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Missouri Government News for Week of March 3, 1997

HMO Regulation clears House and Senate committees.

Committees of both the House and Senate have approved with few changes the managed health care legislation that emerged this fall from a legislative committee review of HMOs.

There are few significant differences between the two versions. Both would impose stronger consumer protection regulations on HMOs.

For more details, see:

Lawmakers begin their spring break

Missouri's legislature has begun its spring break with the major issues of the 1997 legislative session still unresolved.

How to implement federal welfare reform, regulation of managed health care plans and campaign finance reform are among the major issues that have yet to clear either the House and Senate.

Legislators will return to the statehouse March 24.

In the meantime, Missouri Digital News, like the General Assembly, will be on vacation.

Drug addicts would get free needles under a measure approved by a House committee.

The House Health Committee has approved legislation that would have the state Health Department exchange needles with drug addicts in an effort to reduce the HIV infection rate among drug addicts.

The measure, sponsored by a Republican lawmaker, cleared the House committee by a margin of just one vote.

See our radio story for further details.

Alternative desegregation plan proposed by the Senate Education Committee chairman.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Ted House unveiled Thursday his approach to distributing school desegregation funds after the federal courts get out of the picture.

The proposal of the St. Charles Democrat would provide St. Louis and Kansan City only part of the additional school funding the courts have ordered and only for a few years.

See our radio story for more details.

Child health-insurance plan proposed.

A new child-health proposal was unveiled by the governor and legislative leaders Wednesday.

Under the proposal, the state would form a non-profit organization to provide health insurance coverage for Missouri children.

By consolidating insurance purchases for children, proponents argue the state could offer low-cost coverage at no cost to state government.

The proposal was unveiled at a news conference called by the governor.

The Senate votes to eliminate auto-safety insepctions.

Missouri's Senate passed and sent to the House a measure that would repeal the annual auto-safety inspection requirement.

Repeal of the inspection was included into a bill that originally was limited to toughening the state's seat-belt law.

For more information, see:

Senate votes to restrict sex education classes.

The Senate has voted to require schools to stress abstinence in sex-education classes.

The Senate rejected Tuesday an amendment that would have removed the abstinence requirement from an unrelated bill.

For further details, see:

Lobby gift ban debate begins in the Missouri Senate.

For the second year in a row, the Missouri Senate is debating whether to impose a legal ban on legislators taking gifts, meals or drinks from lobbyists.

The Senate already has a rule restricting such gifts, but there's no legal penalty for violation and it does not cover the House.

The Senate spent an hour debating this year's version of the bill without reaching a vote.

See our radio story for details.

Gambling industry bill given little chance of passage by sponsor.

Senate President Pro Tem Bill McKenna says there do not appear to be the votes to pass a measure to remove the $500 daily loss limit on gambling boats.

McKenna sponsored the Senate version of the bill that's been pushed by the gambling industry. His comments came after a Senate committee concluded hearings on the bill.

For more details, see:

Bills to discourage assisted suicide presented to commitee.

The House Critical Issues Committee heard testimoney Monday night on legislation to prevent state support for assisted suicide.

Also Monday night, another committee was urged to make the catfish Missouri's official fish.

For further details, see our assisted suicide story and fish story.

Senate votes to assure Missourians access to live operators.

The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval to a bill that would require phone compines to provide access to live operators.

The bill, approved by a narrow voice vote, faces a final roll-call vote before going to the House.

See our radio story for details.

Hemp production bill moves to the House.

The House Agri-Business Committee narrowly approved legislation to legalize and promote production of industrial hemp.

While backed by some farm-district lawmakers, the proposal has been criticized by Missouri's Highway Patrol.

See our radio story for further details on the committee approval.