Torpey: Special Session Recap

A Special Note

A few weeks ago (on October 6th), over 200 4th grade students, parents, and teachers from Blackburn Elementary visited us here at the Capitol. We were excited to show the students around, as well as enjoy lunch with them. I look forward to having more 4th graders visit Jefferson City in the Spring, as well as visiting them in their classrooms this winter. If you would like to pay us a visit, please contact my Legislative Aide (Amanda{dot}petelin{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov) to schedule your tours and meetings!

2011 Special Session

From September 6th to October 27th, the Missouri General Assembly has been in special session, called by Governor Nixon on August 22nd. See more on why the governor called special session by clicking here.

Senate Bill 7

One of the biggest priorities during Special Session, for the governor and the legislature, was to focus on job-creation. On September 23rd, the legislature passed MOSIRA (the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act) to encourage the growth of science and innovation businesses in the state. While MOSIRA is recognized as a respected economic development proposal that is critical to Kansas City's regional benefit, a strong majority of state legislators concluded during the special session that MOSIRA reflected the best statewide opportunity to jumpstart our economy and sustain it by creating an innovation infrastructure for jobs in the emerging high-tech sector.

MOSIRA will provide a predictable, stable source of state funding to invest in advanced technology, entrepreneurial infrastructure, and foster 21st Century jobs in growing industries like biotechnology. MOSIRA is a pro-growth, pro-jobs bill with NO fiscal note (completely subject to appropriations based solely on net gains!) that will keep Missouri extremely competitive in the fast growing field of Bio-Tech and Bio-Science. The passage of this bill is a major step forward for the Kansas City region and for Missouri.

The House passed MOSIRA by a margin of 94-48, showing broad support for the measure. For more information on SB 7 and to read the summary and full text of the bill, please click here.

Senate Bill 8

On October 6th, the Missouri House took a major step in moving forward SB 8 which is a comprehensive jobs bill that will give Missouri's economy the boost it needs to get back on track. After hours of debate on the House floor, the bill received an overwhelming positive bipartisan vote. The bill includes innovative tax incentives, reforms to existing programs, and an across the board tax cut for Missouri job creators. The bill also includes many new incentive programs that will help Missouri's economy compete in the 21st century. The new incentives will help attract amateur sporting events to the state, encourage the creation of data storage centers, and create the Missouri Export Act, which creates incentives for exporting Missouri products. In addition to these new incentives, the bill provides funding for job training and creates a fund to retain companies that are considering leaving our state and attract businesses that are looking for a new location. The bill will also make dramatic changes that will create hundreds of millions in savings and ensure taxpayer protections for many incentive programs. The House lowered caps on two of Missouri's largest programs and eliminated many underutilized and ineffective programs. With the savings created through these reforms, we passed an across the board tax cut for Missouri businesses. SB 8 was then sent to the Senate where we had hopes that it would move to the Governor's desk for signature.

The Senate convened on October 17th and refused to take up and pass the House Committee Substitute for SB 8 as amended by the House. On Thursday, October 20th, the Missouri House met and overwhelmingly approved a motion to continue efforts to reach a compromise. The House approved a motion to send the economic development bill (SB 8) to conference where selected members from both sides would work together to find common ground. The President Pro Tem of the Senate has continually indicated he wanted to send the bill to conference but apparently then changed his mind. While the House does have concerns about some of the provisions in the Senate version of the bill, the House always remained willing to sit down together with our Senate colleagues to iron out differences. I truly believe that a strong majority of our Senate colleagues want to move Missouri forward and accomplish the task of finding solutions to the challenges that this terrible economy has posed. Unfortunately, the Senate has been thwarted in its efforts by one or two Senators and their personal agendas. I will continue to look for ways to cooperate and work with the majority of my Senate colleagues who want to work for a positive future for all Missourians. For more information on SB 8 and to read the full text of the bill, please click here.

Committees

On October 17th and 18th, the Interim Committee On Criminal Justice met in Jefferson City to evaluate current laws, including the sex offender registry. I am thankful to serve as the Vice-Chair of this committee, and I look forward to working with my peers to strengthen Missouri's criminal code. I will be meeting with this committee again in the coming weeks.