Kelley: Budget Battles Resolved, Redistricting Completed

Following tumultuous thundering storms, powerful tornadoes and swirling floods, Spring time weather and gentle sun drenched skies were a welcome reprieve this week as we returned to the Capitol for our final two weeks of Session. Final budget battles loomed as we successfully and finally came together on House/Senate compromises that gave us a balanced Budget with no tax increases and yet allocated 23 billion dollars in a fair and judicious fashion…

“Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith” – Ronald Reagan

Passage of Vetoed House Bills

Although the following bill was vetoed by the Governor on May 2, 2011, the Missouri House and Senate voted, in a bipartisan fashion, to override the Governor’s veto on May 4, 2011.

CCS SS HCS HB 193, Missouri’s Congressional redistricting bill was passed by a majority veto override vote in the House and the Senate and was delivered to the Secretary of State. The representative will of the people drew and passed the new Congressional Districts map and then overrode the Governor’s veto. The courts will not draw the district lines, the elected representatives of the people have done so, as is our constitutional duty.

Third Reading & Final House Passage

The following bills were given final approval by the House and sent to the Senate for further consideration. For more information regarding any specific bill, please visit www.house.mo.gov

HCS#2 SJR 2, sponsored by Rep. Stanley Cox (R-118), has been third read and finally passed in the House. This resolution proposes amending the Missouri Constitution to require a person to provide valid, government issued, photo identification, in order to vote in Missouri. Our history is full of Americans who spent their entire lives trying to gain this very basic and precious right. The fight to gain voting rights continued for many years. I want to be the first to tell you, this fight is over. You may not have heard it yet, but yes, it is true, all Americans aged 18 or over are allowed to cast ONE ballot in each election. So now that this fight is over, it is time to make sure we guarantee the integrity of the voting system by making sure this precious right is not abused.

HCS SS#2 SCS SB 8, would provide protection against co-employee liability lawsuits in cases involving workers’ compensation. This bill passed with a House Committee Substitute and was sent back to the Senate. Currently, the Senate has refused to concur and has requested a conference to address their concerns.

HCS SS SCS SB 58, sponsored by Rep. Charlie Denison (R-135), was third read and finally passed. This bill addresses a variety of issues related to transportation.

HCS SS SB 135, would modify provisions pertaining to the storage and dispensing of motor fuel and extends the expiration date for the environmental laws relating to dry-cleaning facilities to August 28, 2017.

HCS#2 SB 3 is another bill related to elections and the requirements for advanced voting and the providing of photo identification.

HCS SCS SB 163 deals with the changes in composition of the MU Board of Curators due to the loss of a Congressional district. This bill is the same as HB 174.

HCS SB 173 passed the House with a committee substitute and was sent back to the Senate. The Senate has refused to concur and has called for either a conference to address their concerns, or for the house to recede from its position. As it is, this bill would require the Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise to develop long-term strategies and plans for developing a modern infrastructure and transportation system.

HCS SCS SB 219 deals with the fees that can be charged by owners of ATM’s for out of country account transactions.

HCS SB 282 has a number of effects related to elections and public contracts. In particular, it moves the presidential primary from February to March.

Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed

This legislation has been passed by both the House and the Senate and is now headed to the Governor’s desk for consideration. For more information regarding any specific piece of legislation, please visit www.house.mo.gov.

SS SB 101 states that contractors, who perform roof or other residential exterior work, will not be allowed to offer monetary payment of a homeowner's insurance deductible as incentive to hire the contractor.

SS SB 55 classifies sawmills and planing mills as agricultural and horticultural property instead of commercial property for the purpose of relieving excessive taxation on the industry.

SS SB 306, SB 83, SB 165, were also truly agreed to and finally passed.

Congressional Redistricting Update

Most importantly this week, the House and the Senate finally agreed to a final compromise map to complete the constitutional duty of the State Legislature in drafting eight new Congressional Districts for our State. As many of you are aware, it is the duty of the General Assembly to complete the task of Congressional Redistricting, every ten years, following the national census. After weeks of stalemate and tense negotiations, a valuable compromise was finally reached as both Chambers passed a final proposed map with overwhelming majorities of support. This bill was vetoed by the Governor. Since the Governor decided not to heed the work of the Legislature, in order to prevent this issue from going to the Courts and being decided by unelected judges, the House and Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto. This is a serious matter that affects every single person in the State, hundreds of hours went into the process and the final product is a fair, compact, contiguous map that is good for all of the citizens of our State.

Budget Update

I am extremely proud of the 96^th General Assembly and the work we accomplished in passing a balanced budget. The fiscal year 2012 budget heavily funds our state’s most important priorities without increasing the tax burden on our already economically strapped citizens. This required an enormous bipartisan effort and was a huge accomplishment. The most impressive aspect about the development of the 2012 budget was our ability to hold the funding for K-12 at 2011 levels while increasing transportation funding for school districts. As impressive as our work on the budget has been, an even more impressive effort will be required to prepare our state for future budget shortfalls as the struggle to recover from our nation’s recession continues. In Missouri, smart, conservative budgeting has proven to provide the type of stability necessary, not only to survive this economic recession, but to actually see some growth in revenue. Continuing this economic policy in the future will place Missouri in an enviable economic environment of growth.

Big Government Get Off My Back

Last week the House truly agreed to and finally passed SS SCS HCS HB 45. This bill changes the laws regarding the Big Government Get Off My Back Act and provides additional incentives for responsible businesses that provide health benefits to those new, full-time employees. In particular, a $10,000 tax incentive for each new full-time job created or a $20,000 incentive for each new full-time job created when the business offers health insurance and pays at least 50% of the premiums of all full-time employees. The bill also seeks to limit and reduce the amount of regulations that Government forces onto small businesses that simply cause them to spend time doing paperwork instead of growing their enterprise. This bill is a positive step in the direction of strengthening Missouri small businesses.

Visiting the Capitol

I always enjoy it when constituents visit the Capitol and want to thank all who make the journey. If you ever find yourself in or around Jefferson City at any time during the year, please feel free to visit us! While I will be in the office some during the interim

Personal News & Notes

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving this Capitol Report, they can click the “Capitol Report Signup” button on my member home page at www.house.mo.gov and enter the appropriate information to receive the Capitol Report. As the days grow a great deal longer under the Capitol Dome, we want to encourage you to keep up with the flurry of legislative activity.

Mayer: Helpful Insurance Website Available to Citizens Affected by Recent Area Flooding

JEFFERSON CITY – Weeks have gone by since massive flooding hit the southeast Missouri area, and Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter, would like to remind citizens in affected areas that help is available. One of the most recent forms of assistance is a website developed by the Missouri Department of Insurance to help citizens file their insurance claims for their recent food damage.

“For those Missourians who have flood insurance coverage on their homes, cars or crops, this site will provide answers to many of the questions they might have,” said Sen. Mayer. “This site is a great resource for flood victims. From figuring out how to contact your flood insurance agent if you’ve purchased flood insurance for your home, vehicle or farm to learning how to watch out for unscrupulous contractors hired to repair your property, this website provides a wealth of information.”

Citizens can visit the Department of Insurance’s website for flood victims at insurance.mo.gov/consumer/weather/floodresources.htm or call 1-800-726-7390. There is also assistance available for those Missourians who do not have flood insurance.

“Unfortunately, most home and renters’ insurance policies do not cover flood damage,” said Sen. Mayer. “However, you may be eligible for financial assistance and there are many organizations available to help those citizens who fall under this umbrella.”

Missourians can call the United Way’s 2-1-1 hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week to connect to a variety of resources. Citizens can also contact the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter at (800) 733-2767 for Red Cross services or (800) 526-1417 for their National Disaster Center.

Mayer: Community Response Meetings in 25th District Regarding Aid for Families, Farms and Businesses

Jefferson City — Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter, would like to remind families and businesses in the 25^th District and other areas in southeast Missouri who have been affected by the recent flooding to attend one of the many community response meetings scheduled to help individuals learn more about the resources, tools and services provided by the state that are available to assist them during this time.

“From providing unemployment and re-employment assistance and training for displaced workers to receiving drinking water, temporary housing and food assistance, these meetings are designed to help citizens get back on their feet,” said Sen. Mayer. “I understand these meetings are not an overnight remedy, but they will provide much-needed assistance to those Missourians who have been affected by one of Mother Nature’s most devastating occurrences.”

Leaders from various state agencies, as well as county and federal officials, will be available after the meeting to visit with citizens. For more information on these meetings, please contact my office.

Southeast Missouri Community Response Meetings
Tuesday, May 10 9 a.m. – Noon Poplar Bluff High School (1300 Victory Ln.) For residents of Butler, Iron, Madison, Ripley, Stoddard and Wayne counties 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sikeston 5th & 6th Grade Center (100 Twitty Dr.) For residents of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott and Stoddard counties.	Wednesday, May 11 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Charleston High School (606. S. Thorn St.) For residents of Mississippi County 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. New Madrid Central High School (310 US Hwy 61) For residents of New Madrid and Stoddard counties 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Caruthersville Middle School (1705 Ward Ave.) For residents of Dunklin and Pemiscot counties

Dugger: Redistricting Override, State Budget Protects Seniors

“Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith” – Ronald Reagan

Redistricting – Veto Override

A long process came to an end this week when the Missouri House and Senate joined together to override Governor Nixon’s veto of our legislative redistricting map [HB193]. It was the first successful veto override in Missouri since 2003.

Despite the fact that our map was supported by 8 of our state’s 9 current congressmen, and was backed by both Republicans and Democrats, Governor Nixon decided to veto it.

This week we stood up to the Governor and sent a clear message – we will not allow you to veto legislation for personal reasons – especially when it is supported by both sides of the aisle.

While the Senate has enough Republican members to override the Governor’s vetoes without Democrats, the House relied on bi-partisan support of the legislative plan to overcome the Governor’s veto.

Overriding a veto requires 109 of 163 members in the Missouri House, or a 2/3rds majority. As there are only 105 Republicans in the House this session, Democrats have to join in for a veto override to be successful.

With this vote we sent a clear message to the Governor; members of his own party are willing to stand up with us to continue to move Missouri forward. We will not allow the Governor to hold our state hostage with the legislative veto.

You can view the final, approved version of the new congressional map here:
http://kc.citizen-publications.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/missouri-redistricting-map.jpg

FY 2012 MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUDGET

The Missouri General Assembly passed its budget this week granting approval to a $23.2 billion budget. This budget reflects the continuing commitment of the House Majority to pass a budget that’s not only balanced, but sets aside $28 million in savings and continues to reflect the top priorities of the Missouri General Assembly.

States across this country are faced with budget shortfalls on an unprecedented scale. Tough decisions made in the past, and tougher decisions made during this budget process have led to a budget that House Majority members can point to as a roadmap for continued fiscal recovery. The General Assembly balanced this budget while being able to hold K-12 education harmless to the 2011 funding levels, while instituting only modest reductions to our higher education institutions, while protecting low income health care and while maintaining funding for other vital state services such as correctional facilities and public safety.

Further state restructuring and programmatic changes will be needed to move Missouri through this current financial crisis. Continuing work by the House Appropriations Committees and by the Interim Committee on Budget Transparency will enable this process to remain fluid and will allow members the needed knowledge of state services to continue to make fiscal decisions.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Left more than $28 million on the balance sheet, a balanced budget that continues to meet the needs of all Missourians.
• Held funding for the Foundation Formula harmless. In light of recent historical declines in state revenues, the General Assembly was able to again make education the #1 priority.
• Mitigated the Governor’s reduction to Higher Education by appropriating $12 million more to institutions across the state.
• Rescued the Senior Missouri Rx Program from elimination in the Senate.
• Continued funding for Missouri’s commitment to the production of alternative fuels. This aims to continue to move Missouri towards an economy less dependent on foreign oil.
• A budget of over $8.4 billion for the MO Healthnet program. This money will continue to fund access to healthcare for the neediest Missourians.
• Combined funding of over $40 million for job training, retention and development programs within the Department of Economic Development.
• $365k in cuts to the Missouri House of Representatives budget, further proof the House is taking the lead during this financial crisis.
• Reduced funding for Department Directors and Deputy Directors to a maximum level of $86,500, saving state taxpayers over $1.0 million.
• Held the Governor accountable for his excessive use of the state plane by restricting expenses from other state departments.

SENIOR CITIZENS

This budget continues to honor and assist our seniors by continuing our commitment to providing funding for nursing homes, in-home services, home delivered meals and the Missouri Senior Rx Program.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• $571 million for our State’s nursing home industry.
• $581 million for in-home services. This funding ensures that seniors will be able to stay in their own homes with care.
• Approximately $37 million for non-emergency medical transportation.
• Increased funding of $942k, totaling over $40.6 million for Area Agencies on Aging (AAA’s). This will support continued congregate and home delivered meals.
• Rescued the MO Senior Rx Program from elimination in the Senate. This will benefit over 207,000 seniors in the state.

Lant: Monumental Week At Capitol

Well, I promised a big week and I'm not going to let you down! We started off by passing in the House HCS SJR2 which amends the Missouri Constitution to require a person to provide valid, government issued, photo identification in order to vote in Missouri. Voting is a basic and precious right and now that we have passed legislation to prevent voter fraud, we need to make sure this right is no longer abused. It will now become the job of the voters at the next statewide election to decide whether we want this to be the law in Missouri. SB 8 deals with providing protection against co-employee lawsuits in workers compensation cases and was sent back to the Senate for some of their fine tuning.

The Senate began to send the budget bills back to us a few at a time. After the Conference Committees made the necessary compromises, we debated the changes and voted on each of the bills separately. It is no small job for the Budget Committees to allocate 23.2 Billion dollars. It took an enormous bipartisan effort to pass a budget that is not only balanced, but sets aside 28 Million in savings and continues to reflect the top priorities of Missourian's. We held funding for the school Foundation Formula and mitigated the Governors' cut to Higher Education by appropriating 12 Million more to educational institutions statewide. We rescued the Senior Rx program from the Senate. We budgeted 8.4 Billion for the MO Health net program for the neediest Missourians. We also funded over 40 Million for job training, retention and development programs in the Department of Economic Development.

Along with strong conservative management of the taxpayer dollars, we cut the budget of the Missouri House by 365 Thousand dollars, reduced Department Directors and Deputy Directors’ compensation by 1 Million, and restricted the excessive use of the state airplane.

Last but most assuredly not least, Missouri history was made last week when the Governors' veto of the redistricting map [HB193] was overridden by a bipartisan effort in the House. Shortly thereafter, the Senate also overrode the veto and we now have a fair, compact, and contiguous map that is good for all of the citizens of the state. After hundreds of hours of work and compromise by State Representatives and Senators as well as the support of all the U.S. Congressmen, a last minute herculean effort by the House and Senate negated the Governors' attempt to send the map to unelected judges.

The weather at the Capitol was wonderful last week and many school groups were on field trips. I was honored to be able to introduce a class from Tri-Way Elementary at Stella. For any individual or group that wishes to visit your Capitol just let my office staff know, and we will arrange functions and tours.

Just one more week of session! I can't wait to see what unfolds! I'll fill you in next week, until then I am and remain in your service.

Sater: This Week In The Missouri House, Issue 17

FYI…DS

[Click here to view]

Schaefer: Budget Finalized

At left: Senator Schaefer debates on the Senate floor during session.

This week at the Capitol, the Conference Budget Committee finally worked out the differences between the Senate and House versions of the budget bills. It was a difficult process, but the House and Senate finally came to a compromise that both sides agreed on late Wednesday night, which was then heard in both the House and Senate on Thursday. This compromise involved fully funding MoRx and in-home care, and also provided $12 million over the governor’s recommendation to higher education.

In addition, the legislature lessened a 7 percent cut to higher education that the governor had originally sought, by adopting a $12 million increase for higher education, and a $10 million increase for K-12 transportation. This will help colleges and universities to curb some out-of-pocket expenses for their students, and the K-12 transportation funding will keep schools from having to redirect other funds to pay for transportation costs.

Several budget bills were also heard on the floor of the Senate this week. House Bill 17, HB 18, and HB 21 were passed early Wednesday (5-4) morning, after a filibuster that lasted through the night, and SB 22 passed on Wednesday afternoon. All of these bills deal with capital improvements funding.

One of my bills, SB 213, was also heard in the House on Wednesday. This bill would modify the information required when petitioning for guardianship of a minor or an incapacitated person.

On Tuesday (5-3), I had the pleasure of introducing the 4th Grade class of West Boulevard Elementary School from Columbia along with their teacher Becky Elder. The class was visiting the Capital City to learn about state government and the history of the Missouri Capitol.

During the month of May, motorcyclists and motorists are encouraged to safely “share the road” in observation of the National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. All motorists are reminded to watch for motorcycles and to be alert to help keep motorcyclists safe, while motorcyclists are reminded to make themselves visible to other motorists.

In news around the district, the Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 24, at the Activity and Recreation Center at 1701 W. Ash Street in Columbia from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. to discuss plans to widen Route 740 (Stadium Blvd.) in Columbia from just north of Interstate 70 to south of Broadway.

The plans also include modifying the interchange at I-70 and Stadium and adding lanes to Fairview Road from Worley Avenue North to the west entrance of the Columbia Mall and to Bernadette Drive from Fairview Road to Beverly Drive. The work is being done to improve safety and traffic flow through the area.

An open-house community briefing will be held on Tuesday, May 17, from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. to discuss plans to replace the Lick Fork Creek Bridge on Route NN in Boone County. The bridge is located approximately three miles west of U.S. Route 63. The meeting will be held in the VFW Community Room at the Harrisburg R-VIII School Administration Building.

Thank you for your continued interest in the issues that affect the citizens of Boone and Randolph counties. If you have any questions or concerns please contact my office.

Schupp: Veto Override Redefines State, Missouri Rx Saved,

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As we approached the May 6 deadline, the House passed the budget compromise brokered with the Senate.

In news with national ramifications, House Democrats were not able to unite and sustain the Governor's veto of a congressional district map that is drawn with six Republican and two Democratic seats.

Students, mostly fourth graders, have filled the Capitol halls with their inquisitive minds and wide eyes: taking in all the magnificent artwork, architecture and history.

Please join Mark and me in congratulating our son, Brandon, on his upcoming graduation from Emory's Goizueta Business School. Graduation is Monday, May 9, and Mark and I are now enjoying time with Brandon in Atlanta to celebrate his achievement!

The legislative session comes to an end on Friday, May 13. Thank you for this opportunity to serve.

Truly,
Jill Schupp

Redefining Missouri: An Historic Vote

Evey ten years after the census numbers are counted, political district boundaries are redrawn to reflect equal numbers of residents within equivalent political offices. Due to a loss of population in Missouri, our redrawn map [HB193] will include eight congressional districts rather than the nine we have had during the past decade.

Last week, Democrats in the House called on Governor Jay Nixon to veto the congressional redistricting map passed by the legislature, hopeful that a re-drawn new map would better reflect the political landscape of the state.

The Governor did veto the map that drew six safely republican seats and two safely democratic seats in a state largely considered to be closer to 50/50.

On May 4, the Missouri House cast an historic vote. All Republicans voted against the veto, therefore, only four Democrats were needed to make up the 109 votes required to override the veto.

Four Democrats voted to override, leaving the Democrats with only two congressional seats for the next decade. It was a discouraging day for Democrats, who were not united behind a change that will have long term ramifications for the state and the nation.

Had the veto been sustained by the legislature, the courts would make the decision about how to draw the congressional districts.

My disappointment stems from the fact that the creation of these six/two non-competitive districts is not good for our community, for the citizens of the state, and for Missouri's future.

I remain committed to supporting legislative districts that foster a competitive political environment and reflect the interests, involvement and values of the Missourians who live there.

State Budget Update

Accolades from budget committee members on both sides of the aisle went to Budget Chair Ryan Silvey (KC) and Vice Chair Sara Lampe (Springfield) for an inclusive and open process. They are to both be commended for putting problem solving above politics.

The budget reasonably allocated the money available to us at this time, and yet it falls short of the funding levels necessary to maintain services that are valued by so many Missourians. Without a balanced approach that includes consideration of revenue opportunities, balancing the budget becomes an exercise with false choices.

While some contend that K-12 education was not affected, we have continued cuts in transportation and have not fully funded the school foundation formula (the method used to distribute state education dollars). In 2012, we will have fewer resources for all of our schools than was intended when this formula was redesigned six years ago.

Missouri is ranked 49^th of the 50 states in funding for higher education. In 2012, we will have less money for the operating budgets in colleges and universities across the state.

Health and mental health services, whether for children, families, or the elderly, are invaluable to many in our community. In 2012, we will see less money for public health programs.

Some good news: In-home care funds have been authorized. MO Rx has been funded through this budget. NORC has received its requested funding, affecting 2000 people in our community.

Tough decisions have been necessary in these tough times. As we look ahead, it is equally important to make decisions that will prove to be fiscally responsible after this recession. Missouri's General Assembly must take steps to rebuild the state's financial foundation,

Job creation continues to be a top priority. Standing strong for educational opportunities will help develop tomorrow's workforce and the entrepreneurs who will create job opportunities in the next decades of this Millennium.

A Priority Prescription: Missouri Rx

A priority for House Democrats in the final days of budget negotiations was extending the Missouri Rx prescription drug program for senior citizens and the disabled.

More than 200,000 Missourians benefit from the extension of Missouri Rx.

We allocated $19.6 million to fund the program for a full year, compared to the Senate's $5.78 million that would only last until its 2011 expiration.

Fortunately, the House position on Missouri Rx was protected by the Budget Conference Committee, and legislation extending this program will be sent to the desk of Governor Nixon by the end of the 2011 legislation session.

Showing Students Their Show-Me State Capitol

Spoede Elementary - May 5

One hundred students from Spoede Elementary visited the Capitol on May 5. With 4th Grade teachers Jan Caimi, Tracy Ward, Isaac Bjerk and Amy Rich, and accompanied by 50 parents, these students got the chance to observe the House of Representatives in action, marvel at the Thomas Hart Benton mural they have been studying in art class, and take a look inside the library at the Missouri Supreme Court. It is always a pleasure to introduce a new group of students to the Capitol of our great state.

Bellerive Elementary - April 26

Last week we welcomed 75 students and 22 parents and teachers from Bellerive Elementary School. Here is the photo of these bright young students, led by teacher Julie Otey.

Voter ID Advances

The House of Representatives has approved a pair of measures that would require Missouri voters to produce government-issued photo identification before voting. House Democrats have unanimously opposed this effort, as it stands to disenfranchise tens of thousands of Missouri voters.

"Voter ID" legislation would target senior citizens, legal immigrants, and youth, making it difficult for these diverse groups to be involved in the political process. The legislation in question, SJR 2, would ask Missouri voters to grant the General Assembly the authority to require voter ID. Senate Bill 3, which takes effect if SJR 2 is ratified, will be sent to Governor Nixon to be signed into law or vetoed.

Nixon Vetoes Senate Bill 188

Governor Nixon on April 29 vetoed legislation that would have dramatically weakened Missouri's anti-discrimination laws. Senate Bill 188, which was aimed at the Missouri Human Rights Act, would have made it more difficult for victims to bring and prove workplace discrimination lawsuits and would limit damage awards in cases that are proved.

In his veto message, Nixon said SB 188 "represents a significant retreat from the basic principles of fairness embodied in the Missouri Human Rights Act and erects unacceptable impediments to those victimized by discrimination."

Weakening state laws against workplace discrimination was a top legislative priority for Missouri's leading business groups; supporters of the bill claimed it would make Missouri more "business friendly." As of May 5, the General Assembly had made no effort to override Nixon's veto.

Davis: Redistricting Override To Shape Next Generation Of Missourians

At left: My intern from MSSU Tristan Routledge and his family. Tristan was such a help all year. I will miss him next session.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Seuss

It was a historic week at the capitol. Only 8 times in our state’s history has the general assembly over rode a gubernatorial veto. It was great to be part of something that will shape the future of Missouri for the next generation. It was an important vote that protected the people of our great state.

What happened this week

Passage of Vetoed House Bills

Although the following bill was vetoed by the Governor on May 2, 2011, the Missouri House and Senate voted, in a bipartisan fashion, to override the Governor’s veto on May 4, 2011.

CCS SS HCS HB 193, Missouri’s Congressional redistricting bill was passed by a majority veto override vote in the House and the Senate and was delivered to the Secretary of State. The representative will of the people drew and passed the new Congressional Districts map and then overrode the Governor’s veto. The courts will not draw the district lines, the elected representatives of the people have done so, as is our constitutional duty.

Third Reading & Final House Passage

The following bills were given final approval by the House and sent to the Senate for further consideration. For more information regarding any specific bill, please visit www.house.mo.gov

HCS#2 SJR 2, sponsored by Rep. Stanley Cox (R-118), has been third read and finally passed in the House. This resolution proposes amending the Missouri Constitution to require a person to provide valid, government issued, photo identification, in order to vote in Missouri. Our history is full of Americans who spent their entire lives trying to gain this very basic and precious right. The fight to gain voting rights continued for many years. I want to be the first to tell you, this fight is over. You may not have heard it yet, but yes, it is true, all Americans aged 18 or over are allowed to cast ONE ballot in each election. So now that this fight is over, it is time to make sure we guarantee the integrity of the voting system by making sure this precious right is not abused.

HCS SS#2 SCS SB 8, would provide protection against co-employee liability lawsuits in cases involving workers’ compensation. This bill passed with a House Committee Substitute and was sent back to the Senate. Currently, the Senate has refused to concur and has requested a conference to address their concerns.

HCS SS SCS SB 58, sponsored by Rep. Charlie Denison (R-135), was third read and finally passed. This bill addresses a variety of issues related to transportation.

HCS SS SB 135, which I am in full support and sponsored in the House, would modify provisions pertaining to the storage and dispensing of motor fuel and extends the expiration date for the environmental laws relating to dry-cleaning facilities to August 28, 2017.

HCS#2 SB 3 is another bill related to elections and the requirements for advanced voting and the providing of photo identification.

HCS SCS SB 163 deals with the changes in composition of the MU Board of Curators due to the loss of a Congressional district. This bill is the same as HB 174.

HCS SB 173 passed the House with a committee substitute and was sent back to the Senate. The Senate has refused to concur and has called for either a conference to address their concerns, or for the house to recede from its position. As it is, this bill would require the Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise to develop long-term strategies and plans for developing a modern infrastructure and transportation system.

HCS SCS SB 219 deals with the fees that can be charged by owners of ATM’s for out of country account transactions.

HCS SB 282 has a number of effects related to elections and public contracts. In particular, it moves the presidential primary from February to March.

Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed

This legislation has been passed by both the House and the Senate and is now headed to the Governor’s desk for consideration. For more information regarding any specific piece of legislation, please visit www.house.mo.gov.

SS SB 101 states that contractors, who perform roof or other residential exterior work, will not be allowed to offer monetary payment of a homeowner's insurance deductible as incentive to hire the contractor.

SS SB 55 classifies sawmills and planing mills as agricultural and horticultural property instead of commercial property for the purpose of relieving excessive taxation on the industry.

SS SB 306, SB 83, SB 165, were also truly agreed to and finally passed.

Congressional Redistricting Update

The historic vote over ride vote this week. You could hear a pin drop!

Most importantly this week, the House and the Senate finally agreed to a final compromise map to complete the constitutional duty of the State Legislature in drafting eight new Congressional Districts for our State. As many of you are aware, it is the duty of the General Assembly to complete the task of Congressional Redistricting, every ten years, following the national census. After weeks of stalemate and tense negotiations, a valuable compromise was finally reached as both Chambers passed a final proposed map with overwhelming majorities of support. This bill was vetoed by the Governor. Since the Governor decided not to heed the work of the Legislature, in order to prevent this issue from going to the Courts and being decided by unelected judges, the House and Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto. This is a serious matter that affects every single person in the State, hundreds of hours went into the process and the final product is a fair, compact, contiguous map that is good for all of the citizens of our State.

Budget Update

I am extremely proud of the 96^th General Assembly and the work we accomplished in passing a balanced budget. The fiscal year 2012 budget heavily funds our state’s most important priorities without increasing the tax burden on our already economically strapped citizens. This required an enormous bipartisan effort and was a huge accomplishment. The most impressive aspect about the development of the 2012 budget was our ability to hold the funding for K-12 at 2011 levels while increasing transportation funding for school districts. As impressive as our work on the budget has been, an even more impressive effort will be required to prepare our state for future budget shortfalls as the struggle to recover from our nation’s recession continues. In Missouri, smart, conservative budgeting has proven to provide the type of stability necessary, not only to survive this economic recession, but to actually see some growth in revenue. Continuing this economic policy in the future will place Missouri in an enviable economic environment of growth.

Big Government Get Off My Back

Last week the House truly agreed to and finally passed SS SCS HCS HB 45. This bill changes the laws regarding the Big Government Get Off My Back Act and provides additional incentives for responsible businesses that provide health benefits to those new, full-time employees. In particular, a $10,000 tax incentive for each new full-time job created or a $20,000 incentive for each new full-time job created when the business offers health insurance and pays at least 50% of the premiums of all full-time employees. The bill also seeks to limit and reduce the amount of regulations that Government forces onto small businesses that simply cause them to spend time doing paperwork instead of growing their enterprise. This bill is a positive step in the direction of strengthening Missouri small businesses.

This is the last week of session. I look forward to meeting with you all during the interim and discussing ways to protect Missourians. If you have an event you would like for me to attend, please feel free to give me a call, I would love to come.

Neth: Penultimate Week Of Session Summons Refresher Course

According to the Missouri Constitution, the state budget must be agreed upon and passed no later than the first Friday following the first Monday of the month of May. This year, we worked diligently to forge a compromise on the budget so we were not stressing out in the final hours of the Constitutional deadline. As of Wednesday afternoon, it looked like we may be crunched for time, but negotiations between the Senate and House went well that evening and we reached an acceptable agreement that we passed on Thursday. The total budget is about $23 Billion. Overall, the numbers were kept flat from the prior year. I plan on writing a more detailed summary of the budget next week.

The biggest news of the week was a historic veto override. The Governor vetoed the congressional redistricting map on Saturday. We went into session Wednesday morning with all hands on deck. The debate was short, the vote quick. We were able to get the 109 votes in the House to override, which consisted of all 105 Republicans and 4 Democrats. I want to convey to you, whatever your political stripes, how my respect goes out to those four Democrats. The pressure they were under from their own party was overwhelming and I would not want to be in their shoes.

It should also be noted that in the history of Missouri there have been only about 10 other Veto overrides. So the fact that we were able to pull it off is something that I will always remember and be honored to have been a part of.

We are headed into the last week of session which will last a full five days. I'm not sure exactly what we will end up working on as there will be limited time for debate. I'm sure it will be exciting no matter what.

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Spring!
Myron

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Town Hall Meeting - Legislative Wrap Up
June 2, 7:30-8:45 pm
Liberty Community Center - Red Room

I will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting where I will discuss the 2011 legislative session. You will have the opportunity to give me feedback, ask questions, and voice your concerns. I hope you will be able to make it and look forward to seeing you there.

Visitors to the Capitol

I had some special guests at the Capitol on Monday. The Giddings family won a charity auction for a special tour of the Capitol and Jefferson City at an event at Lewis & Clark Elementary. In addition to the Capitol tour, they went to the Governor's Mansion (where they met the Governor's wife), they were given a private tour of the Missouri Supreme Court, and then they went on a privileged trek to the top of the Capitol Dome. It was great being able to host them and being able to show them some of their state government.

Legislative Jargon

I threw out a question about some of the jargon we use in the General Assembly. I asked for anyone to tell me that the following stood for: CCS SS SCS HCS HB 193. One person replied with an answer. The answer is: Conference Committee Substitute for Senate Substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for House Committee Substitute for House Bill 193. To translate a little bit it means it originated as a House Bill, there was a substitute bill offered in the House committee and passed in the House, then the Senate Committee offered a substitute to the Senate which in turn did a substitute of its own then the whole bill went to a Conference Committee which came up with a version that was then passed by both chambers. Like I have said before, legislation gets a lot of eyes on it before it gets to the Governors desk. There are a lot of steps a bill must go through to become a law. If you remember school house rock, they did a skit that described the process for the federal government. If you are feeling nostalgic you can watch the school house rock video on youtube by clicking below.


Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law

Community Calendar

May 7 - Liberty Historic Walking Tour: Three Downtown Churches

May 7 - Farmers Market: Opening Day!

May 9 - City Council Meeting

June 2 - Town Hall Meeting With Myron Neth at the Liberty Community Center - Red Room at 7:30 pm.

June 4 - Downtown Liberty Arts Festival

Visit the Jesse James Bank Museum Monday - Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Survey Results

As those of you in District 34 know, I sent out a survey in January. I wrote an article that appeared in the Liberty Tribune a few weeks ago regarding those results. Click here to see the article.

It is an honor and privilege to serve the people of the 34th District and the State of Missouri. Let me know how I can better represent you.

For a better Missouri,
Myron

Korman: Veto Override, Friend Visits Top Of Capitol

We had a very busy and historic week at the Capitol. With only a week left in Regular Session the hustle and bustle of the Capitol is in full swing.

This week we passed a conservative and balanced budget for Missouri. With the trend of less federal money coming to Missouri we will need to keep our state spending in check for years to come.

Wednesday was a historic day with a veto override for redistricting. The redistricting challenge of going from nine to eight congressional districts received bi-partisan support to keep it from going to the courts. This saved valuable time and money for our state and court system. View map here: http://house.mo.gov/largemap.aspx?map=3. I had the lucky opportunity to be present when the Speaker of the House signed the veto override.

We finally got to start some debate on the future for Missouri’s Energy Policy on the House Floor. We debated both nuclear site permitting and renewable energy. Both issues are very important to Missouri’s residential, commercial, agriculture and industrial ratepayers. I hope we can finish the debate and move something forward in the last few days of session.

I normally don’t name individuals or give details of visitors but this week my friend, Kenny Kronk came to visit for the entire day as well as he climbed more than 200 steps to see the top of the Capitol!

Please feel free to stop by or contact your 99^th District office at:

201 W Capitol Ave., Office 114C
Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-751-2689
Bart{dot}Korman{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov

Torpey: Hope House, Record-Setting Week In General Assembly

A Special Note

Last Thursday, we were pleased to have 4th graders from Sycamore Hills Elementary in the capitol with us! We are definitely looking forward to next session/next year, when a whole new group of 4th graders from Independence are able to come visit the capitol.

Last Friday, my Legislative Aide attended the Grand Opening of the new Hope House campus in Independence. Even though we have talked about Hope House before, I think it is an amazing organization led by people who truly care about battered women across our part of the state. The workers and volunteers at Hope House continually dedicate their time and money to increasing awareness of domestic violence, and they deserve a huge thank you for their efforts and congratulations on the new campus!! If you or someone you know are a victim of domestic violence, PLEASE contact Hope House through their website or by calling 816-461-4673. I very much look forward to working with Hope House in the future.

At right: Hope House Board and CEO Mary Anne Metheny unveiling the new Therapy Building.

2011 Legislative Session continues

This week in the Missouri House was one for the record books! I am sure many of you have heard about our over-ride of Governor Nixon's veto on the new Congressional District Map. All House Republicans (105 people), along with 4 Democrats, joined together to pass a map that we truly believe is the best for our state. You can view the new map (via Google maps) here; to see which Congressional District you will now reside in, simply type your address in the search bar on the bottom right of the map.

Passed through the House this week

• SJR 2, sponsored by Senator Stouffer, allows enabling legislation for advance voting and photographic identification for voting. In the 2005 legislative session Missouri passed into law the requirement that individuals present photographic identification when they vote in person. This was in response to the public perception that something odd had happened in St. Louis during the 2004 presidential election and that in several counties - there were more individuals on the registered voting lists than people who actually lived there. At the next statewide election, you will have the opportunity to vote on SJR 2. This is an amendment to our state constitution that would allow early voting, and also would grant the legislature the power to specifically require voters to present photographic identification at the polls. This bill passed the House with a vote of 102-55, myself voting in favor.
• HB 1-13: Budget, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Silvey, addresses all of the bills dealing with our state's budget. While Washington D.C. continues to with our national financial dilemma, the Missouri House this year was able to take a common-sense, family style approach to budgeting - only spending the money that we actually have.

This session has been unique - with our current economic climate, it was challenging to craft a budget that would meet the state's needs. Not only were we able to pass a budget without new job-killing taxes, but we were able to craft a plan in line with our session-long goal of creating new jobs for Missourians.

I am proud to announce that even though our State's revenue picture continues to be grim, we were able to hold the line on our foundation formula education funding! Our local school districts will continue to be funded according to the formula. Last year we were forced to make some cuts to school bus transportation funds. This year, we were able to put some of that money back in the budget, helping our schools deal with the rising price of gasoline.

Higher Education is a different story, though the original budget recommended a 7% overall cut to funding, in our latest budget we were able to increase our original amount by $13,000,000. This increase from our original number for the year should help our universities continue to operate at a high level despite the poor economic conditions in our state.

Our budget also contains incentives to help small-businesses develop, grow, and hopefully hire new workers in our state. This session we have tried to do everything in our power to help turn around this economy, and this approach is also reflected in the budget that we passed.

Additionally, we were able to preserve Missouri Rx. This is a program that helps thousands of Missouri seniors with their prescription medications. It was tough, we had to find money that was previously used in other parts of the budget, but with a little creativity and ingenuity, we were able to cobble together funds from different areas to ensure that our prescription drug benefits would remain.

Committees

Fiscal Review met a few times this week to hold executive session.

• HCS HB 732, sponsored by Rep. Brandom, establishes the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Act and changes the laws regarding professions and businesses regulated by the Division of Professional Registration. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 9-0.
• SCS SB 323, sponsored by Senator Schaefer, requires the State Auditor to conduct a one-time comparative audit of 5 to 10 of the largest state agencies by August 28, 2013. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 7-2, myself voting in favor.
• HCS SCS SB 29, sponsored by Senator Brown, modifies the authority of the Board of Pharmacy with regard to certain drugs used in veterinary medicine and modifies various provisions of law under the title licensing of certain professions. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 8-0.
• HCS HB 504, 505, & 874, sponsored by Rep. Silvey, changes the laws regarding domestic violence and orders of protection, enacting various legislative recommendations by the Attorney General's Task Force on Domestic Violence. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 9-0.
• HCS SB 207, sponsored by Senator Lager, modifies provisions pertaining to energy and property taxation. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 8-0.
• HCS SS SB 226, sponsored by Senator Engler, modifies provisions relating to ambulance and fire protection districts. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 7-1, myself voting against the bill.
• HCS SCS SB 270, sponsored by Senator Kraus, modifies the dates available for public elections. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 6-2, myself voting in favor.
• HCS SB 284, sponsored by Senator Wasson, modifies the disciplinary authority of the Board of Pharmacy, defines the term legend drug for the purpose of certain pharmacy statutes, and grants exemption from sales tax for certain medical equipment and drugs. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 8-0.
• SS No. 2 SCS SB 320, sponsored by Senator Lamping, modifies provisions relating to domestic violence. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 8-0.
• HCS SB 322, sponsored by Senator Schaefer, extends the sunsets from September 30, 2011 to September 30, 2016, for the Ground Ambulance, Nursing Facility, Medicaid Managed Care Organization, Pharmacy, and Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded Reimbursement Allowance Taxes. The sunset for the Hospital reimbursement allowance is extended from September 30, 2011, to September 30, 2013. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 8-1, myself voting in favor.
• SCS SB 356, sponsored by Senator Munzlinger, modifies provisions pertaining to agriculture. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 10-2, myself voting in favor.
• HCS SB 60, sponsored by Senator Keaveny, enacts various provisions under the title relating to judicial procedures. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 11-1, myself voting in favor.
• HCS No. 2 SCS SB 162, sponsored by Senator Munzlinger, creates the Farm-to-Table Advisory Board, which shall be made up of at least the following 18 people: 9 people appointed to represent growers, food distributors, and state institutions; a representative of the American Heart Association; and 1 representative from each of the following state entities: the University of Missouri Extension Service, the Office of Administration, and the Departments of Agriculture, Corrections, Elementary and Secondary Education, Economic Development, Health and Senior Services, and Mental Health. The representative of the American Heart Association will be the chairperson and the board must meet at least twice, but may meet more often as needed. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 12-0.
• SS SCS SB 65, sponsored by Senator Mayer, modifies provisions relating to abortion with respect to viability. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 8-4, myself voting in favor.

For more information on these bills, or any that have been filed in the Missouri House of Representatives, please visit the House Bill information page by clicking here.

Speaking with Majority Caucus Chair, Shelley Keeney, and Downsizing State Government Chair, Cole McNary.

Word of the Week

Adjournment Sine Die: On May 13th, we will adjourn Sine Die, which means the final termination of a regular or special legislative session. We will be meeting again in mid-September for Veto Session.

In Other News

Some Missouri communities are battling rising floodwaters and preparing for imminent flooding while others are beginning their recovery. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has a natural disaster resource webpage that provides residents of flood-stricken communities with important information on preparing for and recovering from flooding. The department has updated its Natural Disaster Resources webpage - dnr.mo.gov/disaster.htm - to provide community leaders, emergency responders and other individuals with fact sheets to aid in both the preparation for and recovery from recent floods.

Serving you as always,
Noel Torpey