Pre-Filing and other news from Jefferson City

Capitol Report December 18, 2015

 

Pre-Filing is in full swing...

Tuesday, Dec. 1st, marked the first day legislators in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly could pre-file bills for the 2016 legislative session. During the first two days of pre-filing House members filed 261 bills. This figure shatters previous marks for bill filing activity. In comparison, the 2014 session saw just 195 bills pre-filed throughout the month-long pre-filing period. Many are projecting over 2000 bills to be pre-filed this month. I am afraid we will make or even surpass that projection!

 

For the 2016 legislative session, the bills pre-filed by my office include:

• HB 1366 is taking a proactive approach in the pharmaceutical arena by enacting a new law that would allow for an interchangeable biological product to be dispensed. This bill has the potential to allow Missourians better access to biological products used in the treatment of conditions such as arthritis, anemia, skin conditions, and various forms of cancer. I am hopeful it will be a proactive step towards controlling one area of prescription drug costs.
• HB 1367 would give the General Assembly an additional level of involvement and oversight of the state education department particularly in regard to the use of federal funding. I am hopeful this bill will be a conversation starter for a re-building of trust between the people of this state, DESE and the General Assembly and a reunification towards us all working together to ensure Missouri children receive the very best education possible.
• HB 1368 (refiled from last session) would establish a committee to examine the regulations the State Schools for the Severely Disabled operate under in an effort to make changes to allow the schools to better meet the needs of children.
• HB 1557 and HB 1558 both are from last session and relate to duplicative regulations/inspections for nursing facilities, hoping to get this to a unified and consistent type of inspection process as well as clear and consistent regulations. This will be a step to ensuring safe and high quality nursing facilities, it is very difficult for them to achieve this when the inspectors and regulations contradict.
• HB 1712 will add that a managed care plan's network (health insurance) shall be deemed adequate if the plan is offered by a carrier accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
• HB 1866 will allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to practice without a mileage restriction and address some other barriers to healthcare access that currently negatively impact rural Missourians.
• HB 1879 will reinstate the Cap back into the Foundation Formula for the funding of education making it so that the Foundation Formula may be fully funded without a massive tax increase each year, this will also allow our rural schools to be more adequately and fairly funded compared with urban schools.
• I am still working on 2 other bills that I plan to file, one is related to offering dyslexia training to every teacher in the state at no cost to our local schools and addressing the certification process for educators. The wording on both of these are still being discussed, I will let you know as soon as I file these bills.
• One final bill, I am not sure when we will have it ready for filing as it is very complicated, is to address nursing facilities via quality improvement/incentives and/or reimbursement. Our nursing facilities get a very bad "rap" due to the care or perception of the care delivery system. I am hoping to address this through improved training, quality improvement methods and reimbursements so that CNA's (Certified Nursing Assistants) will receive better pay as they are the ones who provide the majority of direct hands on patient care, we all know "you get what you pay for" so I hope to ensure the best possible staff for our elderly who are in nursing facilities.

 

I will be also filing, in January when that filing time opens, 3 resolutions that will address Federal Government overreach. I am hopeful these statements will receive bipartisan support and make it clear to our Federal Delegation that we, as Missourians, support common sense approaches to government that are as close to the people as possible and we do not feel the Federal Government knows best in all things.

 

This update is quite lengthy, I could list more than what I have listed here but I am afraid the report would become so large and cumbersome no one would want to read it! I have tried to keep things brief and list only the highlights. I have attended many, many meetings which I have not listed but if you have questions about any of the meetings I have attended, please feel free to call or email me and ask! I am always happy to share with others what I have been doing most importantly the things I have learned!

 

I very much appreciate another opportunity to serve you in this upcoming session. I will work hard to stop government overreach while also protecting our citizens and our way of life. Please contact me if you would like to discuss any of the bills mentioned above or any of those filed by other legislators. I will be happy to find a time for us to meet and talk!

 

I won't send out a report again until after Christmas as we all will be spending as much time with family as possible.   Enjoy this Holiday Season and spend as much time as possible with your loved ones!!

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Tila

 

 

Capitol News:

 

House Leaders Discuss Legislative Agenda for 2016

 

Members of the House Majority Caucus met recently to discuss some of their legislative priorities for the upcoming session that begins Wednesday, Jan. 6. While the issues will change and evolve as session progresses, the caucus meeting did make it clear that several items will be prominently discussed during the upcoming months.

• Ethics Reform – The House Speaker has made meaningful, substantive ethics reform a top priority that will be one of the first things addressed when the session begins. Reforms will likely include a ban on all gifts from lobbyists to legislators, and an end to the revolving door that allows members to leave the legislature to immediately become lobbyists.

 

• Transportation Funding – Missouri continues to face a funding crisis that will jeopardize the state’s ability to maintain and upgrade the state’s highways and bridges. House members are focused on finding transportation funding solutions, and are equally committed to doing so without increasing taxes on Missouri citizens.

 

• Economic Development – The members of the Missouri House will continue efforts in 2016 to bolster Missouri’s economy by attracting more job creators to the state. The legislature will also continue to work to minimize bureaucratic red tape to ensure businesses can thrive and grow.

 

• Stadium Financing – The legislature continues to be opposed to the governor’s plan to finance a new stadium for the St. Louis Rams without securing the approval of the public or the legislature.

 

• Addressing the Terrorist Threat – In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, legislators in Missouri continue to look at ways to ensure the safety of Missouri citizens.

 

• University of Missouri Reforms – Following the protests that led to the resignation of both the system president and the MU chancellor, legislators are now looking at reforms to ensure adequate oversight and accountability within the system. Legislators are committed to ensuring the state’s flagship state university can carry out its mission to provide a quality education to all students.

 

• Reining in an Overreaching Executive Branch – The Missouri House will continue its efforts to rein in a governor who continues to abuse his authority. The legislature will likely move to override the governor’s budget restrictions that he put in place despite having a revenue surplus.

 

• Pro-Life Agenda – The legislature will continue its efforts to protect the sanctity of all life by working to make abortions even rarer and safer.

 

• Protecting Second Amendment Rights – House members also will work this session to ensure the rights of law-abiding gun owners are protected.

 

 

Holiday Season Brings More Good News for Missouri

 

The holiday season in Missouri has brought with it the gift of good news. Missouri recently learned that things are trending in a positive direction for both the state’s system of education and the economy.

 

The state learned that Missouri’s high school graduation rate is now one of the best in the nation. According to U.S. Department of Education data, Missouri now has a 4-year graduation rate of 87.3 percent, which is an increase from the previous year’s rate of 85.7 percent. The percentage ranks Missouri in the top 10 in the nation, and significantly ahead of the national average of 82.3 percent. Also of note is that Missouri’s graduation rate surpasses the national average for all racial and ethnic groups and underserved populations.

 

On the economic front, the Missouri Department of Economic Development released the state’s most recent unemployment data. Missouri’s unemployment rate fell by three-tenths of a percent in November, and now stands at 4.7 percent. The current level of unemployment in Missouri is lower than the national average of 5 percent, and the lowest the state has seen since April 2006.

 

 

 

House and Senate Hold Joint Hearing to Investigate Syrian Refugee Issue

 

The House Budget Committee recently held a joint hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee to question state officials about the assistance programs available to refugees. The decision to hold the hearing came in response to the Paris terrorist attacks that heightened concerns about Syrian refugees being resettled in the United States. Lawmakers gathered in the State Capitol to hear about the state’s role in handling refugees, as well as the federal vetting process to catch potential terrorists entering as refugees.

 

House and Senate members learned the state has approximately $4.3 million in federal funding for refugee programs. They also learned the state has little control over the federal dollars that are channeled primarily through the Department of Social Services, which provides refugees with housing, health care and cash assistance. Members also heard testimony regarding the vetting process utilized by the FBI and the federal defense and Homeland Security departments. Experts testified that the process includes a background verification process that takes from 18 to 24 months before refugees are allowed to come to the United States.

 

As the hearing concluded, lawmakers had a better understanding of not only how federal dollars are spent on refugees in Missouri, but also a clearer picture of how little control state officials have over how those dollars are utilized. However, some members left the hearing with unanswered questions and Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer still wanted answers regarding the additional costs the state would incur with a potential new influx of refugees. While there are no future hearings scheduled on the issue, lawmakers will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks.

 

 

House Budget Committee Looks into Stadium Financing Issue

 

Following the joint hearing on the Syrian refugee issue, the House Budget Committee held a second hearing to discuss the governor’s efforts to force a stadium financing plan into place without legislative approval. To date, lawmakers have been upset with the governor for his lack of communication on an issue that would require taxpayers to foot the bill for millions in bond payments for decades.

 

Several lawmakers who testified against the plan during the hearing are part of a lawsuit designed to block the governor from moving forward with his proposal. Additionally, budget leaders in both chambers have made it clear they will not appropriate funds to make bond payments to fund the new stadium. House members spent time during the hearing questioning whether such a decision would jeopardize the state’s pristine credit rating, and criticizing the governor for forcing the legislature into such a position.

 

Cattle Farmers Encouraged to Participate in Beef Checkoff Discussion

 

Missouri cattle farmers will have the opportunity to participate in a public discussion regarding a referendum to establish a $1 per head beef checkoff assessment. The public hearing on the issue will take place Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Missouri Electric Cooperatives building at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia.

The meeting is meant to offer cattle farmers an opportunity to make their voices heard on an issue that will impact the beef industry in all parts of the state. Money generated by the checkoff is meant to be used for marketing, education and research designed to increase domestic and international demand for beef.

For more information on this, please follow up at your local county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices and online.