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 for Friday, May 17. For live updates on the House, click here.
Schatz rises for point of personal privilege
Sen. Dave Schatz, the president pro tem, requested a point of personal privilege to thank the Senate staff, doorkeepers, secretary, and Capitol police.
HCR 34, Baseball Hall of Fame, passes 33-0
The resolution urges the Baseball Hall of Fame to induct John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil.
The Senate stood in recess until 5:53 p.m.
HCR 18, JROTC, passes 32-0
The non-binding resolution encourages public schools to institute a JROTC program.
HB 126, abortion restrictions, signed
Signing of Truly Agreed and Finally Passed #SB126 #HeartbeatBill @Koenig4MO @DaveSchatz26 @NickBSchroer #moleg @MORightToLife @cwaofmo @samuelhlee pic.twitter.com/o5SEA8Tgde
— Bob Onder (@BobOnderMO) May 17, 2019
SB 275, healthcare, passes 30-2
The bill deals with opioids and substance abuse. It establishes the Joint Committee on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment.
SB 224, discovery rules, passes 23-9
The bill championed by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer is aimed at modifying a variety of rules related to discovery. The Republican said his goal was to narrow the scope of discovery and increase effectiveness as well as to curtail parties from using discovery “as an offensive tool, a sword, to increase costs.”
When the Senate originally debated the legislation, Sen. Scott Sifton worked with Luetkemeyer to reach a “genuine compromise” praised by leadership on both sides of the aisle. However, Sifton still voted against the measure.
Senate reaches ‘genuine compromise’ on tort reform bill during another late night debate
SB 203, nuisance ordinances, passes 31-1
Our message to absentee landlords in the city of St. Louis is clear, you will either take care of your properties or WE will do it for you! #moleg #GotItDone pic.twitter.com/UL9avesr0f
— Jamilah Nasheed (@SenatorNasheed) May 17, 2019
SB 282, death certificate bill, passes 32-0
The bill, from Sen. Justin Brown, modifies provisions relating to the disposition of human remains, among other things.
HB 563, Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System, passes
Sen. Wayne Wallingford noted there would be a group of people kicked out of the Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System soon if the changes were passed by the legislature. Some have been part of the plan for more than 50 years, Wallingford said.
HB 564, ‘Fresh Start Act,’ Fiscal Oversight
The bill would give the ability to nonviolent offenders to work in certain jobs — that don’t pertain to his or her crime — following the release from prison.
An amendment regarding scrap metal from Sen. Karla May brought some consternation among lawmakers from the Senate floor. Sen. Ed Emery eventually called for a point of order, and Sen. Gina Walsh defended the amendment. President Pro Tem Dave Schatz ruled for the point of order, and the amendment was sent back.
Sen. Scott Sifton offered an amendment regarding voluntary licensures for roofers to provide accountability and help those who are actually working in the state. After some debate, Sifton withdrew the amendment.
Several other amendments were attached to the bill.
HB 959, motor vehicles, passes 29-2
The bill adds requirements for manufacturers and franchisors. It also repeals an existing provision of the Motor Vehicle Franchise Practices Act (MVFPA) regarding coercion of franchisees to alter their facilities, and enacts new prohibitions against coercion.
HB 266, state designations, passes 31-2
The bill would establish Missouri’s “Sliced Bread Day” and offer designations for the Missouri Historical Theaters.
Sen. Paul Weiland successfully offered an amendment designating Sept. 9 an official DIPG day, in honor of a young girl who succumbed to the disease, officially called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.
Sen. Jeanie Riddle successfully offered an agri-tourism amendment relating to solar-site operators and allowing for specific bourbons produced in the state to be designated as Missouri bourbon.
Sen. Jill Schupp offered an amendment updating correcting language regarding the Holocaust in the state statute.
Sen. Bill Eigel offered an amendment establishing May 26 as the “Battle of St. Louis Memorial Day.” Weiland offered to celebrate with Eigel in St. Louis on May 26 with bourbon and a piece of sliced bread.
HB 169, education, placed on informal calendar
The House bill calls for public schools to increase awareness of appropriate online behavior.
It’s been expanded to include a whole host of changes, including rules for how schools handle setting back to school days, the power superintendents have over suspending students, the establishment of a school turnaround project, reimbursement for school districts for certain special education provisions, and inclement weather makeup days, among others.
After some debate over other education-related amendments, the bill was placed back on the informal calendar.
HB 113, minimum sentencing guidelines and public safety measures, passes 33-1
An emergency clause on some of the provisions was also approved.
Senate reconvenes just before 2 p.m.
Senate stands in brief recess
HB 113, minimum sentencing guidelines, referred to Fiscal Oversight
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” as several other provisions have been tacked onto it.
Pro-choice protesters storm through Capitol
As the House passed a sweeping anti-abortion bill — which the Senate passed early Thursday morning — protesters could be heard chanting throughout the hallways of the Capitol.
“When you lie, people die,” protesters chanted before convening outside the governor’s office, shouting, “Veto.”
Their chants could often be heard in the Senate chambers, although they were not in the gallery.
HB 499, transportation, passes 32-2
The bill championed by Rep. Aaron Griesheimer requires automatic driver’s license revocation when a driver strikes a highway worker in a construction or work zone and when a driver strikes and emergency responder in an emergency zone.
HB 399, healthcare, passes 34-0
SB 358, opioid prescriptions, granted further conference
From Sen. David Sater, the bill modifies provisions relating to the prescription of opioid substances.
There was some debate on the floor regarding provisions in the bill pertaining to birth control. Sen. Bob Onder, in particular, took issue with language allowing women to renew certain contraceptive prescriptions without having to physically see her physician.
As the House debates a sweeping anti-abortion bill, Sen. Jill Schupp called for the protection of access to birth control for Missouri women in order to “reduce unplanned pregnancies.”
“We need to make sure women are in control of their bodies and lives so they don’t end up in situations where women have unplanned pregnancies,” she said, citing specifically the high maternal mortality rate in the state.
HB 355, Public Service Commission changes, passes 34-0
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 closed on Thursday but sent to Fiscal Oversight.
HB 604, elementary and secondary education, passes 34-0
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.
The bill was closed on Thursday and just came out of Fiscal Oversight. An emergency clause was also adopted.
SB 147, motor vehicle registrations, passes 25-9
The bill changes motor vehicle registration deadlines and includes a controversial partial repeal of helmet laws for motorcycle riders. Additionally, the bill increases processing fees collected by motor vehicle license offices; establishes an annual fee for businesses that rent or lease cars, trailers, or boats; and authorizes the establishment of a digit driver’s license program.
The bill sparked some debate from the Senate floor Thursday before it was passed and headed to conference with the lower chamber.
Senate green-lights partial motorcycle helmet law repeal despite minor roadblocks on the floor
Second reading of House bills
HB 1006 and HB 656 were second read and referred to committees.
SB 391, agriculture operations, signed
The bill blocks local municipalities from instituting new rules for agricultural operations stricter than those already imposed at the state level. The legislation, championed by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, would greatly impact concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Senate advances contentious CAFO bill days after overnight filibuster
SB 21, taxation, signed
From Sen. Doug Libla, the bill adds certain cities to a list authorized to propose a sales tax for the purposes of improving public safety.
Senate gavels in
The legislative day officially got underway around 10:30 a.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.
