Missouri's 2020 legislative session Archives

Missouri House GOP and Democratic leaders focused on urban violence

January 9, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Addressing the increasing violence in St. Louis and Kansas City is a priority for Missouri House Republicans and Democrats during the 2020 session, which began Wednesday in Jefferson City.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Color Guard presents the flags to start the 2020 session in the Missouri House on January 8, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, tells Capitol reporters that the cities need support for witness protection.

“When you have a city like the size of St. Louis facing almost 200 homicides a year, both the police force is sort of overwhelmed and their investigatory unit is sort of overwhelmed,” Haahr says.

There were 194 murders in St. Louis in 2019, along with 148 homicides in Kansas City.

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison has said that St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield are three of the top 15 most violent cities in the nation, on a per capita basis.

As for House Democrats, they are outnumbered this year in the Missouri House 114-48, with one vacancy. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, is also focused on increased support for witness protection. But she also tried to draw a distinction between the two parties, during her opening day press conference.

“We will not accept that children dying from gun violence on a weekly basis is the price that we pay for freedom,” says Quade. “And we will demand that common sense be restored to Missouri law to make it harder for the bad guy with the gun to get the gun in the first place.”

At least 13 children were killed in St. Louis City shootings in 2019.

Quade says House Democrats want to punish crime, not poverty.

The Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Public Safety is expected to come up with recommendations to address gun violence, for the 2020 session. The committee is chaired by State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff.

Speaker Haahr and Leader Quade held back-to-back press conferences at the Statehouse, on opening day.

Meantime, the Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming released its report in December. The committee views the legalization of sports betting as a “legitimate opportunity to increase state revenues” for education and other programs.

18 states will have implemented sports wagering by this year.

Speaker Haahr tells Missourinet there’s a lot of discussion about sports wagering legislation at the Capitol.

“I don’t think any of that discussion particularly falls along party lines,” Haahr says. “I think it sort of cuts across both caucuses and so, we’ll consider those bills as they are filed.”

The House Special Interim Committee on Gaming’s report concluded that Missouri would likely lose revenue if it doesn’t remain competitive with other states.

Major League Baseball (MLB) representative Jeremy Kudon traveled to Jefferson City in November to testify before the gaming committee. He testifies that Missourians are expected to wager $5.5 billion annually on sports, if it’s legalized.

The House has adjourned for the week, and they’ll return to the Capitol on Monday. Next week’s schedule will be light, except for Governor Mike Parson’s State of the State Address on Wednesday.

Speaker Haahr says about 800 House bills have been filed, adding that about 100 will be referred to committee this week. He expects House floor debate to begin during the week of January 20.

HUD Secretary Carson to keynote Thursday breakfast in Jefferson City

January 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The nation’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will deliver the keynote address Thursday morning in Jefferson City at the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast.

North Sarah Apartment resident Lonnie Nunn (left) welcomes U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson into her home in St. Louis on March 29, 2019 (file photo by Bill Greenblatt UPI)

Former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson is the nation’s 17th HUD Secretary.

Hundreds of people are expected to pack the Capitol Plaza Hotel near the Missouri Capitol for the breakfast, which is an annual interfaith event for Missouri lawmakers and citizens.

Governor Mike Parson (R) will speak at the breakfast, and Secretary Carson will deliver the keynote. State lawmakers from both political parties attend the breakfast, which is from 7:30 to 9.

Event organizers say the purpose of the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast is to seek God’s guidance for state and legislative leaders at the start of the legislative session.

Missouri’s 2020 session began Wednesday in Jefferson City.

Secretary Carson was in Missouri in March 2019, to speak in St. Louis about the federal “Opportunity Zones” program. The program offers capital gains tax relief to those who invest in economically-depressed areas.

Dr. Carson spoke that day at the North Sarah Apartments, a HUD-supported housing complex that’s located in an opportunity zone.

Parson outlines priorities for Missouri’s 2020 legislative session (AUDIO)

January 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Transportation and workforce development are two of Governor Mike Parson’s (R) top priorities for Missouri’s 2020 legislative session, which begins Wednesday at noon in Jefferson City.

Governor Mike Parson addressed the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association in Columbia on January 7, 2020 (Brian Hauswirth photo)

Parson spoke to Missourinet Tuesday about the session, after he addressed about 300 people at the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association’s annual conference in Columbia.

“We’re going to continue on with the workforce development pieces that we’re doing with the infrastructure,” Parson says. “Reorganizing some of the (state) government agencies. We’ve still got a lot of work to do there.”

The largest state government reorganization in decades took effect on August 28, and involved four agencies. It’s aimed at allowing the state Department of Economic Development (DED) to focus exclusively on its core mission, which is economic development.

The August restructuring involved moving the Division of Energy from DED to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and also involved moving the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Office of Public Counsel from DED to the newly-named Department of Commerce and Insurance. The restructuring also moved DED’s Division of Workforce Development to the Department of Higher Education.

As for the workforce development theme, Governor Parson emphasizes the importance of preparing students for the future.

“We want to take a good look at education and make sure those high school students understand what the workforce is out there of tomorrow,” says Parson. “That’s going to be important to me that we develop them and get them ready for that workforce.”

Republicans will have super-majorities in both chambers in 2020. They’ll control the Senate 24-10 and the House 114-48, with one vacancy.

Governor Parson will outline his legislative agenda in-detail during his State of the State Address on January 15, before a joint session of the Legislature.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Governor Mike Parson, which was recorded on January 7, 2020 at the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association’s conference in Columbia:

Stolen firearm legislation aimed at addressing violent crime in Missouri (AUDIO)

January 5, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within 72 hours has been filed by a newly-elected Missouri lawmaker.

State Representative-Elect Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis (December 3, 2019 photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at Missouri House Communications)

State Representative-Elect Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, who will be sworn-in Wednesday in Jefferson City, tells Missourinet there’s a huge crime problem across Missouri.

“It really doesn’t matter if it’s in the city of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City or Columbia, crime is like rampant all across our state,” Aldridge says.

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison has said that St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield are three of the top 15 most violent cities in the nation, on a per capita basis.

House Bill 1824 is a one-page bill. Under the bill, failure to report the loss or theft of a firearm within the 72-hour window would be an infraction for the first two violations, with fines up to $100 and $1,000, respectively. A third offense would be a misdemeanor with a possible six-month county jail sentence and a $1,000 fine.

Representative-Elect Aldridge describes his proposal as a preventative effort to fight crime.

“This past summer in St. Louis we’ve seen young kids from the age of 25 and down die every other day and then we continue to ask, what can we do?” says Aldridge.

At least 13 children were killed in St. Louis City shootings in 2019. There were 194 murders in St. Louis in 2019, and there have already been at least eight homicides there in the new year.

There were 148 homicides in Kansas City last year.

The Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Public Safety held a six-hour hearing at the Statehouse in November, and they’re expected to come up with recommendations to address gun violence for the upcoming session.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, who serves on that committee, describes the increasing gun violence as a public health crisis. She says the violence is plaguing inner cities and outstate.

Aldridge says some will view his legislation as an attack on the Second Amendment. Aldridge, a gun owner, tells Missourinet he believes his bill strengthens the Second Amendment.

“And if I would have lost my gun or if someone stole my gun I think it’s very important as a gun owner to make sure that you work with local law enforcement, who already have a tough job as it is,” Aldridge says.

He says some of the guns are being stolen during vehicle break-ins on Washington Avenue in St. Louis, which is in his district.

Aldridge and five other newly-elected state representatives will be sworn-in Wednesday at noon when the 2020 session begins. Republicans will control the Missouri House 114-48, with one vacancy.

Aldridge says he looks forward to working with his GOP colleagues, and having a conversation with them about the importance of his stolen firearm bill.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Representative-Elect Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, which was recorded on December 27, 2019: