The commission system has worked well, said Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, outgoing chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Westfall said the commission serves as a needed buffer between regional interests. Without a commission, he said, the state might be less likely to adopt a needs-based plan of fund distribution -- meaning rural areas could lose.
* Rep. Delbert Scott of Lowry City, who served 17 years in the House and twice rose to be minority leader there, is expected to win the seat held by Morris Westfall, R-Halfway.
Sen. Morris Westfall, D-Halfway, sponsored open-container legislation each of the past two years, only to see it fail in the Senate. Westfall said Missouri needs the law not only to meet federal standards, but also as a matter of safety.
JEFFERSON CITY - With newly imposed term limits, the Missouri legislature will lose 88 of its members. Senator Morris Westfall, a veteran of both the House and the Senate, will be among those leaving state government.
Sitting in his office, Koller is acutely aware of what's happening with the bill, which he and Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, have crafted and maneuvered through the legislative process all session long. After 18 years as a Representative, term limits will end Koller's career in the House this December. He said 15 of those years have been spent on this legislation. Despite the uncertainty, Koller seems unphased.
The House Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved a transportation plan, sponsored by Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway. The plan would raise an estimated $500 million to fund road projects by raising Missouri's general sales tax by three-eights of a cent to 4.6 cents per dollar and raising the gasoline tax by 6 cents to 23 cents per gallon.
The term-limited legislators AP reports plan to attend the conference are Sen. Danny Stapes, Sen. Morris Westfall, Sen. Betty Sims, Rep. Bill Boucher and Rep. David Reynolds.
JEFFERSON CITY - With newly imposed term limits, the Missouri legislature will lose 88 of its members. Senator Morris Westfall, a veteran of both the House and the Senate, will be among those leaving state government.
The Senate on Wednesday approved a transportation plan estimated to raise $500 million in taxes to fund road projects. The proposal would need voter approval to become law. The bill, sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee chairman Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, would raise Missouri's general sales tax by three-eights of a cent to 4.6 cents per dollar and raise the gasoline tax by 6 cents to 23 cents per gallon. The bill was referred to the House Transportation Committee Thursday.
The sponsor of the package Republican Morris Westfall urged lawmakers to put aside anger with the Highway Department and vote for the funding proposal.
A tax-increasing transportation plan took a baby step forward last week, but it still has a long way to go, and a short time to get there. The Senate gave preliminary approval to a transportation plan Wednesday. The proposal is estimated to raise $500 million for road projects, with around $100 million going to interstates. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, calls for two tax increases. It would raise Missouri's general sales tax by three-eights of a cent, to 4.6 c..
The term-limited legislators AP reports plan to attend the conference are Sen. Danny Stapes, Sen. Morris Westfall, Sen. Betty Sims, Rep. Bill Boucher and Rep. David Reynolds.
On Wednesday, extended discussion by rural Republican senators prevented a vote on a transportation bill. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Morris Westfall of Halfway, a rural Republican himself, would raise Missouri's general sales tax by 3/8 of a cent and would increase the gasoline tax by 6 cents to fund transportation projects. Rural Republican opposition killed a similar transportation bill last year.
Senator Morris Westfall says he expected the Senate to vote on his bill for a sales and gasoline tax increase but the vote was stalled by three hours of debate.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, said he began the day hopeful that the measure would come up for a vote on Wednesday. However, those hopes were dashed by a small group of opponents to the bill, all members of Westfall's own party, who slowed debate and after more than three hours the Senate adjourned without a final vote.
Appropriations Committee member Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, said the committee had not made any decisions yet. "We left all the controversial things wide open," he said. "We've talked about some things...things that hurt deeply, and they affect programs across the board.
Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, is among the Senate members with the most bills filed. When one of his bills was up for debate in a committee meeting he said, "I never would have introduced that bill if it wasn't for term limits." He later dismissed the remark as an off-hand joke, but did not dispute the idea.
Senator Morris Westfall is the chairman for the Senate Transportation committee, and he says this race for the personalized plate is a popularity contest.
The transportation elements in Tuesday's proposal are similar to a $535 million plan approved by the House last year that was later defeated by Senate Republicans. The idea of tax increases have since warmed to Transportation Committee Chairman Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, who proposed his own $436 million increase this session.
The chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee -- Morris Westfall, R-Halfway -- also has sponsored a package of tax increases for transportation. Westfall's bill also would raise the gas tax to 22 cents, but would increase the general-sales tax by 3/8ths of a cent per dollar.
"What we're trying to do is take every step possible to keep people from becoming intoxicated while they're behind the wheel," said the bill's sponsor -- Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway.
JEFFERSON CITY - Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, helped kill Gov. Bob Holden's transportation plan last year. But after a year riding Missouri roads, he now believes a tax increase will be necessary.
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