State Sen. Jason Holsman Archives

Missouri Senate Democrats expected to lose two members this week

January 13, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Senator Jason Holsman (D-Kansas City)

State Senator Cindy O’Laughlin of northeast Missouri’s Shelbina says the makeup of the Senate will be changing soon. She says the governor is appointing two Kansas City members – Jason Holsman to the Missouri Public Service Commission and Kiki Curls to the State Labor Commission.

“They will both be leaving probably toward the end of week,” she says. “So that kind of changes the dynamics a little bit because there are only ten total in the Senate that are Democrat. So now they’re down to eight.”

The chamber has 24 Republicans.

O’Laughlin, a Republican, tells Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly the changes will present some unique challenges.

Senator Kiki Curls (D-Kansas City)

“Those positions won’t be filled until the election,” says O’Laughlin. “This then means that we have a lot of different committees addressing a lot of different topics and it’s going to be very hard for them to make all of those hearings. So, we’ll see how that plays out.”

The state commission jobs pay about $109,000 annually, compared to the nearly $36,000 annual salaries for term-limited work as a Missouri Senator.

Bob Ehle of Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly contributed to this story

Viking funeral and motorcycle helmet bills headline Missouri veto session (AUDIO)

September 11, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri lawmakers are back in Jefferson City on Wednesday for the constitutionally-required veto session. No overrides are expected.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, speaks on the House floor on May 17, 2019 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The state Constitution requires lawmakers to convene Wednesday at noon for the annual veto session. The Senate and House will both gavel-in at the same time.

Governor Mike Parson (R) vetoed six bills this year. The two most high-profile bills involve outdoor cremations and allowing motorcyclists to ride without a helmet.

Parson vetoed both of those, expressing safety concerns.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, spoke to Missourinet Tuesday afternoon on the Capitol lawn, following a “Back the Blue” license plate ceremony. Speaker Haahr tells Missourinet he doesn’t expect any veto overrides.

“The House bills that were vetoed, we’ve talked to each one of the (bill) sponsors and each of them have indicated that they don’t plan to offer theirs for a vote,” Haahr says. “And so I don’t anticipate any overrides this session.”

On the other side of the Capitol building, State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, tells Missourinet he doesn’t expect any override attempts in either the House or Senate.

It takes a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override a veto.

The governor vetoed legislation from State Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, that would have allowed outdoor “Viking funerals.” Senator Holsman told the “Kansas City Star” this summer that Viking funerals “have been around since the dawn of man.”

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 burial of our loved ones or the disposal of their remains is deeply personal and should be treated with the utmost care and respect. Without more thorough vetting to ensure that outdoor cremations can be conducted in a manner that fully disposes of the entire remains while also addressing the health and safety concerns of individuals who may be impacted nearby, I am not comfortable with allowing these types of ceremonies to be conducted in our state,” Parson’s July veto message reads, in part.

As for the motorcycle helmet bill, that’s 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” and lawmakers like State Rep. Andrew McDaniel, R-Deering, support allowing motorcyclists the option of riding without a helmet, if they have health insurance. They say it’s an issue of freedom.

Governor Parson vetoed the bill, expressing safety concerns raised earlier by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) about crashes and injuries.

Governor Parson is the third governor to veto the bill in the past 20 years.

Then-Governor Mel Carnahan (D) vetoed a similar motorcycle helmet bill in 1999, and then-Governor Jay Nixon (D) vetoed a similar bill in 2009. Those two vetoes were not overridden.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full two-minute interview with House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, which was recorded on the Missouri Capitol lawn on September 10, 2019:

Missouri outdoor cremation bill vetoed by Parson

July 15, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation that would have allowed outdoor “Viking funerals” was vetoed by Missouri’s governor on Friday.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs legislation on July 10, 2019 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s office)

Governor Mike Parson (R) announced the veto in a letter to the Secretary of State’s office and to lawmakers.

State Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, sponsored the bill, which 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.

Holsman told the “Kansas City Star” this summer that Viking funerals have “been around since the dawn of man.”

In his veto message, Governor Parson called on lawmakers to do more vetting on the issue.

Lawmakers return to Jefferson City in September for the annual veto session, and could attempt an override at that time. It takes a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override a veto.