A proposed bill could bring a sales tax exemption for deer urine in Missouri.

The bill specifies that captive deer used to produce deer urine for sale are included in the definition of captive wildlife for sales and tax exemption purposes.

Captive animals include animals like captive elk and quail.

The bill would include captive white-tailed deer and deer used to produce deer urine for sale.

Deer urine is used as an attractant for hunting.

A bill filed for the 2016 legislative session would require students to use the facilities -- locker rooms, restrooms and changing areas -- that align with their biological sex while they are on school grounds.

Se. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, said he sponsored the bill because students need to feel safe at school.

"What is common is the need to protect our children," Emery said. "Now that this issue has been raised, we can look at this and say, 'okay, how can all children be protected?'"

The legislation would require schools to provide separate facilities for students who do not identify with the gender associated with their biological sex.

The bill does not allocate funding for school districts to build the necessary facilities.

This issue is not new to Missouri.

Missouri made national headlines in September 2015 after a transgender student at Hillsboro High School in Jefferson County asked to use female facilities in school rather than unisex facilities mainly used by staff.

Parents and students alike protested the request, with parents voicing concerns at school board meetings and students staging a walk out during the school day.

Emery said these cases are not particularly common.

"What we've tried to do is draft something that allows appropriate protections for all children without having to change the world view of the 999 because of the one," Emery said.

Emery added that physiological differences needed to be taken into account when it comes to the legislation

"I could walk into virtually any restroom and it would be easy for me to identify whether that was a restroom for males or a restroom for females because there are physiological differences," he said.

The legislative session begins Jan. 6, 2016.

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Representative Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, is sponsoring a bill that would require Missouri high school students to take a civics exam similar to the test required of those who wish to become U.S. citizens in order to graduate.

"If people who want to become Americans have to take that test, then it's incumbent on us to require our own citizens to live up to that same standard," Haahr said.

The test would consist of the 100 questions that are asked to those trying to become U.S. citizens. The bill would allow students to take the test at anytime between their freshman and senior year.

Haahr says Missouri is not the first state to consider legislation like this.

"I think 8 to 10 other states have now passed it. The belief, kinda moving around the country is that it's something, it just makes good sense for our students," Haahr said.

According to Haahr, this was a bill that was trapped behind a filibuster that lasted until the end of session last year. He believes the bill will have plenty of support going into 2016.

"My belief is that this is a bill that should get good traction early, and that the leadership will move it because it seems like it has bipartisan support, urban and rural support, and it's one that we believe that will not receive a significant amount of controversy," Haahr said.

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Gov. Jay Nixon and First Lady Georgeanne Nixon help students decorate a Christmas tree outside the governor's office

Gov. Jay Nixon kicked off the holiday season in Jefferson City by dedicating the state's Christmas tree and discussing the importance of the state and country's diversity.

Nixon told reporters after the tree dedication that refusing to let refugees or immigrants into the United States because of their religious identity is "political demagoguery."

"That's not what America is," Nixon said. "We're a diverse country. We're a diverse state. That's how this country was formed and how it's going to grow."

Nixon was one of a handful of Midwestern governors who did not echo the call to refuse entry to resettled refugees following a string of terrorist attacks at home and abroad.

Some Missouri lawmakers have called on the federal government to stop allowing refugees and immigrants into the country until it strengthens and secures its screening process.

"I think there's a very real likelihood that talk of that type can make the situation worse, not better," Nixon said of the religious screening. "I mean, if folks around the world think that, I think it's much more likely for them to become radicalized against our country."

Nixon said immigrant communities, including the large Bosnian population in the Bevo Mill area of St. Louis, help make Missouri and America stronger.

According to Nixon, this kind of screening would not be effective from a public policy standpoint.

"I mean, my golly, if every time something happened that anybody had any of those traits that we were going to say, 'nobody that has any of those traits can come to America,' that's just not thoughtful policy," Nixon said.

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Rep. Margo McNeil (D-St. Louis County) has proposed a bill that could increase the state's gasoline tax by seven cents per gallon by putting the issue on the ballot for November's election.

"I think people deserve to have a voice in this process," McNeil said.

Other lawmakers have proposed more modest increases in the gas tax.

Rep. Keith English (I-St. Louis County) filed a bill that would increase the tax by two cents, calling it a "temporary fix" for the state transportation department's road and bridge repair funding problems.

"I feel that if you want to pay for infrastructure like bridges and roads that the people who should pay for it are the people that are tearing it up," English said.

Even a 1.5 cent increase in the gas tax failed to make it out of the senate budget committee last session.

Missouri's current 17 cent per gallon gas tax is one of the lowest in the country.

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The Senate Task Force on Predatory Towing met for the second time Thursday to address "predatory" towing practices in the state.

Several insurance agency representatives testified at the hearing, saying they've encountered price disparity, rate hikes and bullying at the hands of some towing companies.

Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, said the legislature needs to address the lack of regulation in the state.

"Once the tow company hooks onto your car, they've got total control of it," Munzlinger said. "That's why we feel we need some regulations."

Those who testified noted that these unfair towing practices most often occur in urban areas, such as the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas.

Task force members called on Sen. Paul Wieland, R-Jefferson County,, the chair of the committee, to file legislation for the upcoming session that would regulate towing companies.

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Missouri's Department of Public Safety would not discuss security measures taken to protect residents following a string of deadly shootings in Colorado, California and Paris.

The department said it is coordinating with Capitol police and the Missouri Highway Patrol to share information and monitor all developments and events to keep the state safe.

Some, but not all, of the information they collect is made public, according to the department.

The Missouri Statehouse has been working to improve security measures in Jefferson City, but those improvements have been in the works for some time and are not a direct response to the recent string of shootings.

"The Senate and House have been working together for the last couple of years on ways to improve the current security procedures around the Capitol and in both chambers," said Senate Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin. "Plans are in the works, and we hope to have more specifics after the first of the year.

Richard has urged heightened security at the Capitol.

Several bills have been filed in advance of the 2016 legislative session related to firearm possession.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, has filed legislation to eliminate the concealed carry permit requirement in Missouri.

Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis County, has also filed legislation that would require all firearm purchases be conducted through licensed firearm dealers in Missouri.

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Of more than 350 bills filed by legislators on the opening day for proposing bills for next year's session, there was just one measure that would impose tougher requirements on purchasing a firearm.

The opening day was Monday, Dec. 1, one day before the California mass killings.

The one bill to restrict firearms sales was sponsored by Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis County.

She has sponsored similar measures the past three years. But those bills failed to get out of committee.

On the other side, bills were filed by other legislators to expand the right to carry a concealed weapon without a permit or on college campuses.

A federal judge has blocked the state of Missouri from revoking the abortion license of Planned Parenthood's Columbia facility until late this month.

The decision may be somewhat academic. The facility already has ceased non-surgical, drug-induced abortions after the University of Missouri terminated hospital rights for the organization's physician.

The court's decision prompted a lengthy, critical letter from the Senate's top leader to the state attorney general.

The letter from Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, charged Democratic Chris Koster with an "apparent reluctance of your office to vigorously defend the law as passed."

A total of 434 measures were pre-filed on Dec. 1, the first day bills and resolutions could be offered for the 2016 legislative session.

That is far higher than the 168 measures pre-filed on the first day for this year's session.

Members can keep pre-filing proposals until the opening day of the 2016 legislative session that begins January 6.

Eventually, about 2,000 bills and joint resolutions, which amendment the Constitution, are expected to be tossed into the legislative session.

Last year, 2,000 measures were introduced, but only 131 were passed -- just six 6 percent.

The number of measures lawmakers sponsor has been increasing steadily over the years.

Two decade ago for the 1995 legislative session, only 1,305 measures were introduced with 13 percent ultimately getting passed.

This year, as in past years, many of the pre-filed measures are repeats of bills that failed or were vetoed in prior years.

Among them is "Right to Work" that the governor vetoed earlier this year and failed to gain the two-thirds vote necessary in the House for the override effort. The measure would have prohibited requiring union membership or payment of union fees to get or keep a job.

Other major issues that have been pre-filed include abolishing the death penalty, tougher ethics restrictions on public officials, restricting when police can use lethal force, a gasoline tax increase and legalizing marijuana.

JEFFERSON CITY - A House task force is considering to crack down on human trafficking in Missouri.

St. Louis is ranked as one of the top 20 trafficking cities in the U.S by the F.B.I.

The House Trafficking Committee chair -- Rep. Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield -- said the issue of human trafficking is an area the state government has not focused on in past years.

"Other issues like education and crime, those problems have risen up and the trafficking issue took to the back burner. Now what we're trying to do is get caught up and find the areas that are weak and find what other states are doing to combat the issue to make sure we can get it back in the forefront," Haahr said.

The task force's proposal would impose stronger restrictions on advertising by human traffickers.

Haahr said part of the rise of human trafficking in the Midwest is due to the rise of the Internet. Anonymous apps and websites have made it easier to traffic victims.

Haahr wants to see the government put a stop to these advertisements through the committee's legislation.

There is no universal definition for human trafficking. The federal and state government have different definitions of human trafficking.

The federal definition of human trafficking includes prostitution, slavery and forced labor.

The task force plans to adopt their proposals in January.

A new audit said the Missouri State Lottery Commission should provide more information about its advertising and long-term contracts.

The report issued by State Auditor Nicole Galloway said these areas were also identified as issues of concern in the last audit of the State Lottery, which was issued in 2012.

"The Missouri State Lottery needs to conduct further analysis to determine the appropriate amount of advertising expenditures needed to optimize sales and profits," Galloway wrote in this year's audit.

The audit found that the lottery spends more than it brings in for some community events that it sponsors.

The audit also said that the lottery does not do enough research to evaluate if its long-term contracts are the most cost-effective.

It found that the lottery has historically renegotiated standing contracts instead of soliciting bids from competitors.

"This practice does not require contracts to be awarded to the lowest and best bidder and presents legal issues regarding regarding compliance with state purchasing laws and regulations," the audit reported.

In the audit, the Missouri State Lottery Commission provided a written response that said it has attempted to address these concerns since the audit in 2012, and will continue to address them.

Overall, the state lottery received a "good" performance rating.

The state's commission on police education has proposed new standards to require officers to complete racial and cultural education modules, but do not say anything about lethal force education following unrest in Ferguson.

The rules must be filed with the Missouri Secretary of State for public comment before final approval..

"The new rules effectively double the required hours for training related to culture and race, would mandate continuing education and mental health awareness, fair and impartial policing, implicit bias, critical thinking and social intelligence," said Lane Roberts, the director of the Department of Public Safety.

The proposed changes illicit mixed reviews, with some attendees of a public hearing voicing their concerns.

For Rusty Sullivan, the director of the Kansas City Public Safety Institute, the proposed increase in training requirements could lead to an increased reliance on online education.

"I feel very strongly that if you don't put a limit on that training, the very thing that's causing our conflict could be eliminated with social interaction," Sullivan said, "The ability to read somebody's body language, the ability to talk to somebody, the ability to communicate back and forth freely."

Atchison County Sheriff Dennis Martin told the commission he was unsure of the problem they were trying to solve.

Martin said training will not have an affect on officers who do not have the personality to do this kind of work.

"I've got a deputy that teaches in one of the academies," Martin said. "He comes back and tells me about tactical communication...and their [trainees'] tactical communication is, 'stop, quit doing that, boom, here comes a taser.'"

Martin added that he was taught tactical communication techniques and strategies when he went through academy training.

He said that kind of training has increased since he was initially trained.

While the panel said it appreciated Martin's feedback, Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ronald Johnson said it was trying to address the concerns citizens had brought forward regarding the behavior Martin described.

"They express the same words you just said about the policemen that were in their neighborhoods, the policemen they grew up with, the policemen they knew in their small towns," Johnson said. "That's why I think some of our training has to be that real conversation. I wish those words were that easy and that everybody would take those and make us better."

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House Budget Committee members criticized Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's plans to float bonds for a new St. Louis football stadium without legislative or voter approval.

Opposition was voiced as Administration Commissioner Doug Nelson who defended Nixon's argument that state law allows the state to enter into the debt without further legislative action.

But when asked about details of the plan, Nelson repeatedly answered "I don't know."

Those responses prompted criticism from even a member of Nixon's own Democratic Party.

"We continue to be met with a stone wall, a brick wall if you will, to our questions. It's always 'well I don't know or I don't have that information, I haven't talked to those people. I don't what they're going to do. We don't know if they're going to move. We don't know if we're going to have a football team,'" said Rep. Genise Monticello, D-St. Louis County.

"You're asking the people to foot the bill of a very expensive stadium for a lot of unknowns," Monticello concluded. 

To questions about circumventing the legislature, Nelson told the committee the General Assembly could repeal the law that authorizes the bond issue expansion by the administration or simply not appropriate funds to make payments to anyone who purchases the bonds.

A majority of the Senate has signed a statement pledging to oppose any bond issue payments without prior approval from the legislature or the voters for the bond issue.

But during the House committee hearing, there was an argument for a new stadium voiced from a lawmaker on the other side of the state.

"To under-estimate the economic impact of a major sports major sports franchise, in my opinion, is just short sighted," said Rep. John Rizzo, D-Kansas City.

"You're telling me that 800,000 people that came to the Kansas City Royals World Series parade would have spent the money downtown no matter what?"

The House committee hearing was held on the same day reports emerged that Nixon had held a closed-door meeting with the owner of the St. Louis Rams, Stan Kroenke.

House Budget Chair Tom Flanigan, R-Carthage, and Senate Appropriations Chair Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia

Social Services Department Director Brian Kinkade

Missouri's Social Services Department director was questioned about plans for Syrian refugees by a joint session of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Budget Committee.

In response to a question from a Democratic House committee member, Brian Kinkade said he did not know of any threat by Syrian refugees.

But Republicans on the committee expressed doubts about security..

In response to a question from Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, Kinkade acknowledged he was not aware that three Bosnian immigrants had been charged with federal terrorism crimes in St. Louis earlier this year.

Much of the questioning focused on services the state offers to refugees and the costs.

So far this year, 29 refugees from Syria have located in Missouri, all in St. Louis.

A total of 275 refugee families are receiving federally-funded state services in the current budget year that end's next July.

Kinkade said the state has received nearly $5 million for services that include job training, assistance in obtaining citizenship, health care, and education assistance for children.

Despite the partisan disagreement about the potential danger of accepting Syrian refugees into Missouri, there was agreement about the need to increase funding for security.

Schaefer told Kincade that was the real question for the two committees.

"Are there areas that money should be appropriated to make sure Missourians are being kept safe in light of the current situation that's going on, which is not only an issue for the state of Missouri. It's an issue nationally," Schaefer said.

Shortly before the hearing, House Democrats issued a statement proposing a $36 million security plan:

• $1.5 million to fund Highway Patrol verification of refugee screenings
• $3 million to the Highway Patrol for intelligence information collection and distribution
• $2 million to assess state and local vulnerabilities
• $6 million for information technology security enhancements
• $2 million to partner with "infrastructure providers" to share and coordinate information
• $1.5 million to ensure cyberspace safety for children
• $10 million for cybersecurity grants to local governments
• $10 million for training grants to local law enforcement agencies