Missouri Legislative Session Started January 5, 2022 : Week 1 Recap of AARP Missouri’s Priorities

Missouri Legislative Session Started January 5, 2022:
Week 1 Recap of AARP Missouri’s Priorities

First Supplemental Budget Hearing

On Monday, House Bill 3014 was heard in the House Budget Committee.  Most of the attention by the committee members was directed at the 5.5% increase in State Employee salaries.  Representative Scott Cupps (R-Shell Knob) asked whether a percentage increase was the most appropriate since many of the frontline workers are also the lowest paid, so they would see a smaller increase than middle managers.  State Budget Director Dan Haug pointed out that they have had flat dollar pay increases in the past, but that at this point, nearly every State employee is being paid well below market and that makes it difficult to recruit for almost every position.  He also pointed out that included in the increase is a new State base wage of $15 per hour, but that even that is below market in many areas.

It got much less attention from the Budget Committee, but also included is the funding for Medicaid Expansion, the federal funds for Home and Community Based Services, and Older American Act dollars.

The Committee members had no questions or comments about those sections, and Director Haug was obviously surprised.  Many members of the majority, who have opposed Medicaid Expansion in the past, have now said that it must be funded or Missouri will lose the entirety of the Medicaid program, which would cause hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Missourians to lose coverage, and devastate Missouri’s healthcare economy.

Director Haug also made it clear that these are just the first, and most pressing needs for the State Budget, but that the legislators should expect more supplemental bills along with the regular State Budget bills.

The House Budget Committee is expected to vote out HB 3014 on Wednesday, January 19^th.

Workplace Retirement Savings

The House Committee on Financial Institutions held a hearing on House Bill 1732, sponsored by Representative Michael O’Donnell (R-St. Louis County) on Wednesday.  The legislation establishes a retirement savings plan for employees of small businesses in the State Treasurer’s Office.  These accounts, similar to Missouri MOST 529 College Savings Accounts would allow people who do not currently have the ability to save money directly from their paychecks to save for retirement.

In previous years, there has been some opposition from the financial services industry, but this year, they declined to testify in opposition.  Only AARP Missouri testified on the legislation at all, and it was clear that there was overwhelming support from the committee members.

House Bill 1732 is scheduled to be voted out of committee on Wednesday, January 19^th.

Filibuster Rule Changes in the MO Senate

At the same time that some United States Senators are pushing for changes to limit the filibuster in Congress, the Missouri State Senate moved to strengthen the filibuster in their body. 

Currently, if a senator is holding the floor for an extended period of time, five senators may sign a letter and initiate a vote on a “previous question” motion, often called the PQ.  Once that letter is filed with the Secretary of the Senate, a vote of the majority of the senators can move to a vote on the underlying motion.  While this motion is rarely made in the State Senate, since it can cause other actions to come to a standstill, it remains a relatively low bar for a vote.

This week, Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo (D-Independence), worked with Senate President Dave Schatz (R-Franklin County), and Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) to make changes to the filibuster rules.  They proposed raising the number of signatures needed from 5 to 10, and requiring a two-thirds vote of the members present to end debate.  Several organizations opposed this move saying that it would prevent the passage of pro-life and pro-gun rights legislation.

Several members of the Conservative Caucus, a group of seven members of the majority caucus who have been critical of Senate Leadership, moved to prevent the changes, especially when it came to abortion or firearm legislation.  Those amendments failed, as did the change to a two-thirds vote, but the change in the number of signatures was passed.

Many observers of the Missouri General Assembly see this as a power shift in the State Senate after months of criticism of leadership by the Conservative Caucus, more moderate members of the Senate Majority seem to be allying themselves with the larger House Minority Caucus.

If this new dynamic holds, it could lead to more moderate legislation and less partisan political legislation passing the General Assembly.

House Considers Congressional Maps

The Missouri House has been busy looking into a whole range of changes to how elections are conducted.  First, they must redraw the district lines for the Congressional seats.  Several members of both bodies has pushed for new districts that will guarantee only one district – CD 1 in St. Louis – would be held by a Democratic Candidate, leaving the other seven for Republicans.  They point to the redistricting in neighboring Illinois, where the Democratic Legislature approved a map that increased the probability of more Democrats being elected to Congress.

Governor Parson declined to call a special session on redistricting this summer, which has given extra power to the minority caucuses in the General Assembly since an emergency clause, requiring a two-thirds vote, will now be required to meet election filing deadlines.  Their power was further increased when a group of majority members in the House resigned their offices to accept other positions in State Government and the private sector.

The House Committee on Redistricting this week passed what is being called a “status quo” map, with two likely Democratic seats – one in St. Louis and one in Kansas City, five likely Republican districts, and one leaning Republican district in the St. Louis suburbs.  Several members of the Conservative Caucus have pointed out that the “leaning” district is likely to swing to the Democrats in the coming decade.

House Elections Considers Changes to Initiative Petitions

The House Committee on Elections held a hearing on House Joint Resolution 79, which would restrict Missourians’ ability to change the State Constitution through the initiative petition process.  If passed by the General Assembly and the Missouri voters, this Constitutional Amendment would require that at least 10% of signatures be gathered in each of the 8 Congressional districts and that the initiative receive a two-thirds majority at the ballot box.