader who emerged out of Ferguson protests says his mental health is at stake.

“Battling anxiety, depression, mental health issues, especially in the black community, that’s something that’s been a stigma and it’s been frowned upon in our communities to seek help,” Franks told Missourinet and fellow lawmakers.

Not only is Franks leaving the legislature, but he says he is leaving Missouri.

He spoke with Missourinet when he announced his resignation. Read, listen to his interview here.

“I knew what I was signing up for when I came, it’s just everything stacked on top of each other is really what aided to my mental health deteriorating the way that it did.

He said he will continue to work between different communities.

“To kind of bridge a gap between urban and rural areas, Republican and Democrat, because I think it’s important. I think it’s important to build those bridges even if nobody walks across them, somebody eventually will,” Franks said.

Franks said on Facebook, “I love my city but I can’t heal from trauma and survive in the epicenter any longer,” “I’m not running away from it I’m choosing to change my environment to be the best version of me. ”

Franks, who was first elected in 2016, is in his second House term. He was the only Democrat to chair a Missouri House committee this session.

State Rep. Bruce Franks, D-St. Louis, briefs Capitol reporters about criminal justice reform efforts on February 11, 2019, as House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, (right) listens (photo courtesy of Benjamin Peters at House Communications)