During the last week of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you updates of all floor activity of each chamber. Below is all the floor activity in the Senate beginning on Thursday, May 16. For live updates on the House, click here.
The Senate adjourned just before 8:30 p.m.
SB 204, professional registration, exceeded differences
HB 113, minimum sentencing requirements, placed on informal calendar again
Championed by Rep. Cody Smith and Sen. Ed Emery, the bill removes mandatory minimum requirements for certain nonviolent crimes. Emery noted it’s become a “public safety omnibus bill” after committee as other provisions were added — from Hailey’s Law to firework provisions to drones near prisons.
It had been taken up earlier Thursday but was placed on the informal calendar. Before Emery brought it up again, he tweaked language relating to the drones and task forces on juvenile courts. Sen. Lauren Arthur’s bill that allows victims of sexual or domestic violence or stalking to be released from a lease agreement was also added to this bill.
HB 355, Public Service Commission changes, sent to Fiscal Oversight
The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Dean Plocher, would change how someone could appeal orders and decisions made by the Public Service Commission (PSC). Now, an individual must file an appeal with the PSC, and the commission will, in turn, file it with the appellate court. Plocher’s bill would allow an individual to file an appeal directly to the court, and the court would notify the PSC of such an appeal. He told The Missouri Times this bill would just “streamline” the process.
It was noted this is a priority for the PSC.
HB 1088, ‘Million Dollar Boondoggle Act,’ passes 31-0
HB 1008, from Rep. Dan Houx, orders the Office of Administration to construct a public report — to be published online — on specific projects that are either at least one year behind schedule or at least $1 million over budget to the General Assembly.
House Republican pushes ‘boondoggle’ bill disclosing status of state projects
SB 514, healthcare, passes 31-0
The bill allows for individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 26 and were in foster care for at least six months in another state the eligibility to qualify for MO HealthNet benefits. Amended in the House, the bill also includes several other healthcare-related provisions.
An emergency clause was added.
SB 230, venue in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, passes 33-0
HB 243, protections for domestic and sexual violence survivors, passes 32-0
HB 243 allows victims of sexual or domestic violence or stalking to be released from a lease agreement. The bill does have built-in protections for landlords and would require a victim to provide specified evidence to a landlord.
Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur has championed the legislation in the Senate. HB 243 was sponsored by Rep. Jim Neely, a Republican.
General Assembly approves added protections for domestic, sexual violence survivors
SB 87, income tax refund donations, passes 33-0
The bill, championed by Sen. Wayne Wallingford, allows for Missourians to donate tax refunds to certain organizations, such as the Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund, the Kansas City Regional Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation Fund, and the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in St. Louis Fund.
As amended, the bill also requires certain sales tax information to be printed on receipts, reauthorizes a tax credit for surviving spouses of public safety officers, and modifies provisions related to fantasy sports.
An emergency clause was added.
HB 604, elementary and secondary education, sent to Fiscal Oversight
The bill started as the “School Turnaround Act” but has since grown with other education-related amendments. It was called it an “omnibus elementary and secondary bill” in the upper chamber.
Sen. Jamilah Nasheed successfully offered an amendment allowing for “hearing officers” to come to schools and intervene in personnel matters without having superintendents or teachers getting “bogged down” in those matters.
Senate grants House conference on SB 147
Senate green-lights partial motorcycle helmet law repeal despite minor roadblocks on the floor
HB 604, elementary and secondary education, placed on informal calendar
The bill started as the “School Turnaround Act” but has since grown with other education-related amendments. It was called it an “omnibus elementary and secondary bill” in the upper chamber.
HB 113, minimum sentencing requirements, placed on informal calendar
Championed by Rep. Cody Smith and Sen. Ed Emery, the bill removes mandatory minimum requirements for certain nonviolent crimes. Emery noted it’s become a “public safety omnibus bill” after committee as other provisions were added — from Hailey’s Law to firework provisions to drones near prisons.
Sen. Brian Williams successfully offered an amendment that would protect an organization from being held financially responsible should an individual associated with the group commit a crime. Instead, that “bad actor” should be held accountable.
Sen. Karla May has offered an amendment adding to municipal courts an interface law enforcement officers in urban areas can access. Sen. Scott Sifton said it’s important to facilitate better information for police officers so they “know what they’re dealing with when they pull someone over. It can be a life or death issue.” Some Republicans have raised potential issues with the amendment’s language.
General Assembly sends criminal justice reform measure to governor
SB 306, tuition and school registration for dependents of military members, passes 33-0
Additional amendments were added to the legislation from the floor Thursday, including one that removes a sunset on a veteran survivors grant program.
SB 210, multiple state designations, passes
Championed by Sen. Karla May, the legislation creates several state designations — from Missouri’s official endangered animal to the state’s official tartan.
SB 36, real estate issues, passes 31-0
The bill protects real estate agents from being sued over unknowingly using wrong measurements if those measurements were not taken by a different source.
Sen. Jason Holsman recused himself from the vote.
SB 83, child relocation services, passes 33-0
Championed by Sen. Mike Cunningham, SB 83 changes court handing of child custody issues and requires parties to be notified when another party intends to relocate a child due to custody or visitation agreements.
During floor discussion, Cunningham was praised by his fellow colleagues for his work on the bill.
SB 147, motor vehicle registration deadlines, passes 21-12
From Sen. David Sater, the bill changes the deadline for motor vehicle registrations. In the House, lawmakers attached a variety of amendments also related to licenses and driving.
A provision in the bill repealing the requirement for certain motorcycle riders caused a hiccup with the legislation Thursday afternoon. Democratic Sens. Jamilah Nasheed and Jill Schupp, in particular, took umbrage with the language allowing anyone who is at least 18 years old be exempted from having to wear a helmet if the individual has the proper insurance to cover medical attention needed from a potential accident.
“I think rules and regulations that serve as protections are good laws put in place,” Schupp said. “We are going to increase deaths here in Missouri, and for a group that is pro-life, I think we should think hard about this.”
Senate green-lights partial motorcycle helmet law repeal despite minor roadblocks on the floor
SB 202, mining royalties, passes 33-0
Under the bill, starting in fiscal year 2020, money disbursed to the Missouri Office of Administration from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue within the U.S. Department of the Interior from mining royalties on federal land located within the state shall be distributed on a proportional basis by the Office of Administration to each county in this state where such mining royalties accrued.
The conference committee stripped out an amendment added in the House limiting who can use eminent domain.
SB 54, insurance companies, passes 33-0
SB 17, Public School Retirement System of Missouri, passes 32-1
SB 182, ‘border wars’ bill, passes 33-0
The bill removes certain tax credits for businesses that move from a few designated counties in Kansas to other “border counties” in Missouri.
HB 397, protecting child sex trafficking victims, passes 34-0
Under Sen. Jeanie Riddle’s guidance, Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman’s HB 397 grew to include more than two dozen provisions safeguarding minors. At its core, the legislation is to protect minors from sex trafficking.
An emergency clause was also adopted.
Omnibus ‘child protection’ bill receives final legislative approval
Schatz opens with point of privilege
Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz castigated recent personal attacks against legislators, noting it’s been “a very difficult past few days.” He said lawmakers’ personal cell phone numbers have been published and shared by outside groups, and some members’ families have been attacked as well
“This is the Missouri Senate. Whether or not you like how the process played out over these days, you don’t sit in these seats and you weren’t elected to make these decisions we’re forced to make,” he said.
Senate gavels in
The legislative day officially got underway just before 1 p.m. with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
