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Final Week in the House: Monday, May 10

During the last week of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you updates of floor activity for each chamber. Below is all the activity in the House from Monday, May 10. For live updates on the Senate, click here.


The House adjourns

The House adjourned at 5:45 p.m.


SB 403, health care, third read and passed, emergency clause failed

SB 403 would establish awareness days, weeks, and months for various afflictions and enact a medical preceptorship tax credit, ban vaccine passports limited to the COVID-19 vaccine, and require jails and prisons to offer feminine hygiene products.

Rep. Curtis Trent withdrew his amendment to the amendment after a pause to handle other business, saying the issue would fall to the courts. Other small amendments quickly followed.

Another amendment from Rep. Mike Stephens sought to ensure the bill would not restrict the flow of information between authorized parties. It was voted down by the body.

An emergency clause was voted down on a feminine hygiene provision.


SB 64, needle exchange program, third read and passed as amended, emergency clause adopted

The omnibus health care bill would enact a needle exchange program and enact various awareness days, weeks, and months for different afflictions, as well as changes to ambulance districts and other provisions familiar to the legislature.

An amendment from Rep. Cody Smith would include an extension of the state’s federal reimbursement allowance (FRA) through the next year. The amendment was adopted after a quick previous question motion, and the bill passed 101-55.

An emergency clause on the feminine hygiene products was approved after handler Rep. Phil Christofanelli moved tongue-in-cheek for its adoption; Democrats, including Rep. Rasheen Aldridge and Rep. Raychel Proudie, spoke in favor of the clause.


SB 403, health care, returned to the third reading calendar

SB 403 would establish awareness days, weeks, and months for various afflictions and enact a medical preceptorship tax credit. It also includes a provision on vaccine passports limited to the COVID-19 vaccine. Sen. Bob Onder’s bill also requires jails and prisons to offer feminine hygiene products.

Amendments included provisions allowing dentists to administer vaccinations, creating additional recognition days and weeks, and enacting consumer protections for the use of Kratom products. In all, 15 amendments were considered before it was laid over.

Another amendment that saw discussion on the floor would require pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) utilized by the state’s consolidated health care plan to file annual reports and create fiduciary responsibility for them. Rep. Curtis Trent argued Rep. Dale Wright’s amendment would exceed the limitations imposed by the Employee Retirement Insurance Security Act (ERISA).

ERISA governs employee benefits administered by private employers or organizations but does not cover benefits distributed by governments. Trent offered an amendment to delete fiduciary responsibility language, saying the whole bill “might still be struck down in court.”


SB 86, school districts, returned to the calendar

SB 86, handled by Rep. Ben Baker would prohibit the use of public funds by school districts for political purposes. The House Committee Substitute failed after a tongue-in-cheek motion from Baker, stripping the bill back to its perfected Senate version.

The bill was replaced on the calendar.


SB 258, classification of members of the Missouri National Guard, third read and passed

The bill, handled by Rep. Dave Griffith, would allow members of the guard to be considered state employees for the purpose of operating state-owned vehicles.

Amendments added to the bill would cover various military-related issues. The bill was third read and passed 152-0.


House gavels in

The legislative day began at 2:15 p.m.


Paris Hilton weighs in on House bill

A pair of House bills from Reps. Keri Ingle and Rudy Veit are expected to be heard in the Senate Monday; the bills cover unlicensed residential facilities, and celebrity Paris Hilton testified in favor of the bill in committee.


House committee approves gas tax bill

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz‘s gas tax increase bill passed out of the House Fiscal Review Committee shortly before the House went into session, with Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann among those voting for the measure.


Haffner jumps into floor leader race

Rep. Mike Haffner threw his hat into the ring for majority floor leader before session, asking his colleagues to support his bid.

“We are currently facing challenging times as many of our conservative values are under attack, including the very foundational principles of our constitution,” he said. “My intent is to meet these challenges, and as a caucus we have an opportunity to make a generational impact for the state of Missouri.”

Mike Haffner jumps into floor leader race


This Week in Missouri Politics

Reps. Ashley Bland Manlove and Dan Houx appeared on Sunday’s episode of “This Week in Missouri Politics” to discuss this session’s biggest topics, from Medicaid expansion to education; a House bill on education savings accounts (ESAs) was approved by the upper chamber last week.


Rep. Owen’s new friend

The final week got off to an interesting start for Rep. Bill Owen, who reported a live bat above the entrance to his office Monday morning.


Baker vying for Speaker Pro Tem

Rep. Ben Baker announced a bid for Speaker Pro Tem before session began Monday. The sophomore Republican promised collaboration with both his colleagues in the House and with the upper chamber if given the chance to serve.

“If I am given the opportunity to serve in this capacity you will always have a seat at the table, you can depend on unwavering diligence, honesty, integrity, humility, and an open ear,” Baker said in a letter provided to The Missouri Times. “I will work hard to facilitate relationships with other caucus members and the Senate to help you be a success as we work together to accomplish good for our fellow Missourians.”

Ben Baker announces bid for House Speaker Pro Tem