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This Week in the General Assembly: April 10, 2017

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – This week, the House and Senate finally completed what has been a months-long venture as they finally agreed and passed the highly-watched HB 130, better known as the Uber/Lyft bill.

Uber bill gets initial approval in Senate, destined for trip back to House

The Senate finally signed off on the legislation Wednesday, creating a statewide framework for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. Proponents of the legislation call it a job-creating bill and say that it cuts back on unnecessary government meddling with overbearing rules and regulations.

But an even bigger move was the Senate’s powerful finish for the week, pushing out one of the most controversial items this session: prescription drug monitoring. After debating and dealing for hours on PDMP, the senators finally came to an agreement Thursday evening, passing the long-awaited measure with a 22-9 vote and a number of significant changes to the bill.

Senate passes Rehder’s PDMP bill with major changes

The Senate Appropriations Committee began its work on the budget after the House passed it out last week. The committee made quick work of the bills this week, working through each one tirelessly in an effort to turn them over to the Senate floor for the real work to begin next week. Several senators have confirmed that they hope to have the bills third read by next Thursday. Meanwhile, the House managed to pass three more appropriations bills: HB 17, 18, and 19 before adjourning for the weekend.

The Missouri House took action on the “truth in alcohol advertising” bill, HB 433. Rep. Robert Cornejo’s bill would allow grocery stores, bars, and liquor stores to advertise their product prices, deals, or coupons outside of the store – namely in TV, radio, or print. It passed in the House Thursday afternoon with a vote of 91-64.

House members also approved HB 118, which Republicans say will simplify the process for school transfers. The bill establishes a process they say is more streamlined for students to transfer out of unaccredited schools.

But the legislators did manage to take some time out of their schedules to take their competition out on the ball field. Legislators, lobbyists, and statewide elected officials all joined together on Wednesday for the annual charity softball tournament. Check out the photos here: