What the Missouri Legislature passed

Share |
What the Missouri Legislature passed
Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size

Here's how some of the major bills fared in the Missouri Legislature:

SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

UNEMPLOYMENT • Temporarily extends federally funded unemployment benefits to 99 weeks from 79 weeks. Reduces future benefits paid by state's employers to 20 weeks from 26. (HB163)

DOG BREEDING • Repeals most of Proposition B and sets new standards for veterinary care, housing and outdoor exercise at dog-breeding facilities. (SB113, SB161)

PIG ODOR • Restricts lawsuits stemming from odors and other environmental nuisances against large industrial hog operations. (SB187)

FRANCHISE TAX • Phases out tax on business assets over five years. (SB19)

PASSED

ABORTION • Bans abortion after 20 weeks of gestation except in medical emergency or when fetus is not viable. (HB213, SB65)

CONCEALED GUNS • Lowers minimum age to obtain a concealed-gun permit to 21 from 23. (HB294)

WATER PERMIT FEES • Renews water permit fees until Dec. 31, 2012, and makes other changes in environmental regulations. (HB89)

PROVIDER TAXES • Extends various medical provider taxes that help draw federal matching funds for Medicaid program. (SB62)

FOSTER CARE • Sets up fund to recruit and retain foster parents. (HB431)

STIMULUS • Reappropriates about $450 million for projects approved in 2009 and 2010 and paid for with federal stimulus funds. (HB18)

DRUG TESTS • Requires welfare recipients suspected of using illegal drugs to undergo drug testing. (HB73)

VOTER ID • Places a constitutional amendment on the November 2012 ballot that would require photo IDs to vote. Also establishes early voting. (SJR2, SB3)

SYNTHETIC DRUGS • Bans "bath salts" and expands ban on K2, synthetic marijuana. (HB641)

MISSOURI RX • Renews prescription drug subsidy program for elderly and disabled, which expires this summer. (HB412)

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY • Moves state's presidential primary from February to March. (SB282)

SMALL BUSINESS • Gives small businesses a $10,000 tax deduction for every new job they create from 2011 through 2014 if the job pays at least the county's average wage. (HB45)

HUMAN TRAFFICKING • Increases punishment for human trafficking crimes. (HB214)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE • Revises law on orders of protection and extends address confidentiality program for stalking victims. (SB320)

SEXUAL ABUSE • Requires school districts to inform other districts if a teacher is fired or forced to resign for sexually abusing a student. (SB54)

PRAYER • Proposes a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to pray on public property. (HJR2)

LICENSE PLATES • Authorizes a "Don't Tread on Me" specialty license plate. (HB307)

DID NOT PASS

TAX CREDITS • Authorizes $360 million in tax credits to entice international cargo shippers to use Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and revamps and reduces other tax credits. (HB116, SB100)

LOCAL CONTROL • Transfers control of St. Louis Police Department from state to city of St. Louis. (HB71, SB61)

TAX AMNESTY • Waives interest and penalties on delinquent state taxes for those who pay up between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 2011. (HB116)

TEACHERS • Abolishes tenure and institutes merit pay for public school teachers. (HB628)

COLD MEDICINES • Requires a prescription to purchase some cold and allergy medications with pseudoephedrine, an ingredient used in making meth. (HB658)

EDUCATION FORMULA • Rewrites formula that distributes aid to public elementary and secondary schools. (HB446, SB247)

HEALTH EXCHANGES • Establishes a board to help uninsured people and businesses buy health insurance as outlined under federal law. (HB609)

JUDGES • Changes nominating process for appellate and urban trial court judgeships selected under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. (SJR17)

SENTENCING COMMISSION • Abolishes Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission. (HB257)

BRIDGE NAME • Names the new Mississippi River bridge in St. Louis the Jerry F. Costello-William Lacy "Bill" Clay Sr. Veterans Memorial Bridge. (HB459)

'RIGHT TO WORK' • Outlaws employment contracts that make union dues or fees a condition of employment. (SB1)

PAYDAY LOANS • Caps interest on payday loans and allows loans to be renewed three times. (HB656)

SIZE OF HOUSE • Lowers the number of House members to 103 from 163. (SJR10)

HABILITATION CENTERS • Requires state to develop plan to transition disabled people living in six state-run facilities to community-based settings. (HB411)

'FAIR TAX' • Replaces state income tax with higher sales tax on broadened base. (HJR8)

DRIVERS LICENSES • Requires that drivers license tests be administered only in English or American Sign Language. (HB167)

CHARTER SCHOOLS • Broadens areas where charter schools can be located and who can sponsor them. (HB473)

MINIMUM WAGE • Eliminates annual cost-of-living adjustment approved by voters and caps state's minimum wage at federal level. (HB61)

PROPERTY TAX • Eliminates a tax break, part of the "circuit breaker," for elderly and disabled people who rent their homes. (HB116)

NUCLEAR PLANT • Lets Ameren Missouri recoup $45 million from ratepayers to pay for early site permit for a second nuclear reactor in Callaway County. (HB124, SB48)

TURNER FIX • Lets school districts limit the number of students they accept from unaccredited schools based on availability of teachers and classroom space. (HB763)

SHARIA LAW • Prohibits state courts from using international law or Sharia law. (HB708, HJR31)

SCHOOL SERVICES • Lets school districts jointly purchase supplies and share resources to reduce costs. (SB243)

CHILD CARE • Bars child care providers from operating while facing certain criminal charges. (HB562)

VETERANS • Proposes a constitutional amendment to require the state Lottery to establish a lottery ticket to support veterans homes. (HJR29)

ETHICS • Fixes unconstitutional ethics law that barred some banks from contributing to political action committees. (HB108)

A-PLUS SCHOOLS • Expands free community college tuition to all high school students who meet income guidelines.(HB232)

WORKERS' COMP • Restricts an employee's liability when a co-worker is injured. (SB8)

RENEWABLE ENERGY • Revises renewable energy standards enacted by Proposition C in 2008. (HB613)

VETOED

DISCRIMINATION SUITS • Makes it harder to prove discrimination cases against former employers. (SB188)

ENACTED OVER VETO

REDISTRICTING • Redraws boundaries for Missouri's congressional districts and reduces districts to eight from nine in accord with latest census. (HB193)

Copyright 2012 stltoday.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Print Email

Sponsored Links