During the last week of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you updates of floor activity of each chamber. Below is all the floor activity in the House from Tuesday, May 14. For live updates on the Senate, click here.
The House adjourned at 6:10 p.m.
SB 90, employment security, TAFP with 110-36 vote
Championed by Sen. Doug Libla, the bill modifies various provisions relating to employment security.
SB 204, professional services, passed as amendment in 99-45 vote
Championed by Sen. Jeanie Riddle, the bill makes a variety of changes to state statutes on professional licenses and services.
Measures added to the bill in committee include: HB 840, HB 1140, HB 470, HB 816, HB 705, HB 410, and HB 770.
Additional measures were added on to the bill on the House floor through a multiple amendments.
The bill now goes back to the Senate for approval.
HB 220, electric company property taxation, TAFP with 141-3 vote
Championed by Rep. Allen Andrews, the bill specifies revenue generated from wind energy projects be kept with the local municipality.
“Basically, the tax money stays local,” said Andrews. “This is a big thing for rural Missouri. This is a big thing for my district.”
SB 1, criminal offenders, TAFP with 141-4 vote
Championed by Sen. Kiki Curls, the bill removes the following crimes from the list of crimes where expungement is not currently available: property damage in the first degree, stealing, possession of a forging instrumentality, and fraudulent use of a credit device or debit device.
In the House committee, Rep. Cody Smith’s HB 113 on minimum sentencing — which was TAFP as part of another bill on Monday — was added. But Smith, the House handler of the Senate bill, moved tongue-in-cheek for the adoption of the committee substitute seeking to roll the measure back to the original purpose.
The House Committee Substitute was not adopted and the chamber ultimately made no changes to the bill, enabling it to be truly agreed and finally passed.
SB 101, hearing aid distribution program, TAFP with 131-5
Championed by Sen. Jeanie Riddle, the bill requires the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to establish, subject to appropriations, a statewide hearing aid distribution program to provide financial assistance to certain low-income individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to obtain hearing aids.
At 1:25 p.m., the House recessed until 3:34 p.m.
SB 391, modifies provisions relating to agricultural operations, TAFP with 103-44 vote.
Championed by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, the bill would prohibit any county commission or health center board from establishing ordinances or other rules on agricultural operations that are more stringent than those already in place at the state level — legislation that would greatly impact concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
The bill sparked fierce debate over environmental protection versus autonomy for local government earlier in the Senate.
Rep. Tracy McCreery, the ranking member of the House Agricultural Policy Committee, failed to attach an amendment requiring local approval. Rep. Doug Beck failed to attach an amendment prohibiting foreign businesses from purchasing agricultural land in Missouri.
Protections for large livestock operations sent to governor’s desk
HB 397, protection of children, third read and passed 133-6
HB 387 is an omnibus child protection bill, a measure that includes Hailey’s Law, Simon’s Law, and a variety of provisions. Championed by freshman Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, the original measure sought to protect minor’s who are victims of sex trafficking and was expanded in the Senate.
After Tuesday’s vote, it will go back to the Senate for another vote in the upper chamber.
Senate advances expanded child protection, anti-trafficking legislation
House gavels in at 10:07 a.m.
The legislative day officially got underway shortly after 10 a.m. with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. The chamber then introduced special guests, approved the House journal from May 13, 2019.
Alisha Shurr was a reporter for The Missouri Times and The Missouri Times Magazine. She joined The Missouri Times in January 2018 after working as a copy editor for her hometown newspaper in Southern Oregon. Alisha is a graduate of Kansas State University.
