Neth: Normal Week Filled With Committee Meetings

Op. note: House Bill 1036 is incorrectly identified in this missive as House Bill 1035. HB1035 would create a one-time tax credit for the purchase of an American-made storm shelter.

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This week had many committee meetings and bills discussed and passed out of committees. On the floor we passed out two bills, one on government accountability and one regarding sunsets on bureaucratic rules. See a more detailed look at committee and floor action below.

The week was pretty mundane, relatively, in that it was pretty normal. That is, nothing too newsworthy or out of the ordinary.

A reminder that we love having visitors at the Capitol and we had quite a few this week. Let us know ahead of time when you might be in Jefferson City and we will work to ensure you have a great visit. There are special things that we can arrange if we have advance notice.

Have a great weekend!
Myron

House Floor Action

(HCS) HB 1140: Requires the Office of Administration to maintain public school and municipal and county government accountability information on the Missouri Accountability Portal. This is with the intention of providing more transparency for all taxpayer dollars in the state. Currently all state expenditures can be found online at the Missouri Accountability Portal. This would require most all public entities in the state to do the same.

HB 1135: Would require all administrative rules to sunset 10 years from being implemented. This would ensure the rules that the bureaucracy enacts are relevant in the future and not just meaningless rules that stay on the books indefinitely.

Committee Action

Elections

HB 1035: Removes the statute requiring a party emblem to be printed on a ballot above party caption.

HB 1059: Redefines when and how votes may qualify to be recounted in close election races.

HB 1104: Creates new safeguards against fraudulent voting on ballots by requiring a form of photo ID to be shown prior to voting, also creating measures for persons w/o voter ID to still vote and have that vote protected.

Elementary and Secondary Education

HB 1174: Redefines laws in relation to school accreditation and allows the State Board of Education to establish an alternative structure for government if needed in a failing school district.

HB 1228: Changes laws in regards to charter schools and their access to the general population.

Emerging Issues in Animal Agriculture

HJR 61: Reaffirms the right for a person to raise livestock in a humane manner without an undue state economic burden.

On TV

Check out my recent appearance on Kansas City Week in Review with Nick Haines on KCPT.

KCPT - Kansas City Week in Review: January 20, 2012

Guests in the Capitol

Reinhard Mabry and Clay Berry (a Liberty resident) from Alphapointe, Association for the Blind.


Randy Hylton, Director of VSI Services in Liberty.

Mike Brewer, Superintendent of Liberty Public Schools and Kyle Palmer, Principal of Lewis and Clark Elementary. They stopped in while in Jefferson City for other state education meetings.

Emily Duncan and her mother, Amy were in the Capitol for Emily to showcase her history projects in relation to National History Day. She was a National winner for some of her research and presentations. They got the opportunity to tour the Capitol and also were able to visit Supreme Court Judge Zel Fischer and get a little tour of the Supreme Court.