Engler: Final Gavel Falls on 2011 Legislative Session

The 2011 legislative session is officially over. Unless the governor decides to call back the Legislature for a special session, Senate and House members will not return to the Capitol as a group until veto session in September. In the following weeks, the main focus will be the actions of the governor, who must veto or sign the legislation passed by the General Assembly before the constitutional July 14^th deadline. Any legislation that he does not sign or veto will go into law on its effective date.

The Legislature gave final approval to 147 bills this session: 46 Senate bills and 101 House bills. These bills include omnibus transportation (HB 439) and crime (HB 111) legislation, as well as legislation dealing with voter ID (SB 3 and SJR 2), lowering the age for concealed carry permits (HB 294), and phasing out the corporate franchise tax (SB 19). A full list of legislation that has been approved by both the House and Senate is available here. You can also view the governor’s actions on these bills here.

Of the legislation I proposed this year, I am proud that several key measures were passed by the General Assembly and now await action from the governor. This includes Senate Bills 282 and 226, which I discussed in my column last week. Other legislation that I proposed that was sent to the governor includes:

• Senate Bill 96, which conveys state property, including several properties in St. Francois County. This bill contains an emergency clause and will go into effect with the governor’s signature.
• Senate Bill 97, which conveys property located at the Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center to the city of Farmington and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.
• Senate Bill 117, which addresses an issue in Iron County. It allows the county hospital to ask the voters to approve a sales tax to pay down debt acquired in the hospital’s first years. This is essential to the viability of the county and the hospital, which is why I support letting this issue go to the people for a vote.
• House Bill 552, which I handled in the Senate, would establish rules governing the standard of care for pharmacies dispensing blood clotting therapies. The bill would also add blood clotting product-related services to those covered under MO HealthNet.

Throughout the interim, please feel free to contact my office if you need any assistance with a service of state government or have any questions about legislation we have passed.