January 12, 2007

The Missouri General Assembly began its 2nd week of the 2007 session of the legislature.

Discussion this week focused primarily on committee assignments which were not made by the Speakers of the House Jetton and President Pro Tem of the Senate Gibbons.

The House has expanded from 36 committees to 49 committees. However, the number of members on each committee will be reduced.

This will mean that committees in the House will be meeting at all hours of the day including evenings. House committee chairs have been named. However, members will not be named until next week. Below is a list of the 48 House committee and their chairs:

• House Committee on Administration and Accounts - Rep. Kenny Jones, R-California
• House Committee on Agri-Business – Rep. Brian Munzlinger, R- Williamstown
• House Committee on Agriculture Policy – Rep. John Quinn, R-Chillicothe
• House Committee on Appropriations –Agriculture and Natural Resources – Rep. Mike Dethrow, R-Alton
• House Committee on Appropriations – Education – Rep. Kathlyn Fares, R-Webster Groves
• House Committee on Appropriations – General Administration – Rep. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis
• House Committee on Appropriations – Health, Mental Health and Social Services – Rep. David Sater, R-Cassville
• House Committee on Appropriations – Public Safety and Corrections – Rep. Danie Moore, R-Fulton
• House Committee on Appropriations – Transportation and Economic Development- Rep. Charlie Schlottach, R-Owensville
• House Committee on Budget – Rep. Allan Icet, R-Wildwood
• House Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources – Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico
• House Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions – Rep. Van Kelly, R-Norwood
• House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety – Rep. Mark Bruns, R-Jefferson City
• House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education – Rep. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield
• House Committee on Elections – Rep. Bob May, R-Rolla
• House Committee on Energy and Environment – Rep. Walt Bivins, R-St. Louis
• House Committee on Ethics – Rep. Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles
• House Committee on Family Services – Rep. Ward Franz, R-West Plains
• House Committee on Financial Institutions – Rep. Mike Cunningham, R-Marshfield
• House Committee on Fiscal Review – Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City
• House Committee on General Laws – Rep. Steven Tilley, R-Perryville
• House Committee on Government Affairs – Rep. Bill Deeken, R-Jefferson City
• House Committee on Healthcare Facilities – Rep. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph
• House Committee on Health Insurance – Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho
• House Committee on Healthcare Policy – Rep. Wayne Cooper, R-Camdenton
• House Committee on Higher Education – Rep. Gayle Kingery, R-Poplar Bluff
• House Committee on Immigration – Rep. Jerry Nolte, R-Gladstone
• House Committee on Insurance Policy – Rep. Brian Yates, R-Lee’s Summit
• House Committee on Job Creation and Economic Development – Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin
• House Committee on Judiciary – Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs
• House Committee on Local Government – Rep. Vicki Schneider, R-O’Fallon
• House Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing – Rep. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa
• House Committee on Retirement – Rep. Maynard Wallace, R-Thornfield
• House Committee on Rules – Rep. Shannon Cooper, R-Clinton
• House Committee on Rural Community Development – Rep. Larry Wilson, R-Flemington
• House Committee on Senior Citizen Advocacy – Rep. Bob Nance, R-Excelsior Springs
• House Committee on Small Business – Rep. Doug Ervin, R-Kearney
• House Committee on State Parks and Waterways – Rep. Darrell Pollock, R-Lebanon
• House Committee on Student Achievement – Rep. Scott Muschany, R-St. Louis
• House Committee on Tax Reform – Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City
• House Committee on Ticket to Work – Rep. Charles Portwood, R-Ballwin
• House Committee on Tourism – Rep. B.J. Marsh, R-Springfield
• House Committee on Transportation – Rep. Neal St. Onge, R-Ellisville
• House Committee on Urban Affairs – Rep. Rodney Hubbard, D-St. Louis
• House Committee on Utilities – Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar
• House Committee on Veterans – Rep. David Day, R-Dixon
• House Committee on Ways and Means – Rep. Mike Sutherland, R-Warrenton
• House Committee on Workforce Development and Workplace Safety – Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin

The Senate is more status quo with few changes except for the new members. Below is a link to the list Senate Committees and their members:
http://www.senate.state.mo.us/07info/com-info.htm

The Governor’s Budget is completed and on his desk. However, neither the departments nor the members of the General Assembly know the contents of the Budget. The Budget will be presented to the state on January 24th during the Governor’s State of the State Address.

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS STAFF REPORT
The Senate Appropriations Committee started work this week and made some eyebrows pop up right out of the box.  A staff review of 355 non-federal, non-constitutional dedicated funds found a lot of money lying around – about a billion dollars.  Some of these funds – like the Health Spa Regulatory Fund – have balances exceeding 1,000% of the fund’s yearly expenditures.  Most of these funds are not subject to the biennial sweep to general revenue, so the money continues to sit there.  The unstated message from appropriations chairman Chuck Gross (R-St. Charles) is clear: somebody get me a broom.  The committee also heard an urgent plea from Bi-State, the agency that runs the buses and the light rail system in the St. Louis metro area.  The CEO says they need $20 million in an emergency appropriation from the state to keep the buses and trains running until St. Louis County can get the people to raise the sales tax.  Fuel costs have tripled in recent years and the CEO said: “I’ve run out of hats to pull rabbits out of.” Expect other cities to come asking for money to support their mass transit programs, too.  It’s not just a St. Louis problem.

The Appropriations Committee has grown this year from nine members to ten.  The new member is Sen. Frank Barnitz (D-Lake Spring).  Sen. Yvonne Wilson (D-Kansas City) replaces the term-limited Pat Dougherty of St. Louis.

SENATE CREATES NEW HEALTH CARE COMMITTEE
The Senate created the new five-member Health and Mental Health Committee and appointed Sen. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield, this week as chairman. Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, was appointed vice-chairman. The Senate will refer all issues concerning Medicaid, health, alternative delivery system proposals, mental health and other health-related issues to the new committee. Other members appointed to the committee are Sen. Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, Sen. Harry Kennedy, D-St. Louis, and Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence. No bills have yet been referred to this committee.

SENATE MAKES CHANGES TO AGING, FAMILIES, MENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE
The Senate changed the name of their Aging, Families, Mental and Public Health Committee (the committee that normally receives all health related bills) to the Seniors, Families and Public Health Committee. This change was made to allow the formation of the newly created Health and Public Health Committee. Sen. Norma Champion, R-Springfield, remains chairman and Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, remains vice-chairman. The Senate will continue to refer all issues concerning seniors, children and public health to this committee. Other members appointed to the committee are Sen. Dan Clemens, R-Marshfield, Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, Sen. Harry Kennedy, D-St. Louis, Sen. Jolie Justus (newly appointed) D-Kansas City, and Sen. Jeff Smith (newly appointed), D-St. Louis. No bills have yet been referred to the committee.

MOHELA DEBATE CONTINUES
Gov. Blunt’s plan to allow the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority to sell off $350 million in assets and use the money to boost economic development through university construction projects and other activities took on the unhappy role of “Piñata of the Week” in Jefferson City this week.  Missouri Right to Life sent a letter to all legislators announcing its strong opposition to the MOHELA plan because “…the proceeds of the sale are earmarked to provide just the type of life-destructive funding that the cloners have been seeking from state government for seven years or more.”  The notion that a vote on the MOHELA plan would be tracked and rated by Missouri Right to Life gives great pause to certain legislators who feel they need to keep the pro-life endorsement, especially in the House.  State Treasurer Sarah Steelman continues to raise questions about the plan.  And new State Auditor Susan Montee announced plans to audit MOHELA.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which does hold some sway with certain members of the Missouri General Assembly, printed a scathing review of the MOHELA deal by columnist Eric Mink, who wrote the latest deal “…would be comical if the stench rising from it weren’t so offensive.”  For his part, Gov. Blunt this week completely took the sting out of Auditor Montee’s decision to audit the loan agency by sending her a letter endorsing the idea.  Ironically, on the same day the governor endorsed the audit, the Missouri Republican Party issued a press release denouncing it as “politically motivated.”  The rumors were thick a week or two ago that Gov. Blunt would call a special session to force the General Assembly to deal with the MOHELA plan without getting it tangled up in other legislation.  As we reported last week, the idea of a special session appears to have faded fast.

HEALTH CARE REFORM…CALIFORNIA STYLE
The rewrite of Medicaid in Missouri will be one of the top two or three issues of the session, and the Terminator – Gov. Schwarzenegger of California -- might impact the debate. Gov. Schwarzenegger this week unveiled a sweeping proposal to offer health coverage to every Californian, including the children of illegal immigrants.  He would require employers to either offer health insurance or pay into a state pool, and put a tax on hospitals and doctors.  Policy makers in other states, including Missouri, will watch the perceived success – or failure – of the Schwarzenegger plan closely.  A grass roots group that advocates for the poor and disabled is pushing for a universal health care plan in Missouri.  The group says an estimated 700,000 Missourians are without health insurance.  Missouri’s attempt to rewrite Medicaid will start first in the lap of Sen. Chuck Purgason (R-Caulfield).  He’s the chairman of the new, five-member Committee on Health and Mental Health.

BILL SUMMARIES OF INTEREST

SJR 10 – Bartle
Upon voter approval, this proposed constitutional amendment repeals the "Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative". The amendment also enacts a constitutional provision that prohibits human cloning in the state of Missouri. The phrase "clone a human being" means to produce a human zygote, human blastocyst, or human embryo by means other than the fertilization of an egg of a human female by the sperm of a human male.

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