Kraus: Veto Session

Each year, the Missouri Constitution requires the Legislature to meet for at least a day in September to consider overriding the governor’s vetoes of bills passed in the previous regular session. This veto session can be very brief if the governor has not vetoed any bills, if lawmakers choose not to override any of the governor’s vetoes, or if the General Assembly does not have the votes to overturn a veto.

It takes a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and House to override a veto. The process is part of the constitutional checks and balances that are in place to maintain a balance of power between the governor’s office and the Legislature.

Veto session took place on Wednesday, Sept. 14, placing it in the middle of the special session called by the governor to deal with issues such as economic development.

This time around, the General Assembly did not attempt to override any of the governor’s vetoes. I was disappointed that no attempt was made to reverse the veto on SB 282, a bill that offered several changes in election law. Part of that bill contained an amendment I offered during the regular session that removed June from the state election calendar, which would have saved taxpayer money. This bill also moved the Missouri primary election from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February to the same day in March, a month later. However, a bill has been introduced during special session which contains that presidential primary change.

Veto session is not the only time we can override a veto, though. You may remember that we overrode the governor’s veto of the General Assembly’s congressional redistricting map during our regular session. Doing so saved Missouri’s congressional districts from being decided by the court system. This is the first time since I have been in the Legislature that we have overridden a gubernatorial veto. The last time a veto override was done was in 2003; three vetoes were overturned — HB 349 on conceal and carry laws, HB 156 calling for a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, and SB13, having to do with lawsuits against manufacturers.

With veto session over and done, I look forward to finishing up the work we have to do in special session.

Town Hall Meeting

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Rep. Jeannie Lauer, R-Blue Springs, and I will be hosting a town hall meeting in Blue Springs from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Springs Country Club on 1600 NW Circle Drive.

The focus of the town hall will be to provide information on the legislative special session and veto session and to discuss the emphasis for the upcoming 2012 regular session. In addition, Blue Springs Councilmen Dale Carter, Jeff Quibell, Chris Lievsay and Kent Edmondson will be in attendance to discuss local issues.

These town hall meetings are important to me because they give me the opportunity to interact on a personal level with the constituents of the 8^th Senatorial District. It is a vital way to keep members of the local community up-to-date on activities within the Capitol and upcoming issues and events. I look forward to speaking with concerned citizens and addressing any questions they might have.

I hope to see you there!

Oxford: Educating for Change Fair, A Request

Friends and Allies,

I had hoped to get out a special "Extraordinary Session Edition" of the JMO4Rep Update electronic newsletter, but I've had too many competing priorities to manage that these past few weeks. So I'll just send this brief announcement about an important event, the 7th Annual Education for Change Curriculum Fair, plus this request:

Please keep up your advocacy to save the Circuit Breaker that provides much needed assistance for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Your calls, visits, letters, and e-mails are having an effect! For more information, see: http://www.mobudget.org/files/Circuit_Breaker_Renters_by_Senate_District_Sept_2011.pdf

I have several very demanding events on my schedule for this week (Veto Session, Special Session, a speech for Constitution Day in Rolla, a class I'm co-leading at Eden Seminary, etc.), so I welcome any positive energy or prayers you can send out to the Universe for me and my House and Senate colleagues. I often feel my allies and friends "holding me up" when my spirit/energy sags. Thank you for all you do to support me.

JMO

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: [Rebecca Rogers]

Please distribute this call widely to your networks, colleagues, lists, etc.


** CALL FOR PROPOSALS **
7th ANNUAL EDUCATING FOR CHANGE CURRICULUM FAIR
"Creating Spaces for Social Justice in an Era of Standardized Testing"

Attached is a "Call for Proposals" for presenters [click here to view] and a flyer [click here to view] for the 7th Annual Educating for Change Curriculum Fair, Saturday, October 8th from 9:00am - 1:00pm at Roosevelt High School (3230 Hartford, St. Louis, 63118).

The theme of this year's fair is "Creating Space for Social Justice in an Era of Standardized Testing."Please consider submitting a proposal for a poster display/exhibit, resource table for organizations, or workshops. Exhibits/poster displays and resource tables will remain set up for the entire fair. This is a great opportunity to share your work and to get feedback!

This year we are planning an exciting program including:

• Featured speaker Deborah Meier, educational reformer, writer and activist, http://www.deborahmeier.com/
• Educator & Youth-led table exhibits & workshops
• Ideas and resources to enhance & supplement your curriculum with Social Justice Themes
• Food donated by Bailey's Chocolate Bar, Rooster, Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar, & Bailey's Range

The event is sponsored by the Literacy for Social Justice Teacher Research Group http://www.literacyforsocialjustice.com/ and The Literacy Roundtable http://www.literacyroundtable.org/

Thanks!,
Ed 4 Change Curriculum Fair Planning Committee, LSJTRG
For more information contact: kathryn{dot}lsjtrg{at}gmail{dot}com

Lant: First-Hand Account Of Senate Proceedings

Last week was the beginning of our Special Session. The Governor called us into session for the expressed purpose of dealing with legislation that is intended to create jobs and find ways to allocate money for disasters. This only sounds easy if you say it fast! The unique aspect of Special Sessions is that the Governor determines what bills are to be heard, and unless he adds a new bill to the call, only what he stipulates is to be considered. The first couple of days are what is termed "Technical Session", meaning that we are only on the floor long enough to read the bill, then we adjourn to do other things. The House Speaker and the Senate Pro Tem agreed to introduce and hear three bills each. On Tuesday we opened session in the House, read our three bills, and adjourned. Elapsed time, probably less than 15 minutes. Since the Senate was opening an hour later, I decided to go over there and listen in. The Lt. Governor saw Tom Flanigan and myself on the sideline and invited us to sit on the Dias with him. That was an unexpected honor. He then began to open the Senate. After the prayer and pledge, Senator Crowell asked to be recognized to speak. He was allowed to rise and rise he did! He spoke for three hours on his upcoming wedding, the flood stage of the river, his neighborhood friends, and everything else you can imagine except the things we were called into session to deal with. When the Speaker Pro Tem finally asked him what he wanted, he replied that he wanted to see the Senate adjourn and everyone go home. The Senate finally read their bills, but the ill-mannered Senator Crowell wasn't through yet. On Wednesday evening, after a long committee hearing, the senator demanded a quorum roll call. Most of those who weren't in the hearing had already gone home for the evening. It took until 1:30 A.M. to get enough Senators back to make up the quorum. After opening on Thursday, the Senate adjourned until next Monday to give them time to read a bill that they have had access to for 5 months. I am certainly not criticizing the whole Senate. We have some fine dedicated senators, especially in our area, however, some of those people abuse the privileges that the constitution affords them!

The House processed a total of six bills. Budget Chairman Ryan Silvey added two bills that deal with disaster funding. One bill was to access the Rainy Day Fund and the other was to create an oversight committee to appropriate emergency funding. Both of these bills passed overwhelmingly. We also passed the measure dealing with the St. Louis Police department returning to local control and one establishing the date for Presidential Primaries. These bills also passed by a large margin.

On Wednesday morning, readers of the Joplin Globe found that the City of Joplin had entered an agreement with a St. Louis law firm to explore the possibility of a "Super TIF" A TIF, or Tax Increment Financing is a public financing method whereby a public project can be carried out within a defined area, usually blighted, and the debt spread out over several years and paid for by the increase in tax revenues from the added businesses. The tax revenues are usually restricted to the city's portion of the revenue. A Super TIF allows the states portion of the revenue increase to also be directed to the payoff. The whole key to making this work on our disaster recovery was to get it done as soon as possible. The TIF needs to be enacted this year in order to use the disaster year of 2011 as the base.
The Governor had allowed an additional bill sponsored by Representative Bill White that deals with property tax adjustments for commercial properties devastated by the tornado. After a tedious day of researching the laws concerning the TIF agreement, and cajoling the House lawyers to draft an amendment, we were able to attach the amendment to Representative Whites' bill. I am delighted to report that it passed the House with a unanimous vote. Every Republican and every Democrat House member saw the tremendous advantage to Missouri disaster areas. If this is signed by the Governor, any area that the Governor declares a disaster in the future is able to apply for this assistance. There is a very intensive application process and the city council of the affected area must do the application, but it gives the public another tool to use in rebuilding efforts. My hat's off to Representative Tom Flanigan who spearheaded a 20 hour effort to prepare the amendment and for his professional presentation on the House Floor.

Saturday afternoon I had the dubious honor of judging the Home Made Boat Race at Shady Acres campground. The race was the final event in the Paddlefest. I have rarely had so much fun or seen so many people having fun. There were boats made of every imaginable material and every imaginable configuration. We were asked to judge the boats on three criteria. The overall best boat, the best designed boat, and the worst boat. The overall best was easy, he won the race so it must have been the best. The overall worst was easy too, they fell off 20 times and lost the race. The best design was really hard! There were three of us judging and we each had to vote three times to narrow it down. Next year I suggest they have more categories. Maybe a "had most fun"," got the wettest"," got the most other people wet", anyway it was a ball and if you missed it, you need to plan to go next year!

I'm heading back to Jefferson City Monday evening for the second round of Special Session, I'm sure I'll have plenty to report next week, until then I am and remain, in your service.

Sater: House Passes Six Bills in Special Session

If you are reading this, I will be in Jefferson City for what is called a special session. Our normal session runs for 5 months from the first of January to the end of May. A special session is one called by the Governor to pass legislation that did not get done during regular session or for an emergency. We will spend up to 60 days in Jefferson City, although I imagine it will be 5 to 7 days. If it is only 5 days, this will cost the citizens of the State of Missouri over $100,000. You do the math if it takes longer. I want to go over the bills up for consideration. It is my opinion that these bills are not an emergency and could wait for regular session next January. It also places us in a situation of passing things that should take time to study and to make sure everyone understands the details of each bill. The devil is in the details.

On the House side, we passed 6 bills. HB 6 designates 150 million dollars to be taken out of the budget reserve fund, (Rainy Day Fund) for the Joplin cleanup. Governor Nixon decided to take this money from programs such as schools and colleges. The Rainy Day Fund was set up for emergencies and the money taken out of this fund must be paid back within 3 years with interest. It certainly makes more sense to me to use this money for what it is set aside for and spread the payback over 3 years instead of decreasing funds for ongoing programs for this year only. HB 7, which passed, set up a committee of representatives to oversee the proper use of these funds.

We passed HB 1 which gives control of the St. Louis Police Department back to the City of St. Louis. Since the late 1800s, due to corruption in both St. Louis and Kansas City, the state took over these police departments. This is probably long overdue, but it could of waited until next year.

HB 3 moved the Presidential primary from the first Tuesday in February to the first Tuesday in March. This would place this election on the same date as other states around us. Again, it could of waited.

HB 5 would let Joplin set up tax increment financing for the tornado area. This is a method of tax breaks for the rebuilding of blighted areas. It is only for Joplin. Although important, and the county government in Joplin is in favor of, it could of waited a few more months for regular session and would not of had any impact on the rebuilding efforts.

HB 2 was a bill that passed the House, but failed in the Senate. It is a tax amnesty bill that allows people who owe back taxes to pay them with no penalty. We did this many years ago, and it worked to bring in revenue from taxes that were owed. I do not agree with this bill because it gives lawbreakers a break. Everyone else who does pay their state income taxes on time, it sets a bad precedent to avoid paying taxes. I may not agree with every law on the books, but they are laws and should be obeyed until they can get changed.

These are the House bills that passed and will move to the Senate. The Senate has their own legislation. There are two controversial bills they are debating, but have not passed. One is the tax credit bill for building an international cargo import and export terminal at the St. Louis International Airport. [SB8] It amounts to $360 million dollars. When I first went to Jefferson City as a state representative, I thought favorably of tax credits for certain entities. I passed legislation that gave tax credits to people who gave to Senior Citizen Centers, either food or money. But picking and choosing who gets a tax credit and who does not, does not sit well with me. This tax credit for St. Louis is picking investors and contractors to receive a tax credit if they build the hub. And who knows if this is financially feasible and will work? I have done some research on this type of program, and most of them have been a money pit with no real long term job creation, but is artificial job creation created by the government. To pay for this, the Senate is considering phasing out the low income tax credit for rental housing. I have stated many times that government’s main focus is on helping those who cannot legitimately help themselves. If a low income person, below $28,000 owns their home, then the tax credit remains; but for those who rent, it goes away. If these two bills pass the Senate, I will certainly speak and vote against both.

Again, I must say, that this special session is a waste of time and money, but I will attend and vote the way I believe the majority of my constituents would want me to.

I should also let you know that my long time legislative assistant, Sid Blount, has retired as of September 1^st. We will all miss her dedication to the office and constituents. She was a great help to me when I first started because she had been doing this job for other representatives for some time and knew much more of the ins and outs of the political scene than I did. We will all miss her, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Representative Sally Faith ran for Mayor of St. Charles, MO this spring and won. Her legislative assistant was suddenly available and had worked for Representative Faith for 7 years. May I introduce to you, Robyn Huddleston, as my new assistant. She will be with me until the end of next year`s session and came highly recommended from many people. She will value your calls as important and will always do her best for your concerns.

When Special Session is over, I will be letting you know what actually was passed into law.

My Capitol Office is open now Monday through Friday and can be reached at (573) 751-1480. You can also call me at my home in Cassville (417/847-4661).

Stouffer: Knowing What It Takes: A Balanced Federal Budget

Op. note: Rep. Mike Kelley sent an identical missive at 11:04a, 14 Sept. 2011

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This country is long overdue in having a balanced budget. Federal lawmakers have come close to mandating we live within our means at the federal level several times, but not close enough. Many believe it is possible that a vote to “cut, cap and balance” is ahead, and Missouri should be prepared to respond.

A balanced budget amendment is proposed in Congress every few years. The plan normally gets discussed, but does not make it to the people. Balancing federal spending would mean big changes, even at the state budget level.

In Missouri, we balance the budget. We have to; it is the law. We do have debt in this state, but it is relatively low, comparatively speaking. For every dollar that will be spent in Fiscal Year 2012 (which runs July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012), three-tenths of a cent will go to pay off our public debt.

Our ability to balance the budget has also kept our state’s credit rating high. While the nation’s credit rating has been dropped, Missouri continues to enjoy a AAA rating, which means our interest payments stay low.

There is nothing new about the concept of a federal balanced budget. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1798 how he wished it could be impossible for a government to borrow money. But, since the country was recovering from the cost of the Revolutionary War, such an amendment was not feasible then. Nothing was proposed until 1936. More calls for a federal balanced budget amendment happened during the 1970s. The latest attempts were in 1995 and ’97, but nothing has occurred since then.

There are essentially two ways the U.S. Constitution can be amended, and one has never been used.

The first is for a bill to pass both the U.S. House and Senate, by a two-thirds majority in each. Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states. Then, three-fourths of state legislatures or conventions, as outlined by the original federal legislation, must approve the amendment with a simple majority. In addition, Congress usually places a time limit on the states to respond. Every single amendment to the constitution has followed this path.

The second method is for two-thirds of the states to petition Congress for a constitutional change. Then, Congress must call for a convention for proposing amendments. This means 34 of the 50 states have to petition the federal government. Between 1975 and ’80, 30 states tried to get the federal government to enact a balanced budget amendment. By 1983, two additional states joined the chorus, including Missouri.

I would encourage everyone to contact your federal legislator. Let them know the time has come for a federal balanced budget amendment. Missouri’s balanced budget has proven itself to work time and time again. It is part of the reason we are not in the same financial shape as most other states. The federal government continues to borrow billions of dollars at a time; we cannot sustain this type of spending any longer. I pray that our leaders will understand the damage they are doing and stop the practice immediately. One way to curb the spending is to enact a balanced budget amendment in Washington, D.C.

Hoskins: Update From Special Session

It has been a month, or so, since my last Capitol Report and, as most of you are aware, the House and Senate have started Special Session. I thought I would send you this update to let you know what is going on here at your State Capitol.

Special Session

The main purpose of our return to the Capitol for special session is to continue to address the issues of jobs and economic development. Currently the legislation addressing these issues is being debated in the Senate. Consequently, the House calendar may adjust dependent upon how quickly legislation moves through the Senate.

Since the House of Representatives is in session waiting on the progress from the Senate and the jobs/economic development bill, we have taken the opportunity to address legislation which had support in the regular 2011 Session, but, did not have enough time to reach full completion. Also needed are steps to help deal with the disaster relief effort in Joplin and other areas of the State impacted by natural disasters.

Here is a listing of the bills we debated in the House last week. All seven of these bills overwhelmingly passed out of the House with bipartisan support and are awaiting action in the Senate.

HB 8 deals with the issue of tax increment financing and the Missouri supplemental disaster recovery fund.
HB 6 appropriates money for the purpose of matching Federal Emergency Management Agency expenditures due to natural disasters in the state of Missouri in 2011 for the period ending June 30, 2012.
HB 1 would allow the City of St. Louis to establish and maintain a municipal police force completely under the city's authority.
HB 2 would change the laws regarding the collection of moneys owed to the state.
HCS HB 3 would change the laws regarding presidential elections.
HCS HB 5 would change the laws regarding the assessment of commercial real property destroyed by a natural disaster.
And Last, but certainly not least, HB 7 which establishes the Joint Committee on Disaster Funding.
For further information on this legislation, go to www.house.mo.gov.

This week’s schedule will consist of having a special “technical” session on Tuesday and Veto Session on Wednesday. Our schedule for session on Thursday and Friday is dependent upon actions taken by the Senate.

While I have your attention, this would be a good time to tell you that Vice-Chair of the Interim Committee on Passenger Rail has been added to the list of my duties here as your State Representative. The purpose of the committee is to study the cost, funding, and other concerns of service associated with Amtrak passenger rail. I am honored that Speaker of the House, Steven Tilley, appointed me as Vice-Chairman of this committee. Amtrak is an important part of Missouri and Warrensburg.

Ways to Keep in Contact

I consider communication with my constituents a high priority. My weekly Monday morning chat at 8:45 a.m. with Woody at KOKO Radio on AM 1450 is one of the best ways I’ve found for you to literally “hear” from me. During session or interim, tune in every Monday morning at 8:45 to hear the latest concerning District 121.

Please share this report with anyone you feel would be interested in this information. It is genuinely a privilege to serve as your state representative.

Korman: Special Session Synopsis

Op. note: Senate Bill 282 is misidentified in this missive as Senate Bill 252. SB252 would have modified a tax credit program that defray research expenditures.

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If you haven’t heard the Missouri House and the Senate have been called into a special session by the Governor.

The Governor's call for Special Session includes: enacting the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA); enacting the Compete Missouri Initiative; enacting legislation to increase exports and foreign trade through the development of an international air cargo hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport; enacting legislation to help construct and develop high-tech data centers; enacting legislation moving Missouri's Presidential primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each Presidential election year; enacting legislation authorizing the transition of governing the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from a board of police commissioners to the City of St. Louis; authorizing tax credits to help attract amateur sporting events to Missouri; and repeal specific provisions concerning teacher-student communications that were included in Senate Bill 54.

The General Assembly doesn’t necessarily completely agree with the Governor’s agenda for the Special Session.

Some of the call is to "fix" legislation, Senate Bill 54, which he signed. The legislation started to get some bad press after he signed it. Another is an attempt to prevent a veto override on a bill, Senate Bill 252, which would have eliminated provisions for write-in candidates for municipal elections and which would have imposed special elections instead of appointments for certain office vacancies, the Governor vetoed on July 8, 2011.

Other parts of the Call are his way of "political forcing" the General Assembly to send him bills that we didn't send him in five months of regular session and probably shouldn't be sent to him in just a couple days. There needs to be plenty of time to review the proposed legislation and get input and testimony on how it will affect the citizens and taxpayers of Missouri. I have been watching this legislation in the Senate and all of the changes as they evolve.

Neth: House Measures Passed In Special Session, Memories of 9/11

We are officially in Special Session 2011- or as they call it officially, First Extraordinary Session. Not much extraordinary about it yet. The House had committee meetings on Thursday, of which I was a part of one of them as not all committees are meeting. We then had the House convene today and passed out of the House several bills that are now in the hands of the Senate. You can read a description of each below.

As to the biggest reason were called back into session, the hoped for economic development bill, it is stalled in the Senate at the moment. There seems to be no consensus on the bill and two of the main sticking points in my opinion are the so-called "Aerotropolis" package and the lack of adequate pro-life language in MOSIRA. As it is a Senate bill, we will wait to see if it gets done in that body and even comes to the House. I would consider its overall prospects dim at the moment which is disappointing because there are a lot of good things in the proposed package, such as MOSIRA and tax credit reform. Politically it is sticky because if I vote for a bill with Aerotropolis as it reads now, I am voting for something that I am not supportive of just to get some other good things. If I vote no, I am voting against things that could benefit my district and create business and jobs. I am sort of unsure of what to do at the moment and hope that time will flesh out clearer path for me.

We come back next week for sure due to the previously scheduled Veto Session- not a part of the Special Session. It is just one day, but we are waiting to see how many other days we may need to be in Jefferson City. I don't like not knowing my schedule, especially since I am missing several of my daughter's softball games and some general family events.

I'll try to keep you informed of the latest happenings over the next few weeks.

Myron

Memories of 9/11

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is upon us and the memories come flooding back for many of us. It is truly an event that changed our nation and set us on a course that has had drastic consequences in many aspects of our lives and how our nation functions.

The morning of 9/11 I was on the farm for a brief time in between jobs. I was loading one of our trucks with feed when my dad said a plane hit the World Trade Center. As most of us thought this was a random event and probably a small plane, not much was thought of it. However, as we listened further we found out it was a large plane. Then the second plane hit, confirming for all of us that this was not a random event. We kept on working, but kept an ear to a radio. As the morning wore on, more news kept coming and we wondered what was next. My daughter had just begun her Kindergarten year and my wife called and asked me if we should go get her. We decided against, but you started to wonder what more calamity could occur and how it would affect our family and others.

Then the most vivid part of the day for me occurred as I watched the skies on this beautiful September morning. The sky was bright blue with not a cloud in sight. Like normal, numerous contrails crisscrossed above which are very noticeable on such a day. Then the order was given by the President to ground all air traffic late in the morning. By early afternoon there was not a plane or contrail in sight and it stayed that way for several days. It was eerie to consider that for that period of time there was not a single commercial plane in the sky. It is a vision that I will always remember.

Legislation Passed out of the House

HB 6- This would allow the state to access the Rainy Day Fund to cover expenses incurred by the state relating to the recent natural disasters around the state.

HB 1- This would allow local control of the St. Louis Police Department as it now is under the control of a state appointed board.

HB 2- Tax Amnesty for some past due tax payers.

HB 3- Changes Missouri's Presidential Primary to March from the existing date in February.

HB 5- Reduces commercial property taxes on property damaged by natural disasters. This is specifically related to the Joplin tornado.

HB 7- Established a Joint Committee on Disaster Funding to oversee the expenditures of moneys for disaster recovery authorized by appropriations.

Upcoming Local Events

Jazz on the Square
Liberty Historic Walking Tour: Historic Trees September 10
Corbin Theatre- That Darn Plot!
Liberty Fall Festival September 23-25
Liberty Public Schools Events (Click link for more info.)
LHS Orchestra Pancake Breakfast and Basket Auction, Down Syndrome Walk, Trike-a-Thon, LNHS Charity Volleyball match, LNHS Orchestra 1st Gold and Bluegrass Festival
William Jewell College Homecoming October 7-9
Liberty Farmers Market Every Saturday through October

Check out your local High School sports schedules. Great Friday night football and other sports.
Liberty Public Schools, North Kansas City Schools

Engler: Extensive Review of Eco Devo Bill Underway, Veto Session Awaits

The Senate is back in Jefferson City this week for the special session called by the governor, and while we’re all committed to passing legislation to create jobs, we’ve seen some moments of intense debate on how we’re going to get that done.

When Governor Nixon called the special session, there were members of the House and Senate who were confident the economic development package was a done deal. Most of us in the Senate, however, weren’t informed of the details. We’re now taking this time to study every angle and view-point of the legislation so we can make the most informed decisions possible.

The economic development measure contains many provisions to spur job growth while maintaining fiscal responsibility, including tax credit reform, the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA), which will help bring high-tech, scientific companies to Missouri, and tax incentives to lure data-storage centers to the state. These measures could create hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs all over the state. The bill has already been changed so that, for example, if an employer from Bunker is able to attract 25 new jobs, they can get a portion of the funds in the economic package.

A major point of controversy, though, has been the Aerotropolis Trade Incentive and Tax Credit Act, which seeks to transform the St. Louis-Lambert Airport into an international cargo hub. Some critics have taken offense that Missouri would become a major port for importing Chinese goods. The reality is that Chinese goods will come into America either way. This is just the nature of our global economy. The "Aerotropolis" bill could make Missouri a major player in international trade with Midwest products being exported. The game will go on. The only question is whether Missouri is going to be on the sidelines, or out on the field. I don't object to the bill, but I want to make sure we can pay for it and that lots of jobs are created.

The Senate’s Education Committee also met this week to discuss changes to what has been called the “Facebook law.” The original legislation, aimed at regulating electronic communication between students and school employees, was passed during the regular session and met with initial approval from the Missouri State Teacher’s Association. After it was signed into law, however, many teachers’ organizations felt the language restricting teachers’ private communications with students on social media sites was too vague.

The governor called on us to repeal the electronic communication language altogether. Instead, the committee has amended it so that the primary goal of the bill—protecting our students—remains. The changes clear up some of the language while making sure our students are still protected. Local school boards will have control and will need to create a set of rules and guidelines regarding the use of electronic media for teacher's and staff.

Next week the Senate will begin its annual veto session. On the agenda is the possible veto override of Senate Bill 282, legislation I sponsored, which moves the presidential primary in Missouri from February to March to adhere to Democratic and Republican Party rules. Even though the governor included this provision in his call for special session, it’s my hope that we can override his veto. We will also work towards overriding the veto of House Bill 430, which among other things would ensure bringing the state into compliance with federal regulations for the CDL-Medical Examination requirement. If we don't do this, the state could lose up to $60 million from the federal government.

The Senate has adjourned for the weekend to study Senate Bill 8, the 268-page economic bill we were presented with on Thursday. We will come back next week to continue debating the legislation. I am committed to only passing legislation that will create jobs and steer our economy in a positive direction.

Tim Jones: Selected by Colleagues to Lead Missouri House of Representatives in 2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Members of the House Majority Caucus unanimously supported Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, as the next Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives. Jones, who currently serves as Majority Floor Leader, will be designated as Speaker-Elect until the beginning of the 2013 legislative session when the full body will have the opportunity to officially elect him to the position of Speaker. House Republicans currently hold an historic majority, with 106 seats. Assuming Republicans hold their majority, Jones will replace current House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, who will be termed out of office after 2012.

“I’m humbled and honored to have the support of my caucus to serve as their leader in the coming years,” said Jones. “We have had outstanding leadership with Speaker Tilley, and I hope to build on his success while continuing the common sense conservative agenda the people of Missouri want and need, especially during these challenging times.”

Jones will continue in his role as Majority Floor Leader for the 2012 session while also working with Speaker Tilley to gain a deeper understanding of the duties of the Speaker. As Floor Leader, Jones controls the flow of legislation on the House floor and works with the Speaker to set the legislative agenda. As Speaker, Jones will be responsible for determining the legislative agenda for the Missouri House, selecting committee chairmen and assigning bills to committee.

“We have accomplished a bold agenda over the last few years but still have much to do to move Missouri forward,” said Jones. “I look forward to leading my caucus as we continue to promote limited government, fiscal responsibility, and work every day to create good-paying, family-supporting jobs.”

Denison: Special Session Underway, Facebook Fix Among Items

“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.” –Louis Pasteur

SPECIAL SESSION UNDERWAY

The special legislative session called by the governor got underway this week. As I have mentioned in previous reports, the main topics of discussion include a major job creation bill [SB8] and legislation to create a tax amnesty period [HB5] as well as bills to return control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to the City of St. Louis [HB1], move the date of Missouri’s presidential primary [HB3] and fix what is commonly referred to as the Facebook law [SB1]. The economic development package and the Facebook fix legislation will start in the Senate and the rest of the bills will originate in the House. Knowing that each day of special session costs additional Missouri taxpayer dollars, we hope to have a quick session that will be as efficient as possible.

FACEBOOK FIX ADDED TO SPECIAL SESSION

A piece of legislation passed during the regular session was designed to put the Amy Hestir Davis Student Protection Act [SB54] into place to protect students from immoral teachers. Part of that law included restrictions on teachers’ interactions with students on websites like Facebook. It’s a law that was simply meant to prevent inappropriate private communications between teachers and students. We want to ensure these kinds of interactions occur in a way that allows parents to see them.

Just a few weeks ago, the law was kept from going into effect by a Missouri judge who said this particular provision was too broadly worded. The judge said the law would have a chilling effect on speech and prevent appropriate and necessary communications using the online medium. Because of the injunction, the governor has added a fix for this law to his call for a special session. The House and Senate will now work to repeal the law and replace it with one that simply requires school districts to adopt policies on electronic communications between employees and students. With this change we hope to stay true to the original intent of the bill while also ensuring appropriate communications aren’t forbidden.

Legislature Takes Closer Look At Governor’s Withholding Practices

Two other bills filed this week for the special session go outside the scope of the call issued by the governor. The bills that were filed by the House Budget Chairman [HB6, HB7] deal with funding for disaster recovery efforts in areas like Joplin and southeastern Missouri. The bills come in response to the withholdings made by the governor that legislators and the state auditor have said are unconstitutional. The governor has already withheld $172 million from the state budget and pledged that $150 million will be used for disaster recovery. The bills filed by the House Budget Chairman would authorize up to $150 million in appropriations from the state’s Rainy Day Fund and set up a joint committee to oversee how the dollars are spent.

We’re hopeful the governor will expand his call to include these pieces of legislation. At this point it is clear the governor has overreached his authority and cut the legislature out of the appropriations process. Because it’s the job of the legislature to allocate taxpayer dollars, we have called on the governor to allow us to do what the people elected us to do. The state Constitution is clear that the governor can only withhold funding when revenue comes in lower than expected. That is not the case here and the governor has clearly violated the Constitution by making the withholdings in a year where revenues are coming in above projections rather than below.

We as a legislature want to help the people in areas of the state that were ravaged by storms and flooding and we want to make sure the process is one that follows our Constitution. The governor should add the bills filed in the House to his call for a special session so we can do the job we were elected to do and appropriate funding for the disaster recovery efforts.

DISASTER-RELATED PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

One piece of disaster recovery legislation that was added by the governor would provide property tax relief to business owners who lost their businesses as a result of a natural disaster. The bill would allow counties to opt into a program to allow business owners to have their commercial properties reassessed. In essence, it would allow businesses to remove their properties from the tax roles until the rebuilding process is complete. The idea has received support throughout the Capitol. The only question remains how to make up the revenue shortage that will result from the loss of property tax revenue. In the Joplin area, the governor has already pledged $1.5 million to Joplin schools to make up for the lost revenue.

In the District

House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, recently created an Interim Committee on Passenger Rail, and I was appointed to serve as a member of this new committee.

In past reports I have kept you updated on road construction projects in Springfield. I was very pleased to join MoDOT, the City of Springfield, and Greene County, in the ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, September 7^th to mark the completion of the Route 65 six-laning project.

I was very honored to present a House Resolution to Mr. Richard Dalstein on Saturday, September 3^rd to commemorate a milestone birthday.

I also presented a House Resolution on September 6^th to Mr. L.A. Dale on the occasion of his 95^th Birthday during a senior adult meeting at South Haven Baptist Church.

Interim Office Hours

Interim office hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Normal schedule will resume December 1, 2011. If you need to call me at home, my number is 417-887-3353.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Best wishes.

Tim Jones: Special Session Majority Minute

Op. Note: Rep. Mike Kelley sent an identical missive at 6:43p, 8 Sept. 2011

On Monday, August 22^nd, Governor Nixon issued a call for a Special Session to address certain specific issues which had great support from both Chambers during the Regular Session but on which the Chambers ultimately ran out of time in which to reach a compromise final position. You can find the full text of the Governor’s call at the following link: http://governor.mo.gov/orders/2011/2011specialsession.html. The issues relate to: economic development and creating an environment for job creation, tax credit reform, local control of the St. Louis City Police Department, tax amnesty (projected to save the State millions and millions of taxpayer dollars), election law reforms and issues relating to state wide disaster relief. Important and timely issues all.

2011 Extraordinary Special Session

Tuesday, September 6

The Missouri House of Representatives began the 2011 Extraordinary Session with a technical session on Tuesday, September 6. During this technical session, seven bills were introduced and first read. Following is the link to the text and action of these bills and resolutions: http://www.house.mo.gov/billlist.aspx?year=2011

Wednesday, September 7

Most of the House bills introduced above were second read and referred to the House standing committee to which they relate for public hearing and consideration.

Thursday, September 8

House standing committees met to review the bills introduced and Committee Chairmen voted these bills out of committee on this day. Bills which were passed out of Committee were immediately referred to the Rules committee and the Rules Committee took immediate action on these bills so they were ready for Perfection and Third Reading. You can view the current status of all bills at any time at: www.house.mo.gov

Friday, September 9

The Missouri House will engage in floor debate with Perfection and Third Reading of the House Bills which were voted out of the Rules Committee.

A Glimpse into Next Week

As we continue to work through this Special Session, I will keep you apprised of all developments. Should you have any questions regarding any of the matters on which we are working, please do not hesitate to contact our office at any time.

Until our next update, I am, and remain, in your service.