Denison: First Appropriations Bill Advances, Protecting Missouri's Farmers and Whistleblowers

“Kind words are jewels that live in the heart and soul, and remain as blessed memories years after they have been spoken.” –Marvea Johnson

School Funding (HB 15)

This week we advanced a bill on the House floor that will use $189 million of additional federal stimulus money for public schools. The plan we approved would use some of the money to offset a shortfall in funding that was caused by lower-than-expected casino tax revenues. The bulk of the additional federal money would be used in place of state revenues already budgeted for schools this year. This allows the state money to be saved and distributed to schools next year. We’re confident this spending plan will give our schools a steady funding stream that will allow them to plan their budgets with confidence.

Missouri Accountability Portal (HB 139)

Another bill we passed on the House floor this week would give Missourians easy access to information related to government spending. For several years now, the state has operated the Missouri Accountability Portal to provide citizens with the transparency they want from state government. The site gives all of us the opportunity to see exactly where our tax dollars are going. The bill passed this week would expand the site to also include details about school districts and municipal and county governments. The site would contain information such as budgets for local governments and the salaries, benefits and extra duty compensation of employees. An amendment added to the bill would also require that Gov. Jay Nixon’s travel expenses be posted to the site. The governor has drawn criticism from legislators from both parties for his practice of charging state agencies for his flights instead of paying for them from his own budget. In total, he has billed various state departments for approximately $400,000 in travel expenses since becoming governor. The amendment added to the bill would require travel destinations, times and dates to be posted to the Missouri Accountability Portal. It also would require information on the purpose of trips, passengers accompanying the governor and travel expenses. The amendment and the bill received overwhelming approval in the House because we believe this is a way to increase accountability in government spending. We want you to know where your hard-earned money is going and we want to prevent government officials from being able to hide their expenses from the public eye.

Employment Law (HB 205)

This week we also approved one of the legislative priorities for this session. Often referred to as one of the “Fix the Six” bills proposed by Missouri’s business community, the bill would address the disturbing trend of legal decisions we have seen in this state that have eroded the intent of Missouri’s employment law. With each court decisions we have seen our state become more anti-business compared to the states around us – something that greatly impairs our ability to attract and retain businesses in our state. The bill we passed this week would reform the Missouri Human Rights Act regarding discrimination claims to more closely reflect federal Title VII protection. The MHRA has been interpreted in ways more plaintiff friendly than the federal statutes. In effect, court decisions in Missouri regarding the MHRA have made it much easier for employee plaintiffs to get claims to an expensive jury trial, and to impose liability on the employer and individual supervisors. The bill also would cap compensatory jury awards and impose lower limits on punitive damages to bring them in line with federal standards. Missouri currently has unlimited compensatory damages and a significantly higher cap for punitive damages. The bill also would tighten whistleblower protection, so that it applies only in cases when an employee alerts authorities to an actual illegal act. We believe this combination of changes will help create a more business-friendly environment that will allow us to retain and attract businesses at a time when we desperately need the economic activity they generate. At the same time, we continue to provide adequate protection to employees who have suffered from discrimination. This is not a weakening of our employment laws but instead an attempt to bring them in line with federal standards. We hope this will give us an advantage when competing with neighboring states for new businesses.

Legal Protection for Missouri Farmers (HB 209)

Another bill passed by the House this week would help to protect Missouri farmers from the nuisance lawsuits that have increased in number in recent years. While the legislation provides additional protection for large-scale animal farms that are often targeted by nuisance lawsuits, it provides the same protection to all Missouri farmers as well. The bill we passed would affect nuisance lawsuits against the owners of property used for such things as animal or crop production. It would limit the compensatory damages people could win in such cases and restrict their ability to sue multiple times. The bill would not prohibit people from recovering damages for other claims, such as lawsuits alleging discomfort, sickness or emotional distress. With this we give some much-needed protection to the farmers of our state who help put food on our tables. They have come under attack by out-of-state lawyers and the legal climate that has been created is threatening to run some of our large farm operations out of the state. The bill passed this week will address that issue not by limiting an individual’s ability to sue but by putting some reasonable limits in place on compensatory damages and limiting the number of times an individual can sue. We believe it strikes a good balance that protects the rights of Missourians while also helping to preserve an industry that is an integral part of Missouri’s economy.

Visitors

Pictured at left: Rich Anderson, Sherri Anderson, Tarryn Anderson, Rep. Denison

On February 21st, Rich and Sherri Anderson, and Tarryn, Springfield, visited my office and shared information about Missouri Operation: Military Kids.

On February 22nd, Terry Cox, Kelly Coleman, and Beth Williamson, all Physical Therapists from Springfield were in the Capitol visiting legislators. Also, February 22nd was the 25th Annual MONA Nurse Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Visitors from Springfield were: Terri Schmitt and Kitina Braithwaite.

Pictured at right: Ross and Paula Stuckey, Rep. Denison

On February 23rd, Springfield City Attorney, Dan Wichmer visited.

Also, on the 23rd, Ross and Paula Stuckey, Springfield, were at the Capitol on behalf of Missouri Interfaith Impact.

On February 24th, Dennis Grisham, Springfield, and Greg Whitlock, Strafford, were at the Capitol with the University of Missouri Extension. I appreciated the opportunity to visit with all who were at the Capitol and stopped by my office.

I look forward to hearing from you, and if you will be in Jefferson City, please stop by my office. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Best wishes.