House Communications - News

5-18-17 Legislature called back for extraordinary session to consider Southeast Missouri jobs issueOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The legislature did not pass in its session that ended last week language that backers say could allow one company to proceed with plans to reopen the Noranda aluminum smelter at Marston; and another company to build a new steel mill at New Madrid, both in Southeast Missouri. Both companies hope for lower utility rates that would allow those facilities to be profitable. To consider lower rates the Public Service Commission (PSC) says it needs the legislature’s approval.

5-16-17 House backer of prescription drug monitoring wants a special session to get program passedOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Representative Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston) has been pushing for a statewide PDMP for several years. Missouri is the only state that does not have one, though several of its counties are participating in a program based in St. Louis County.

5-16-17 House panel recommends changes in Missouri Corrections to fight harassment, bullying, and favoritismOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
After news articles last fall brought such issues to light, as well as millions of dollars in settlements with the state by former Corrections employees who had been victims, the House formed a subcommittee to investigate the work environment in the Department.

5-15-17 Southeast MO lawmaker not giving up after impassioned speech doesn't win jobs amendment passageOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Representative Don Rone (R-Portageville) said the legislature needed to act to allow one company to proceed with plans to reopen an aluminum smelter, and another to build a new steel plant, both in southeast Missouri.

5-11-17 Legislature passes Real ID legislation as session's end nearsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House has voted to send to Governor Eric Greitens (R) a bill that would let Missourians choose whether to get an ID that complies with the federal Real ID Act of 2005. Compliant licenses are needed to do things like board airplanes and enter military bases and federal buildings.

5-12-17 Representatives say flood recovery continues, urge documenting of damageOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Many Missourians are still recovering from flooding in recent weeks. Two House members say that recovery could continue for months, and urge those Missourians to document their damage.

5-11-17 Frustrated representative calls out senators as 'heartless,' 'selfish' for blocking jobs in Southeast MissouriOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Representative Don Rone (R-Portageville) told his colleagues he was rebuffed when he went to some senators seeking support for a measure that would allow the reopening of an aluminum plant and the construction of a steel mill in southeast Missouri.

5-10-17 Missouri House debates act barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identityOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Missouri law already prevents discrimination for other factors, such as race or religion. MONA would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the law’s definition of “discrimination.”

5-9-17 Lawmaker in need of transplant urges continuation of organ donor checkoff donationsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
A state representative who needs a liver transplant hopes that before the General Assembly’s session ends on Friday it will vote to continue to allow donations from tax refunds to the organ donor program.

5-9-17 Missouri Legislature proposes tougher standard for employment discriminationOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Senate Bill 43 would require a former employee to prove that his or her age, race, gender, disability or ethnicity was the main reason he or she was fired rather than one among other reasons. Republicans said the bill is needed because the courts have allowed too many cases of alleged workplace discrimination to proceed.

5-8-17 Legislature's budget proposal would save Summer Jobs program for young adultsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Governor Eric Greitens’ (R) budget proposal would have cut all funding to the Summer Jobs League within the Department of Economic Development. It had $8.5-million last year. The House had proposed restoring $6-million to the program. It compromised with the Senate to fund it at $4-million in fiscal year 2018.

5-5-17 Legislature's budget aims for transparency in settlements with the state, agency workplace environmentsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The legislature has passed a budget that aims to make state agencies more accountable when lawsuits against them cost taxpayer dollars.

5-4-17 Legislature's budget follows House lead; fully funds K-12 schools for first timeOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The $27.7-billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 would pump $48-million more dollars into the state’s public schools, providing them with nearly $3.4-billion.

5-4-17 Legislature's budget bars use of state-appropriated funds for DUI checkpointsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Missouri drivers could see fewer impaired driving checkpoints under the budget proposed by the legislature. The change means that for the fiscal year beginning July 1, law enforcement agencies can still conduct DUI checkpoints, but they cannot use funds allocated by the state budget to pay for them.

5-1-17 Legislature coming down to the wire this week on FY '18 budget proposalOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The legislature’s top responsibility enters its final push this week, as Friday is the constitutional deadline for it to propose a budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

4-28-17 House votes to send project labor agreement ban to Governor GreitensOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Missouri legislative Republicans’ labor reform agenda took another step Thursday with the final passage of a bill barring project labor agreements (PLAs) for public projects.

4-28-17 House votes to require monthly reporting on settlements in cases against MissouriOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The House has voted to increase transparency when lawsuits against state agencies are settled. The legislation was prompted by the revelation that millions of tax dollars were paid out over several years in settling harassment and discrimination cases against the Department of Corrections.

4-27-17 Missouri House votes a second time to ease state's motorcycle helmet lawOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Proposals would allow riders 21 and older who have completed a motorcycle safety course or who have had their motorcycle license for at least two years to ride without a helmet if they have insurance.

4-25-17 On Yom HaShoah, representatives urge remembrance, education about the HolocaustOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
St. Louis Democrat Stacey Newman and Ballwin Republican Shamed Dogan spoke on the House Floor on Monday, as Yom HaShoah was being observed.

4-19-17 House pushes for closure for families of missing Missourians from Vietnam WarOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Lawmakers say it is time the families of 15 Missourians presumed dead definitively know what happened to them.

4-18-17 House asks Senate to come to the table on proposed prescription drug monitoring programOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The Senate proposed several changes to the House plan passed in early April. The sponsor of HB 90, Sikeston Republican Holly Rehder, opposes some of those proposed changes, and wants to see if the House and Senate can work out differences.

4-14-17 House votes to block new state park creation until current parks' maintenance is caught upOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
House Bill 698 would require that before any new parks are established and before any parks are expanded by more than 10-percent in acreage, the state’s current parks should be maintained, brought up-to-date, and have all maintenance work completed.

4-17-17 Veterans Committee chair: the path is clear on addressing veterans awaiting long-term careOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
State lawmakers now have information from the federal government that could make clear the path forward on creating more places for the roughly 1800 veterans on a waiting list to get into the state’s veterans homes.

4-13-17 House votes to send proposed ridesharing company regulations to Governor GreitensOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The bill would require such companies, which let customers use apps to connect them to drivers offering rides, to pay a $5,000 licensing fee and conduct driver background checks and vehicle inspections. It would also exempt companies from local taxes and bar the hiring of drivers guilty of certain offenses.

4-11-17 House passes bill to shield those seeking help for overdose victimsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
House Bill 294 would give immunity from charges for minor possession of drugs or paraphernalia or being under the influence to a person who calls for emergency medical attention for someone who is overdosing on drugs or alcohol, and would give immunity to the person in need of medical attention.

4-11-17 House passes bill meant to let Missouri farmers grow hempOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House wants to give Missouri farmers a chance to enter a new market. It has passed a bill that would legalize the growing of industrial hemp.

4-7-17 House budget proposal attempts to strengthen defunding of abortion providersOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The current fiscal year’s budget includes language that intended to keep all money appropriated by it from going to hospitals or clinics that perform abortions. Yukon Republican Robert Ross proposed that prohibition, and said it needed to be strengthened.

4-6-17 House budget proposal could mean fewer DUI checkpoints on Missouri roadsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The House proposed language that would prevent money controlled by that budget from going to such checkpoints. House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob) said this is largely because of data indicating checkpoints aren’t effective enough compared to other enforcement methods.

4-6-17 House budget plan would save program to get low-income youths into workforceOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
St. Louis City Democrat Bruce Franks, Junior, saw that Governor Eric Greitens (R) had proposed cutting all funding to the Summer Jobs League within the Department of Economic Development. Franks proposed taking $6-million from unused funds in two programs within Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to restore it, and the House voted to accept Franks’ proposal.

4-5-17 House refuses additional reductions to MU in higher education budgetOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House has finalized its proposed budget for state aid to colleges and universities for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Another favorable vote will send that plan to the Senate for its consideration.

4-5-17 House budget proposal: no state dollars to tolling Missouri roadsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018 would bar the use of General Revenue dollars for anything associated with collecting tolls on interstates running through Missouri.

4-5-17 House budget plan targets Conservation Department's deal with former directorOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House is poised to send to the Senate a budget that would cut $500,000 from the Department of Conservation.

4-5-17 House advances budget plan using money from repeal of renters tax creditOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House is poised to propose a Fiscal Year 2018 budget that includes money based on the repeal of a tax break for low-income seniors and the disabled. Budget planners used the money that would be saved by that repeal to support in-home care for the elderly and disabled.

4-5-17 House budget plan proposes nearly $3-million for education on new voter photo ID lawOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The House voted to move $1.5-million from an election administration improvements fund in the Secretary of State’s office to go to the implementation of the voter photo ID law approved by voters in November. Specifically that money is for educating voters about the new law so that they can comply with it when they go to the polls.

04-03-17 Missouri House to finalize its budget proposal this weekOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Legislators often say it is the one thing the General Assembly must do even if it does nothing else: pass a balanced state budget. This week the state House will take the latest step toward that end, when its members debate a budget proposal to be sent to the Senate for its consideration.

04-03-17 House bill would expand on legal medical use in Missouri of hemp oilOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
A state House member wants to expand on a Missouri law passed in 2014 that allows the use of hemp oil to treat intractable epilepsy to allow the use of that substance in treating other conditions.

3-31-17 Missouri House proposes giving Missourians choice of whether to get Real ID-compliant licensesOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The state House has proposed a bill that would allow Missourians to choose whether to get a state ID that complies with the federal Real ID Act of 2005, so they can use it to do things like enter military bases and board planes.

3-28-17 House close to proposing a repeal of Missouri prevailing wage lawOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Republicans supporting House Bill 104 say the prevailing wage law drives up the cost of projects, making local governments postpone work or forgo it altogether. Democrats say the legislation is simply another attack on workers.

3-28-17 House bill targets St. Louis ordinance, aims to protect alternatives-to-abortion clinicsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The sponsor of House Bill 174, Representative Tila Hubrecht (R-Dexter), said a St. Louis ordinance penalizes agencies that refuse to hire a woman who would counsel a woman to have an abortion or refer a woman to get an abortion.

3-29-2017 House perfects prescription drug monitoring program proposalOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The Missouri House has given initial approval to a proposed tracking system for prescription drugs that backers hope will fight opioid abuse in Missouri. Specifically it aims to help stop “doctor shopping;” the practice of going to multiple doctors seeking multiple prescriptions for valuable and addictive medications.

3-27-17 Lawmaker wants Missouri on track to next-generation 911On Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Some Missouri lawmakers think you should be able to send text, photos, videos, or data to 911, and they want to put the state on a schedule to achieve that goal.

3-27-17 House budget plan aims to improve harassment investigations in Department of CorrectionsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob) said his plan would redirect money that goes to the Department’s offices of Inspector General and Human Resources, and create an Office of Professional Standards.

3-23-17 House Budget Chairman proud of proposed full funding of educationOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Shell Knob Republican Scott Fitzpatrick said in August when he became the budget chairman that his number one priority was to fully fund Missouri’s public schools. He recently unveiled budget bills that included fully funding the K-12 school formula.

3-23-17 (VIDEO) Rep. Bruce Franks discusses chairmanship of new panel on police/community relationsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Representative Bruce Franks, Junior (D), has been chosen by House Speaker Todd Richardson (R) and Representative Don Phillips (R), the chairman of the House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety, to chair the newly formed Subcommittee on Police/Community Relations.

3-22-17 Bipartisan bill would help parents keep state child care assistance when receiving pay raisesOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
The bill from Crystal Quade (D) and Dan Shaul (R) seeks to help families stave off what’s called the “cliff effect;” when a person receives a pay increase that puts him or her over the income limit for certain state benefits.

3-21-17 Bill named for sponsor's brother, shot to death at 9, seeks better education of youth about violenceOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Missourians would be asked to remember children killed by violence in the state, and to work to prevent more such deaths, under a bill passed out of the state House.

3-21-17 Legislators considering whether to criminalize protests that block highways, streetsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Parkville Republican Nick Marshall said he filed the bill in response to protests in recent years, such as those in Ferguson in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and the decision by the St. Louis County prosecutor not to file charges against the Ferguson police officer that shot him.

3-17-17 House votes to end tax break for low-income seniors, disabled, to fund in-home care for elderly, disabledOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
Backers say the proposal will allow the legislature to fund a Medicaid program that provides in-home care to poor elderly and disabled people. Opponents say there were other places to look for the approximately $55-million for that program.

3-17-17 Missouri Legislature approves House Bill to toughen penalties for illegal herbicide useOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
House Bill 662 was filed in response to incidents last year in which farmers applied the product dicamba, resulting in damage to neighboring farmers’ crops that used seeds not resistant to that herbicide.

3-14-17 House advances ban on lobbyist gifts to local government and school officialsOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
House Bill 229 would bar gifts from lobbyists to local government officials, superintendents, school board members, members of charter school boards, and the staff and family members of such people.

3-10-17 Number 2 Corrections official faces committee investigating sexual harassment, retaliation in departmentOn Selection You Will Jump to the iframe below
A top Department of Corrections official has told a House subcommittee poor training, bureaucracy, and the Department’s growth have contributed to problems with harassment and retaliation among Missouri prison employees.

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