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NewsBook: Missouri Government News for Week of September 3, 2001

 

. Prescription drugs clears Missouri's Senate. (09/7/01)
JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Senate passed and sent to the House a revised version of the governor's proposal to establish a program providing financial assistance to lower income elderly purchase their prescription drugs.

Legislative staff estimated the bill would cost around $120 million -- a figure that even some of the bill's supporters agreed the state could not afford.

The Senate eliminated a provision that would have allowed somewhat higher income elderly to qualify. And it restricted a proposed expansion of Medicaid to just the elderly.

Earlier, the Senate approved the two other issues before the legislative session -- repeal of a meatpacker pricing law and a tax exemption.

  • Get the prescription drug vote.
  • Get the tax credit vote.
  • Get the meatpacker price vote.
    . The governor's chief of staff refuses to testify before a Senate committee. (09/06/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Shortly before her scheduled appearance, the governor's chief of staff issued a statement saying she would not testify before a Senate committee investigating the governor's order letting unions seek fees from non-union state workers.

    In a written statement, Julie Gibson said it would be inappropriate for the committee to question her about the process by which the governor reached his decision.

  • Get the radio story on Gibson's no-show.
  • Get the radio story on Democratic committee members boycotting the meeting.
    . Senate Health committee passes surprise bipartisan bill on prescription drugs (09/06/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - In a surprise victory for bipartisan compromise Thursday, the Senate Health committee passed a bill on prescription drugs, combining the efforts of several earlier bills.

    Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell gave an unusual address preceding the passage in an attempt to deter Democrats from politicizing a GOP amendment on Medicaid when the bill reaches the Senate floor.

    The amendment, which Maxwell will support, will increase Medicaid resources and income limits to the prescription plan.

  • Get the newspaper story.
  • Get the radio story.
  • Get another radio story.
    . House and Senate disagree on special session proceedings (09/06/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's special legislative session began with most House members absent and Senate members questioning the legality of starting a session with one of the two chambers missing.

    House leaders had told their members not to bother with showing up for the Wednesday session since no floor debates or votes would happen.

    In the Senate, where most members did show up, several members questioned whether the House no-shows might have raised a legal cloud over anything the legislative session might pass.

  • Get newspaper story.
  • Get the radio story on Thursday's legislative schedule.
  • Get the radio story on the governor's reaction to the opening day of the special session.
    . Senate Special Committee to investigate governor's order (09/05/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - The first hearing will be held Wednesday by a special Senate committee appointed to investigate the governor's executive order granting unions power to seek fees from non-union state workers.

    Republicans have charged the governor did not have the legal authority to issue the order.

  • Get the newspaper story.
  • Get the radio story.
    . Kinder questions legality of state House policy (09/04/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's legislative special session begins today under a legal cloud with the leader of the state Senate questioning whether any state House bills can pass constitutional muster.

    President Pro Tem Sen. Peter Kinder said any bills coming out of the state House may be "constitutionally vulnerable" if all the 163 House members are not there.

  • Get the newspaper story.
    . Rep. Chuck Graham to run for House Majority Leader (09/04/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Rep. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, made an early announcement Tuesday that he will run for Majority Floor Leader for the House for the 2003-2004 legislative session.

    If Graham is elected to the post he will be the first Democrat from Boone County to hold a leadership position in the House in 36 years.

  • Get the radio story.
    . Deadline looms for GED candidates. (09/04/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missourians who have dropped out of high school have until Dec. 1 before they must take a new version of the GED to earn their certificate.

    Starting Jan. 1, 2002, a new GED exam will be used nationwide and no previous test scores will count toward the certificate.

    The new version of the test will include major changes from the earlier, 1988 exam. Test-takes will find more business-oriented questions, more graphics, maps and charts will appear and there will be a new scoring scale on the writing portion of the test.

    The new version will also be more expensive -- the application fee will rise $2 and the fee to the local testing center will be $20, up from $9.

    . House leaders have told their members they do not need to show up for the first week of Missouri's special legislative session. (09/04/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Legislative leaders argue there is no reason for all 163 House members to show up in the first week because the constitution prohibits any votes from being taking on legislation in the first few days.

    By staying home, lawmakers can save the state money that would be paid for their daily attendance fees and transportation costs.

    The Senate, however, plans to have all its members present when the special session begins at noon Wednesday.

  • Get the radio story.
    . Missouri lawmakers prepare for their special session. (09/04/01)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Bob Holden accepted the formal recommendations of his prescription drug task force less than 24 hours before the legislature is to meet in a special session to take up his effort to change the program that provides financial assistance to lower-income Missourians.

    The governor argues the tax-credit program has run over budget and is not limited to those elderly who truly need help with their purchases of prescription drugs.

    The legislative session begins at noon Wednesday, although the House leadership has told its members they can wait until next week to show up.

  • Get the newspaper story on the politics of the special session and a tax cut proposal.
  • Get the newspaper on the prescription drug issue.
  • Get the newspaper story on the livestock pricing issue before the session.