Statewide elected officials and legislators will be prohibited from working as paid political consultants under a measure signed into law by Gov. Jay Nixon.

The law will take effect Aug. 28. It was prompted by the actions of a former House speaker, Rod Jetton, who was paid to be a political consultant for several legislators whose bills could be effected by Jetton's actions as speaker.

"Banning office holders from paying each other for political advice is an important step in the right direction," Nixon said in a statement to reporters just before signing the bill on Thursday, April 14.

"Members of the General Assembly are here to represent their taxpaying constituents, not cash in on their political connections."

But Nixon called on legislators to pass other measures designed to reduce the influence of special interests in the governmental process.

"There is more work to do, and I have been very clear about the measures that are necessary to restore the public's trust," Nixon said.

On the same day as Nixon's action, the House passed the final House-Senate conference committee compromise on a measure to prohibit a legislator or statewide elected official from immediately becoming a lobbyist after leaving office.

The proposal would require a six-month "cooling off" period after the term of office had expired before an elected state official could register as a Missouri lobbyist.

The proposal represents a compromise between the House, which passed a one-year delay, and the Senate, which voted against any delay to become a lobbyist after expiration of the office term.

The proposal awaits Senate approval to head to Nixon's desk.

Two of the other issues Nixon has pushed under the ethics umbrella have languished in the legislature.

A ban on lobbyist gifts to government officials cleared the House. But opposition in the Senate stalled action in that chamber, which has not brought the measure back up for debate since Feb. 23.

Nixon's call to shorten the length of legislative sessions, a bit longer than four months, has failed to win committee approval in either the House or Senate.

• Get the political consulting bill Nixon signed, CCS HB 1983
• Get the cooling-off bill to become a lobbyist, CCS HB 1979
• Get the House roll call on the lobbyist bill
  

By a straight party-line vote, Missouri's Senate approved a resolution that summons the president of St. Louis Planned Parenthood to appear before the Senate to explain why the organization has failed to comply with a Senate subpoena issued last fall.

The resolution, adopted Thursday, April 14, calls upon Mary Kogut to appear before the Senate at 2 p.m. on April 25.

A similar resolution also summons for the April 25 hearing the owner of the pathology lab used by Planned Parenthood -- St. Louis Pathology Services, Inc.

Last fall's subpoena demanded six years of documents concerning the handling of aborted fetal tissue.

The resolutions are sponsored by the chair of an interim committee established after release of edited video which abortion opponents have described as showing a national Planned Parenthood officer discussing the sale of aborted fetal tissue.

Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, said the appearance summons simply was an opportunity for Planned Parenthood to explain why it refused to comply with the subpoena.

Planned Parenthood's attorney, Chick Hatfield, said the documents subpoenaed would include personally-identifiable information of patients.

Planned Parenthood did not immediately indicate whether it would comply with the summons, but Hatfield criticized the entire process.

"Planned Parenthood has not been treated fairly in this whole process," Hatfield said. "I believe that the Senate has completely prejudged this issue and so, in my view, there's very little reason just so that they can create a show."

But some senators argued there was a basic governmental issue involved with Planned Parenthood's refusal to obey the subpoena.

"You can not have a Constitution that innumerates powers, with checks and balances and separation of power, and then just ignore it because you don't like the politics," said Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City. "To just thumb your nose at it is completely unacceptable."

Missouri law provides a penalty of ten days in a county jail and a $300 fine for violating a legislative subpoena.

But Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, said there were discussions underway between Planned Parenthood's attorney and and Senate staff to work out a compromise.

"I'm not prepared to put someone in jail at this point, no," Richard said.

• Get the Senate vote on the Planned Parenthood resolution
  

It would be a felony crime to sell or donate an aborted fetus under a measure approved by Missouri's House Thursday, April 14.

The bill provides a few exemptions to the ban such as determining paternity or any genetic disease.

The measure, approved 120-34, also imposes additional requirements to track transfer of aborted fetal tissue to a pathology lab and adds requirements for the lab report including an estimated age of the fetus.

In addition, the bill would provide job protection for an abortion clinic employee who reported a law violation or mismanagement at the facility.

Supporters argued abortion clinics should be held to hospital standards to protect women, and fetal tissue should not be used for medical purposes.

"It is giving voice to the voiceless, it is defending the defenseless," said Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City. "Children should not be science experiments."

Opponents said the bill is taking away women's access to necessary health care.

"Fetal tissue saves lives and advances medicine," said Rep. Judy Morgan, D-Jackson County. "It's a legal and ethical practice that has led to medical advances for decades, including the polio vaccine."

The measure now goes to the Senate.

• Get the bill, HB 2069
• Get the House vote
  
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A loaded firearm could be carried into a meeting of a Missouri legislative committee under a provision given overwhelming approval by the Missouri House Wednesday, April 13.

The provision was offered as an amendment to a bill dealing with where a person with a concealed weapons permit could carry a firearm.

During the House debate, an amendment was offered to make it a crime to carry firearms into any governmental meeting.

But Rep. Deb Lavender, D-St. Louis County, offered an amendment to the amendment that would exclude committee meetings of the state legislature from the prohibition.

It was offered as a tactic to highlight opposition to the bill, but when Lavender reached the time limit for speaking on her amendment, the presiding officer promptly called for a vote before Lavender could withdraw her amendment.

It passed 116-35.

Some legislators praised the amendment.

Rep. Shawn Rhoads, R-West Plains, said Missourians should be able to carry firearms into the state Capitol because of their Second Amendment rights.

"I think you know what this is the people's building and their Second Amendment rights were trying to protect them," Rhoads said. "I whole-heartedly support her amendment and I hope the body does so as well."

On the other side, Rep. Genise Montecillo, D-St. Louis County, said that this provision is threat to the safety of the legislators and to those who visit the Capitol. 

"And not only are we sitting ducks, but we are putting the people who come and visit their Capitol at risk and it will futher this risk by this lady's amendment," Montecillo said. "I think to put more people at risk, just to make a point is dangerous and it's fool-heartedy and I know I will not be supporting this amendment."

Further House action on the bill was suspended after adoption of Lavender's amendment.

• Get the bill, HB 1468
• Get the House roll call
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An extended Senate Democratic debate delayed a vote on legislation that would summon the president and CEO of the St. Louis and Southern Missouri Planned Parenthood to the body.

Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, attempted to have the body adopt the resolution.

After almost an hour-long filibuster by Democrats, Schaefer withdrew his motion to adopt the resolution.

In November of 2015, the Senate Interim Committee on the Sanctity of Life issued President Mary Kogut a subpoena in their investigation of the organization.

The organization claimed the information the committee required them to submit was too broad, and that they would not be able to provide the documents.

Schaefer held the position of chair of the interim committee at the time. He is now sponsoring a resolution to summon Kogut to the Senate.

Sen. Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) spoke in favor of Schaefer's resolution. He said Planned Parenthood should not be able to evade Missouri law.

"You can not have a constitution the innumerates powers, with checks and balances and separation of power, and then just ignore it because you don't like the politics," Silvey said.

Silvey said that, if the judicial branch had issued a subpoena, there would have been a very different response from the organization.

"To me this is a process issue. The Constitution has granted an authority, we are equal with the judicial branch, it is a similar process and to just thumb your nose at it is completely unacceptable and we can not set the precedent moving forward," Silvey said. "We are in uncharted territory because nobody has ever just ignored it."

Democrats argued that the Senate rules do not allow the body to issue a subpoena to a private organization.

Sen. Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis County, questioned the legality of the Interim Committee on the Sanctity of Life, of which she was a member.

"It made me go to the rule, rule 31 in our book of rules of the Missouri Senate, and all of a sudden it's given me pause about whether even creating an interim committee that is not part of what was a standing committee in the first place, is even within the power and purview of the Senate," Schupp said.

Schupp later said that even if the committee were deemed legal, the chair of the committee acted alone in creating this resolution to summon Kogut.

"I'm not sure what this witch hunt by the Senator from Boone, working with the President Pro Tem, in order to say months later in the month of March, after the interim committee was not even working any more," Schupp said. "Whether or not it was put together legally or in compliant with our senate rules, it was certainly ended by the end of December, and yet that committee chair, under the guise of being the chair for the committee but acting on his own, is then in March responding to this document that was provided to him on December 4."

Sen. Scott Sifton, D-St. Louis County, said that there was not committee vote to issue a subpoena.

"I'm not even sure it's accurate to say the committee," Sifton said. "It was issued pursuant to the auspices of the committee but there was no committee vote held on it."

He said the situation is not a common one for the Senate to be in.

"Two things that are somewhat unique about this particular subpoena, one it was issued to a private entity, two it was issued during the legislative interim when the Senate wasn't even in session," Sifton said. "That's unusual, maybe even unprecedented."

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The House heard a bill that will require the board of education in school districts to establish a guidance counseling program that is in the best interest of the students on Wednesday, April 13.

As the bill was being discussed, Rep. Jay Houghton, R- Martinsburg, proposed an amendment regarding school start dates that shifted the focus of the discussion.

"This amendment would help the number one and number two industries in the state of Missouri and believe it or not, like it or not, agriculture is part of our education program," Houghton said.

A House Emerging Issues Committee hearing on legislation to allow refusal to provide services for gay marriages ran into the late evening hours Tuesday, April 12.

The proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit government from imposing any penalty on an organization or person who refused to sell products or services for a same-sex marriage if it violated religious beliefs.

The amendment, approved by the Senate in early March, would require statewide voter approval to take effect.

The Senate made national news for a 39-hour Democratic filibuster against the measure that ended only after the Senate vote to shut off debate.

Business organizations and Gov. Jay Nixon have warned adoption of the measure could hurt the state's economy from boycotts if the provision became a part of the state Constitution.

“I’m not buying this fight,” countered Rep. Ron Hicks, R-St. Peters. “I can’t make you shop anywhere, you have the right to do that.”

The measure's sponsor -- Sen. Bob Onder, R-St. Charles County -- said that the evidence for the idea that the amendment would hurt the state's economy is weak.

Before the hearing began, Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis City, issued a statement against the amendment writing, "at its core, SJR 39 seeks to create a constitutional right to be mean to certain people based on who they love," he said in the statement. "Freedom of religion must be respected and accommodated, but it cannot be used as an excuse to deny others the right to be treated with basic human dignity."

Onder disagreed in an opening statement to the committee. “It is a shield, not a sword,” said Onder.

“Please don’t take my reaction the wrong way…as the only gay guy here I get a little emotional,” Colona said during the hearing.

Supporters of the bill who testified before the committee include the Missouri Baptist Convention, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, Missouri Alliance for Freedom, Missouri Farm Bureau, and Lee’s Summit Community Church.

“Please let the people vote,” said Mike Whitehead, general counsel for Missouri Baptist Convention.

The committee did not take an immediate vote on the measure.

• Get the resolution, SJR 39

Top St. Louis County elections officials explained to a legislative committee why a ballot snafu prevented many potential voters from casting ballots during the April 5 local elections.

On Wednesday April 13, the two officials responsible for the missing ballots were called before the House special committee on Urban Issues to explain the mistake that some committee members said disenfranchised voters.

Eric Fey, a director of the St. Louis County Board of Elections, told the House Urban Issues Committee Wednesday, April 13, that the ballot shortage occurred as a result of staff failure to double check computer-generated information.

"Thorough proofing was not performed, and essentially that is the heart of what lead us astray this April 5th election," Fey said.

According to Fey, there were enough ballots printed, but issues arose because his office failed to provide the correct types of ballot styles for constituents voting at up to 60 polling places.

Fey said the error came as a result of two small St. Louis County villages that failed to certify before the appointed deadline. Fey said the Board of Elections had compiled and accuracy-checked data on a correct number and varieties of ballots to be distributed, but then had to reconfigure the data after a court ordered the two villages be included on the ballot.

When the data was reconfigured, it did not undergo the same thorough checking.

Fey and fellow Elections Board Director Gary Fuhr, said they were unaware of the errors in the new ballot information until 8 a.m. on the morning of the election.

Electronic voting was unavailable because voting machines were used in the March 15 presidential primary and could not be reconfigured quickly enough.

This incident comes in aftermath of a similar issue in St. Louis County in November 2014 in which there were not enough paper ballots for voters.

In the wake of the 2014 incident, then director of the Board of Elections, Rita Days, was removed from her position.

Fuhr said he submitted his resignation after the 2014 election, but his resignation was denied.

But Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, said he felt removal of Fey or Fuhr would be ill-advised.

"With important elections coming up in just five months I think it would be a terrible decision to change leadership with that on the horizon," Barnes said.

Several other committee members vouched for Fuhr, who had previously served as a state representative.

However, Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-St. Louis County, said there appears to be inequity in treatment of board of elections officials.

"Your predecessor was an African American woman," Dogan said. "She was let go when there were issues in November of 2014, and the appearance is that there's a double standard."

Dogan and other committee members called for both Fey and Fuhr to resign.

• Get the radio stories  

Under two bills discussed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 12, the donation of fetal tissue would be illegal in Missouri.

"Women are often put in situations where aborting of a fetus saves their lives and they feel the least they can do is contribute to science." Rep. Deb Lavender, D- St. Louis City, said in opposition of the bills.

Advocates of the bill told emotional stories of miscarriages in their personal lives.

"How could anyone say that's just tissue?" Rep. Andrew Koenig, R- St. Louis County, asked regarding his still born child.

The bills were debated and amended for close to two hours before the House adjourned.

At the close of the discussion, the body adopted parts one and two of the bills and they were sent to be printed and perfected.

• Get the bills: HB 2069 and HB 2371

Abortions would be strictly regulated and outright abolished under two bills passed by the House Children and Families Committee April 12.

The first bill would "recognize the right to life of every unborn human child" and would not allow any funding or right to abortion be declared in law.

The measure was amended to deny abortions in cases of rape, incest, or severe health risks of the mother. It originally included an exception in these instances.

Rep. Mike Moon, R-Lawrence County, said the bill asserts all Missourians' right to life from conception.

"However a child is conceived, it's still a child," Moon said.

Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis County, said the measure takes choice out of women's hands, when her life and mental health are at stake.

"It's punitive, it's heartless, and it's saying the legislature knows better," said Newman.

The legislation would have to pass through the House, Senate and a ballot measure to become law.

Another bill puts restrictions on abortion-providing doctors and clinics, as well as the aborted tissue.

Should the measure pass, neither the woman having the abortion nor her doctors could, by law, donate the fetal tissue to a research center. Also, doctors would need stricter qualifications with their local hospitals and abortion clinics would be inspected more often.

Rep. Kathryn Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, said the restrictions are necessary to keep the sanctity of a child's life in mind and protect women when they are getting abortions.

"The use of that tissue could promote that type of activity, and that is not an activity that we in the state of Missouri would like to promote," said Swan.

Those against the bill said the limitations were created to make abortions harder to perform. Newman said abortion is a federal right as stated in Roe v. Wade, and can not be taken away by state law.

"When does the legislature need to intervene in private medical situations?" Newman said.

The bill will go to the House next for approval.

• Get the bills, HJR 98 and HB 1953
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Senate Democrats continued to filibuster contentious voter identification legislation late into the night April 11.

The voter ID legislation would require people to show a government-issued document containing a photo in order to vote. It is being carried by Sen.Will Kraus, R-Jackson County, in the Senate and Rep. Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, in the House.

If passed, the changes would come in the form of a constitutional amendment establishing voter photo identification for elections. If the amendment is approved by the voters, the changes would become effective June 1, 2017.

Senate Republicans have said the voter ID legislation aims to stop voter fraud and prevent voter impersonation.

Senate Democrats argued the partisan legislation aims to disenfranchise voters from their base.

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis City, said on many occasions members of the Republican Party have claimed the intention of ID laws is to disenfranchise Democratic voters.

"Intended ID laws to disenfranchise the Dems. They said it, they said that that's what they're trying to do. Listen to them," Nasheed said. "Listen to people when they tell you what they're doing. This is a national movement."

Nasheed argued the legislation addresses an issue the country does not have.

"We do not have a problem with voter impersonation. We have a problem with voter participation," Nasheed said.

Sen. Kiki Curls, D-Jackson County, said regardless of the legislation's intent, it would hurt those who are already hurting the most.

"Whether it's the intent of the members or not, it's a national movement to suppress voter turnout in the urban communities, by the people who are most disenfranchised already," Curls said.

Other Senate Democrats also argued against the bill. Sen. Scott Sifton, D-St. Louis County, said the bill does a lot more harm to the institution of voting than it does good.

"There's probably a way that we could figure out to solve the voter impersonation problem on one hand without effectively disenfranchising a number of Missourians," Sifton said.

However, Sifton also questioned whether stalling the legislation on the floor, much like Senate Democrats had done with SJR 39, would really be the most effective way to deal with the issue.

• Get the bill

While several legislators have criticized University of Missouri officials for how they responded to black student demands, opposite criticism was voiced when top school officials appeared before the House Urban Issues Committee Monday, April 11.

The committee chair -- Rep. Courtney Curtis, D-St. Louis County, and a member of the legislature's Black Caucus -- criticized the leadership of Interim System President Mike Middleton. Curtis said Middleton and other MU officials had failed to provide him with information concerning budgets and diversity spending that had been previously requested.

"You may know this, but I've recently become increasingly more critical of the position that you've held and current position that you hold," Curtis said. "Specifically because we're still waiting on information."

Curtis also said he was unhappy with Middleton's past efforts to move diversity initiatives through at the University of Missouri while he was serving as deputy chancellor.

But Middleton said he had made a consistent effort to bring such issues to the attention of the chancellors he served.

"I was unable to convince the chancellors to take an approach that I personally thought was more appropriate," Middleton said. "There comes a point in time in an organization when the chancellor or the president moves in one direction that you stop nay saying."

Middleton spoke along with several other top university officials, including Pamela Quigg Henrickson, the chair of the Board of Curators, and Chuck Nelson, interim Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.

They were summoned to respond to Curtis' concerns about the inability of the UM System to respond promptly to racial tensions.

"What we did see this year is that the university system, though its not supposed to take a leadership role I suppose, doesn't seem to have a sense of urgency with regard to the diversity issues," Curtis said. "We've moved to protect the budget. We've moved to remove Professor Click, and yet I have a list of 11 items that the Black Caucus has requested, and we still haven't received those items."

But Middleton said progress is already being made.

He pointed to the work being done by Chuck Henson, interim Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, to unify resources on the campus.

"Diversity on campus was somewhat disjointed and siloed," Middleton said. "What the campus has now done is brought all of that under one umbrella, one organizational structure."

Henson said he is confident his position will be helpful, but said it may take time to see results.

"Given the magnitude of the issues, it's extremely difficult to establish the kind of visible palpable changes that we all desire," Henson said. "But I do believe that you have some other programs that are in place that are helpful."

The committee did not reach quorum, with only Representative Courtney Curtis, D-St. Louis County and Representative Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, in attendance.

Missouri's Senate approved a $27 billion budget for state government after a lengthy argument about growing Medicaid expenditures and education spending.

The budget approved Thursday, April 7, covers the fiscal year that will begin July 1.

Total state spending would grow by 4.7 percent under the Senate plan -- slightly less than the 5.0 percent increase proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon and approved by the House.

For another year, the state would not meet the legal minimum that is supposed to be provided for the School Foundation Program that provides funds to local public schools.

Sen. Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis County, complained the 2.1 percent increase for primary and secondary education was too small.

"We're still not fully funding," charged the former school teacher. "We're still breaking our promise to our kids."

But Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, said that increased costs in Medicaid, which provides health care for the lower income, prevented a larger increase for education.

The total Social Services Department budget would grow by more than $600 million -- a 7.0 percent increase.

The legislature cannot cut spending in the budget for Medicaid and several other department programs that involve legally-defined services for which anyone who meets the qualifications are legally entitled.

Despite Schaefer's warnings about Medicaid spending, Democrats sought to remove language in the budget bill designed to prevent the administration from expanding the number of persons eligible for Medicaid.

That proposal was defeated by a near party-line vote.

Higher education fared better than primary and secondary education under the spending plan with a 5.6 percent increase under the Senate version of the budget.

The Senate restored all but $1 million in cuts to the University of Missouri's budget that the House had adopted in response to how the institution had responded to last fall's student protests.

The Senate's version retains a $1 million cut in the budget of the university system's budget.

The state's spending plan will now head to a House-Senate conference committee to work out their differences.

Lawmakers have until May 6 to complete action on the budget because of a constitutional provision prohibiting action on the budget during the final week of the legislative session that will conclude at 6 p.m. on May 13.

• Get the budget table
  

By a straight party-line vote Thursday, April 7, the Senate Rules Committee members voted to order the top executive of St. Louis Planned Parenthood to appear before the state Senate on April 18.

The resolution, which now goes to the full Senate, calls for Mary Kogut to explain why her organization has failed to comply with a Senate subpoena demanding documents on abortions performed by the organization.

The legal counsel for the Senate's president pro tem -- Todd Scott -- called the resolution an "invitation" to discuss any objections to the formal subpoena that had been delivered to Planned Parenthood on Nov. 24, 2015.

But he also said that the penalty for failure to comply with the subpoena could include a fine and a sentence in the county jail.

St. Louis Planned Parenthood's attorney, Chuck Hatfield, argued before an earlier Rules Committee hearing on the resolution that the subpoena would violate federal privacy rights.

The Senate committee adopted a similar resolution demanding the appearance before the Senate of the owner of the pathology lab which handles the fetal remains of fetuses aborted at the Planned Parenthood facility.

Uber and similar taxi-hail alternative companies would be subject to state requirements under a measure approved by the House Thursday, April 7.

The regulations would require drivers or the companies to have auto insurance, post pictures of drivers on the digital application used to get rides and make the cars easily identifiable. The ride-sharing company also would be required to conduct criminal background checks on their drivers.

But some argued the bill did not go far enough.

"The reason regulations are in place is because people get hurt from time to time on bigger scales," said Rep. John Rizzo, D-Kansas City. "They're not isolated incidents."

The bill's opposition also said the lack of a requirement for drivers to serve low-income areas will hurt poorer citizens.

Those in favor of the bill said Uber and its competitors are bringing welcome competition to the industry.

"If we allow them to use the free market, it's going to create business and we'll be happy," said Rep. Mike Moon, R-Lawrence County. "If you don't like it, don't use it."

The proponents also said taxis are no safer than ride-sharing vehicles and create unnecessary regulations to save their monopoly.

Statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies like Uber would go into effect at the start of next year, if the law is passed.

• Get the bill, HB 2330
• Get the radio stories

Daily fantasy sports websites, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, would be exempt from the state's gambling restrictions and gambling taxes under a measure approved by the House Thursday, April 7.

Supporters of the measure said the game is not gambling because a small amount of players make most of the money from the games.

"The argument is that this is not gambling, this is a game of skill, not dissimilar to someone who hones their craft as a college athlete becoming a pro to be paid for what they do," said Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

The bill's opponents said the games have a chance element and would take away from much needed education funding.

"We have casinos in the state of Missouri that are paying taxes toward education and we're giving a corporate carve-out to this particular special interest group and they're not having to pay the taxes for education," said Lyle Rowland, R-Cedarcreek.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 104-38. It now goes to the Senate.

• Get the bill, HB 1941
• Get the radio stories

Missouri's House has voted to let adults ride motorcycles without helmets.

Those in favor of the bill said people should have the choice to wear a helmet or not.

"Thirty-one states in the nation do not require their riders to wear a helmet," said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, and the bill's sponsor. "It's time that Missouri join those states and give our individuals freedom."

Supporters also said Missouri is losing tourism dollars to surrounding states that allow helmet-less cyclists. Rep. Delus Johnson, R-Andrew County, said a similar measure in Michigan was effective in bringing tourism back.

"They created 2,700 jobs in tourism because of the influx of motorcycle riders coming into that state," said Johnson.

Rep. Deb Lavender, D-St. Louis County, said the bill would also create jobs in the medical field.

"We can look at it as a jobs bill for hospitals, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and certainly physical therapists," said Lavender. "It does keep us in business."

Opponents added that the measure imposes a tax burden on the state's citizens, who would have to pay for the continued rehab and surgery for the unprotected in motorcycle accidents.

"We are going to pay for this," said Rep. Bill White, R-Joplin. "Your freedom ends where it encroaches on the rest of us, and this definitely encroaches on our tax dollars."

The measure, sent to the Senate Thursday, March 7, would retain the helmet requirement for those under 21 years of age, have not taken a motorcycle education course, have less than $50,000 in insurance coverage or have an instruction permit.

The bill passed the House Thursday, April 7, 103-43.

• Get the bill, HB 1464
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While Missouri's Senate was debating the education budget, the Missouri Department of Education across the street was left in the dark -- literally.

Power to the Jefferson State Office Building went out on Wednesday, April 6, and remained out for most of the day Thursday.

Among the few found in the facility Thursday was the Commissioner of Education, Margie Vandeven, who had to walk up several flights of stairs to reach her office.

"So yesterday, Wednesday around 2 p.m., the power went out," Vandeven said. "We have been notified that two breakers have blown, and that they will be repairing those, and we were anticipating that it would be returned this afternoon, but we aren't curtain at this point."

Employees of the department were told to stay home on Thursday, April 7th, due to lack of power.

"We currently do not have access to telephone services, electricity, and WiFi," Vandeven said. "So our employees are better off doing there jobs from home."

Power was restored later Thursday afternoon, at about 3:30pm, although one staffer said it took quite longer for computer systems to come back up.

The Jefferson Building is one of the state's larger offices in the Capitol complex.

As of late Thursday afternoon, the building is still without power. Vandeven went on to say that she is working closely with the electrical company to get the power turned back on, but does not know exactly when electricity will be restored.

• Get the radio stories

Missouri Senate passed a bill that will move to the House for a vote to increase the gas tax by 5.9 cents per gallon on Wednesday, April 6.

Missouri has one of the lowest gas taxes in the country, so if the bill passes in the House this could mean a big impact for Missouri citizens.

The measure would require statewide voter approval to take effect.

• Get the bill, SB 623
  

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Senate gave first round approval to a bill that would add restrictions as to when police can deadly force.

Current law authorizes deadly force if necessary to apprehend someone who has or is attempting to commit any type of felony crime. The bill approved by the Senate Wednesday, April 6, would narrow the provision to only felonies involving "serious physical injury" or the threat of such injury.

A similar measure in response to the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown passed the Senate last year, but died in the House.

The legislation, approved Wednesday, April 6, also would add provisions under which a person could file a lawsuit for violation of constitutional rights. It also would authorize the attorney general to file a civil lawsuit on be half of a person whose constitutional rights had been violated.

Senate critics said they feared this could lead to increases in trivial lawsuits.

"The concern, ultimately, is that, if we have a new state cause of action that in any way is more lax than the federal standard, then our state courts would be flooded with potentially frivolous lawsuits," said Sen. Bob Onder, R- St. Charles County.

The bill requires another vote before moving to the House.

• Get the radio stories
• Get the bill, SB 661
  

The Missouri House looked at the benefits and disadvantages of potentially legalizing industrial hemp. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Union.

Supporters argued that industrial hemp would increase Missouri's revenue instead of having to import the product.

Representative Bob Burns from St. Louis County said growing industrial hemp would benefit Missouri farmers, but big corporations prevent some from voting in favor of the bill due to greed.

Opponents worry there would be issues down the line with farmers trying to deposit money from selling industrial hemp into banks.

Representative Sandy Crawford from Dallas County, who is in opposition of the bill, said with similar legislation passed in Colorado they saw banking issues.

"In Colorado with the legalization of marijuana those vendors cannot even put that money in banks," Crawford Said. "They actually take bags of money to the Department of Revenue in Colorado because they cannot bank that money."

The bill passed by a 98 to 40.

• Get the bill, HB 2038

A six month cooling off period before an elected state official could register as a lobbyist was agreed upon by House-Senate conference committee.

The conference version splits the difference between the House, which approved a one-year delay after the office term had expired, and the Senate approach that would allow a statewide elected official or legislator to begin as a lobbyist immediately after the office term had ended.

The conference committee adopted a Senate amendment that would make the revolving door policy apply to all elected officials from governor down, regardless of one's political ambitions for the following election.

The bulk of the debate was over the effectiveness and length of the proposed cooling off period.

Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, said that other senators on the floor have raised concerns that the cooling off period would limit former elected officials from pursuing lobbying careers for which their legislative experience has made them qualified.

"I'm just worried and concerned that we're going to back here at some point in time with somebody who says this is a violation of my equal protection rights," Holsman said.

But Sen. Bob Onder, R-St. Charles County, said that citizens feel that the Senate's zero-day limit effectively removes the intention of the bill.

"You took the revolving door out of the revolving door," Onder said. "That's how the public perceives it, rightly or wrongly."

Though both the representatives and senators agreed a cooling off period would be beneficial, there were concerns about proposing a piece of legislation that would pass through the Senate.

The six month ban beginning at the end of the elected term, according to bill sponsor Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, serves as a compromise.

"I think for compromise sake the discussion of 'you have to sit out a legislative session,' and then you potentially have the summer and fall of that year to prepare yourself if you're going to move into a lobbying situation, you can set that up," Rowden said.

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The Missouri House passed a bill Tuesday, April 5 that will exclude online fantasy sports play from gambling regulations.

"No other state has legislatively assigned this as gambling or gaming," bill sponsor Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, said while defending this bill.

Representatives went back and forth, arguing whether or not online fantasy sports play falls under the same umbrella as traditional gambling.

"This is certainly a game of chance," Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said.

The bill was passed at the conclusion of the hearing.

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A House measure would allow motorcyclists in the state to ride without a helmet, with minor restrictions.

Those in favor of the bill say people should be able to choose whether they wear a helmet. They also said the state is losing tourism dollars to surrounding states that allow cyclists to opt out of wearing helmets.

"Thirty-one states in the nation do not require their riders to wear a helmet," said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, the bill's sponsor. "It's time that Missouri join those states and give our individuals freedom."

Opponents said the measure imposes a tax burden on the state's citizens, who would have to pay for the continued rehab and surgery for the unprotected in motorcycle accidents.

"We are going to pay for this," said Rep. Bill White, R-Joplin. "Your freedom ends where it encroaches on the rest of us, and this definitely encroaches on our tax dollars."

The bill includes some exceptions for riders under the age of 21, those who have not taken a motorcycle education course, those who have less than $50,000 in insurance coverage or have an instructional permit. All individuals included in those exceptions would still be required to wear a helmet.

The House bill passed by a close voice vote and needs one more affirmative vote to pass to the Senate.

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A measure to save an aluminum plant in Southeast Missouri needs one more vote before moving to the Senate.

The bill would allow aluminum manufacturer Noranda and its energy suppliers to work together to set an energy rate, almost completely bypassing government approval. It also provides for broad changes to Missouri's energy infrastructure through rate restructuring.

The Noranda aluminum plant in New Madrid has filed for bankruptcy and is currently undergoing court-ordered restructuring.

Ameren, a Missouri and Illinois energy company, is working to keep the Noranda plant functional. The aluminum company is Ameren's top consumer, consuming almost ten times more megawatts than the next-highest consumer, according to the News-Tribune.

Opponents argued the bill's changes to the energy rate-structure are too severe.

"This brand-new language makes a radical shift in the way utility rates are assessed," said Rep. Margo McNeil, D-St. Louis County.

The bill's proponents say New Madrid needs the factory working to keep its citizens employed.

"The impact that this has had on New Madrid R-1 School District is $3 to $3.5 million," said Rep. Donald Rone, whose district includes the city. "That's roughly a third of their budget."

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The Senate Rules Committee heard a subpoena to require the CEO of Planned Parenthood's St. Louis region to appear on the chamber floor.

Mary Kogut faces 10 days in jail and a $300 fine for contempt of the Senate.

Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, sponsored the measure and said Planned Parenthood has failed to provide any documents asked for by the Senate Committee on the Sanctity of Life.

The attorney defending Planned Parenthood, Chuck Hatfield, said they are willing to release certain documents. However, many of them contain patients' private information, so the organization was unwilling to redact the papers or release them without redaction for fear of being subpoenaed either way. Hatfield called for a discussion on the best course of action with redaction.

Schaefer, who is a candidate to be the state's attorney general, said Planned Parenthood is simply stalling and should provide the information asked for as soon as possible.

The committee will vote on the measure Thursday.

A bill passed out of a House committee Tuesday, April 5, that would exempt noisy and pungent farm land from ordinances on disturbing the peace.

The bill has been nicknamed "the rooster bill," by the bill's sponsor, Rep. Joe Don McGaugh, R- Carrollton, after a man was charged with a peace disturbance because his rooster would not stop crowing.

"The Missouri Farm Bureau brought this to me basically as urban areas kinda sprawl out into rural areas," McGaugh said.

McGaugh went on to say that it is up to the responding police officer to determined if the noise and smell is offensive on the land.

"It is late in the session, but we are hoping that we can get this bill on the floor in time," McGaugh said.

The measure now heads to the full House.

• Get the bill, HB 2368

The state Senate gave first round approval to a bill to give towns more time to win voter approval for a tax on auto sales by non-Missouri licensed vehicle dealers.

Currently, many local governments in Missouri have until the end of 2016 to put local sales taxes on out-of-state vehicles or vehicles bought by another individual to a vote.

In 2012, Missouri's Supreme Court struck down a law allowing cities to impose taxes without voter approval on auto sales from persons out of state or not registered auto dealers.

In response, the legislature gave cities until 2016 get voter approval for the tax.

The bill approved by the Senate would delay the deadline for getting voter approval to 2018.

The bill originally provided a later deadline of 2020. But that sparked opposition from Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph.

"They have time, they could do it, but basically what were doing is saying no, no, no you don't have to do this work. You can go ahead and just collect up the money," Schaaf said. "You'll get to spend it. You don't have to do anything, you don't have to go out of your way to put the issue on the ballot in November. You just get to keep collecting the money until 2020."

After an extended debate by Schaaf, the bill's sponsor -- Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa -- offered an amendment for the earlier deadline. He said the bill aims to protect the little guy from unfair tax-breaks from people buying cars in other states.

The bill will also establish the Missouri Task Force on Fair, Nondiscriminatory Local Taxation Concerning Motor Vehicles, Trailers, Boats, and Outboard Motors. The task force will review the disparity in taxes that the 2012 Supreme Court decision created.

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