Mike Lear – Page 48 – Missouri House of Representatives Newsroom

Transportation Task Force proposes fuel tax increase, readies report to legislature

The 21^st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force is proposing an increase in the state’s fuel tax to support transportation infrastructure.

Representative Kevin Corlew (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

The Task Force met on Tuesday to finalize the recommendations that will go into the report it will release before the legislative session begins January 3. It says an increase of 10 cents in the tax on gasoline and of 12 cents in the tax on diesel would generate about $430-million annually for roads and bridges. $43-million of that would go to counties and $64.5-million would go to municipalities.

Such an increase would have to be put before Missouri voters.

“We really do need an immediate impact investment in transportation to move forward, and to really meet a lot of needs that have been arising over many years of neglect in terms of funding,” said the Task Force’s chairman, Kansas City Republican Kevin Corlew. “The first thing will be let’s make sure we give our transportation system – the people of Missouri – the shot in the arm in terms of transportation infrastructure that we need.”

The Task Force’s draft report said Missouri’s fuel tax burden is low – 46^th in the nation – and the proposed increase would amount to an additional $5 per month for the average Missouri driver.

The report also recommends the implementation of a revenue stream dedicated to multimodal transportation (railways, aviation, mass transportation, ports, waterways, and transportation for the elderly and disabled). The Task Force suggests restructuring Missouri’s Timely Filing Discount on retail sales or withholding tax and/or the discount given to companies that file employee withholding taxes on time.

“Recognizing that all of us benefit from a transportation system and particularly our retail businesses – and they’ve all come around and testified to us, many business groups, on the importance of it – we feel like that’s an area where there’s no additional taxation but we could restructure that … and not suggesting that we do away completely with that,” said Corlew.

He said a restructuring of the Timely Filing Discount could generate $50- to $70-million, which is the range of amounts the Task Force identified as enough to enhance multimodal transportation.

The Task Force also discussed a need to make transportation revenue sustainable long-term. Recommendations to that end include increases in usage fees for electric and hybrid vehicles; increases in license, registration, and other non-fuel user fees; exploration of additional taxation of internet sales; and tolling on major bridges.

Other recommendations address safety, exploring and supporting innovation, and considering legislative action to remove barriers to various types of projects, including public-private partnerships.

Corlew said, as he has before, that this Task Force was more than, “just another government study … That’s why we worked extraordinarily hard to find a consensus on some of these solutions, that’s why we reached out to Missouri citizens at our meetings and individual members reached out to their communities at home to get the ideas.”

“We are fully committed to making sure that we really do move our transportation system forward and work as hard as we can to make sure that these recommendations are put into place,” said Corlew.

The Task Force includes 23 members from the state House and Senate, the Governor’s office, members of state agencies including the Departments of Transportation and Economic Development and the Highway Patrol, and representatives of business organizations. It could continue meeting through the end of 2018.

Democrats propose multi-pronged attack on opioid abuse

Missouri House Democrats say the fight against opioid abuse is about more than passing a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. They today unveiled a slate of legislation that would attack the problem by addressing a number of other issues.

House Democrat Leader Gail McCann-Beatty and Representative Gina Mitten speak about their caucus’ multi-bill approach to attacking opioid abuse in Missouri. (Photo; Chris Moreland, Missouri House Communications)

“The opioid disorder crisis is multi-faceted,” said House Democrat Leader Gail McCann-Beatty (Kansas City).

Democrats continue to support passage of a statewide prescription drug monitoring program to track the use of prescription narcotics. Such legislation has advanced farther through the legislative process in each of the past few sessions, but fallen short of passage. Last year St. Louis Democrat Fred Wessels sponsored such legislation that was combined with a bill sponsored by Sikeston Republican Holly Rehder and fell just short of final passage. Both representatives will sponsor such legislation again this year.

In addition, Democrats have filed bills that would require pharmacies to post information about methods and locations for the safe disposal of unused medication; require for medical professionals with prescribing authority at least four hours of training on the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs and recognizing addiction in patients; require the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to mirror federal regulations for prescribing opioids for chronic pain; require insurance coverage of medication assisted treatment and remove insurer-proposed barriers to addiction services; establish a sterile needle and syringe exchange pilot program; require the Show-Me Healthy Babies program to cover substance abuse treatment for women up to one year post-partum; and expand the use of CBD or hemp oil to include being used as a pain management alternative for those with a history of opioid abuse.

“Substance disorders need to have an all-of-the-above approach and what we’re proposing here is just that. We’re not only talking about PDMP. We’re talking about a number of other options; tools that should basically be put in the toolbox of not just the medical community but our entire community,” said Representative Gina Mitten (D-St. Louis).

Mitten is sponsoring the bills that deal with safe disposal of abused prescription medication and additional training for prescribers.

Missouri is the only state in the nation without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Many counties in the state are participating in a program initially launched in the St. Louis region, and Governor Eric Greitens (R) signed an executive order creating a tracking program for some prescription information handled by one benefits provider.

The legislation discussed today by House Democrats is for the 2018 legislative session, which begins January 3.

Bill would push 17-year-olds to juvenile court system

A House Republican will again this year propose that Missouri increase the age at which young offenders can be tried in Missouri’s adult courts.

Representative Nick Schroer (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

17-year-olds can be prosecuted in adult courts. O’Fallon Representative Nick Schroer wants to “raise the age” to 18. He said the bill has broad, bipartisan support.

“In the state of Missouri you have to be 18 to enter into a contract without parental consent. You have to be 18 to buy cigarettes, you have to be 18 to join the military, buy a lottery ticket, or even vote. You even have to be 21 to purchase or consume alcohol in our state,” said Schroer, “but there is one place where juveniles are still treated as adults – in our courtrooms.”

Schroer on Friday pre-filed House Bill 1255, which mirrors House Bill 274 from the 2017 session. He said by passing it and increasing that age to 18, Missouri would save money by reducing recidivism; would allow more offenders to use the resources of the juvenile justice system to hold them accountable and rehabilitate them; and would strengthen Missouri’s workforce and economy by keeping 17 year-olds from having criminal records.

Schroer said his bill would also protect the rights of Missouri parents.

“When a 17-year-old is arrested currently, parents are excluded from being informed of what is going on. They do not have a right to be involved in the interrogation, they do not have a right to be involved in the court process,” said Schroer.

One of the hang-ups of past “raise the age” legislation has been the projected cost to Missouri. Schroer said those estimates have been inaccurate. He said in the 45 states that have passed similar laws, their projections of cost were also high but once the laws were in place, the actual costs were far lower and some states saved money.

“That is why I am happy to announce that with the many different fiscal notes that were associated with this bill in 2017, I am reaching out to Missouri State University to take a look at what the true economic impact of this legislation would be,” said Schroer. “I am confident that once this report is done that it will show what the 45 other states have shown – that raise the age legislation reduces crime, saves taxpayer dollars, and keeps Missourians safe.”

Schroer said it should be a goal to keep young people out of Missouri’s adult court and prison system.

“When you put a young person, with their brain still developing, you put them in a system where they’re going to learn the traits in the adult system … they’re going to learn how to scheme, the ways of the criminal, so-to-speak,” said Schroer. “When they come out with a criminal record, it’s hard for them to get a job; it’s hard for them to make ends meet. When their back’s against the wall they’re going to go to what they know. In these situations a lot of these kids that have been put through the adult system what they know is how to commit crime.”

Schroer said his legislation would allow minors who have committed heinous or repeated offenses to be certified as an adult.

HB 1255 is one of 13 bills Schroer filed today, and one of hundreds pre-filed for the 2018 legislative session which begins January 3.

House lawmaker honored for work on newborn screenings legislation

A Missouri House member has been recognized for her work to screen Missouri newborns for two life-threatening diseases.

Representative Becky Ruth received the “Abbey” RareVoice Award for State Advocacy from Rare Disease Legislative Advocates at a ceremony in Washington D.C., November 15, 2017. This was for her work on House Bill 66, the language of which was added to a larger bill and became law.

Representative Becky Ruth (R-Festus) sponsored legislation that became law this year that will expand newborn screenings to look for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and mycopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II), otherwise known as Hunter syndrome. Missouri becomes the first state to offer newborn screenings for those conditions.

For her work, Rare Disease Legislative Advocates presented Ruth with the “Abbey” RareVoice Award for State Advocacy. She received the award at a ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

“I’m very, very honored to receive this award. I actually cried whenever I got the news that I had been chosen for the award,” Ruth said. “I always go back to giving credit, though, to my grandson Brady. He’s the reason why we have expanded newborn screening in our state. He’s the reason why Missouri is actually number one when we look at newborn screening throughout our entire country – even internationally.”

Both genetic diseases can be fatal, but children can have better outcomes the earlier each are detected. Ruth said that’s what is truly rewarding about sponsoring her legislation.

“Children with these diseases – they’re going to go through a whole myriad of diagnoses just trying to find out what’s wrong with them, and when they are finally diagnosed it’s pretty severe by that point. These children will eventually die,” said Ruth. “With the early intervention with the newborn screening, we’re going to actually be able to save their lives. They’re going to be able to go on and live very healthy, normal lives.”

Ruth became involved in issues regarding newborn screenings after her grandson, Brady Alan Cunningham, was diagnosed with Krabbe.

Ruth credits Grace Grutter and Leslie Derrington, two mothers of children with SMA who testified during legislative hearings on her language, for helping push it to passage.

Ruth became interested in sponsoring her 2017 legislation after attending a conference on Krabbe, the genetic disease her grandson, Brady Alan Cunningham, had. It was his condition that helped spur passage of House Bill 716 in 2009 which expanded newborn screenings for that and other conditions. Ruth’s legislation this year expanded on what the 2009 bill accomplished.

Her bill means that screenings will be conducted for all Missouri newborns whose parents don’t opt out of them. The bill gives until 2019 for screenings to start, but Ruth said there is a chance they will begin earlier.

Task Force on Dyslexia issues recommendations for dyslexia screenings of Missouri students

A Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia has completed its work and released recommendations for having Missouri public school students screened for dyslexia.

Representative Kathy Swan (left) listens as Kim Stuckey, Director of Dyslexia Specialists at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, discusses the report of the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia. (photo; Chris Moreland, Missouri House Communications)

The Task Force’s report to legislative leaders and the governor recommends that all students in kindergarten through grade three be screened for dyslexia and related disorders beginning in the 2018-19 school year. It also recommends that students who have not been previously screened, and who have been identified as “struggling” in literacy, be screened.

The Task Force was chaired by Cape Girardeau representative Kathy Swan (R), who said early identification of reading difficulties is key to helping children get the education they need.

“By identifying and addressing this reading failure, students will not only be successful in school but successful in life. If our children do not learn to read they will, and cannot, read to learn,” said Swan. “This small investment today will have long-term benefits for not only students and families but for the economic and social benefits of our communities and for our state.”

It is also recommended that schools require two hours of in-service training in assessing reading difficulties. Currently schools are required only to offer such training.

Swan said it is also important that Missouri colleges’ and universities’ teacher education programs address dyslexia characteristics, identification, and intervention.

Task Force member Erica Lembke chairs the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri. She said she is excited about what the recommendations could mean for teacher education programs.

Erica Lembke, chair of the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri, comments on the report of the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia. (photo; Chris Moreland, Missouri House Communications)

“It’s critically important that this content is delivered and infused in our teacher preparation courses at the colleges and universities in Missouri,” said Lembke.

The Task Force’s report says the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) should recommend a process for universal screening that includes a multi-tiered support system. It stresses that districts should make clear to parents that a positive screening for dyslexia is not a diagnosis.

The Task Force was created with the passage of House Bill 2379 in 2016. It required that public schools in Missouri screen for dyslexia and related disorders, and established that DESE would develop rules for screenings based on the Task Force’s recommendations.

Earlier story: Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia holds first hearing, Rep. Swan selected as chair

Westchester Elementary students reject mock legislation to eliminate recess

An attempt to eliminate recess in the Westchester Elementary School was unanimously defeated today in the Missouri Capitol, by a legislative committee made up of members of its 4^th grade class.

Students Keaton Bradshaw (left, holding base of microphone), Jacob Whitson, and Keaton Coldwater testified against a mock bill that would have eliminated recess at their school, Westchester Elementary, while 4th grade teacher Brigette Ryan (left) listens.

The class held a mock hearing on the proposal, giving its students a chance to learn more about how the legislative process works.

The hearing was chaired by Kirkwood Democrat Deb Lavender, whose district includes Westchester Elementary.

“How many of you were upset when I told you there had been a bill filed to take away recess?” Lavender asked the students, who all put their hands up in response. “And even when I told you I was just kidding you were still a little upset because it might be true, right?”

Lavender explained that sometimes people come to the Capitol to testify on real bills that they have a concern about, just as students today testified about this made-up legislation.

The students had prepared in the weeks leading up to the mock hearing learning how the legislative process works and preparing to make their case against the banning of recess.

The mock bill was introduced by 4^th grade teacher Jeni Ono, who presented the arguments for this made-up proposal.

“According to an article in Education World, students need to prepare by spending more time on academics in order to perform well on standardized tests, and we need those test scores to be as high as possible,” said Ono. “To be successful in life children need academic learning. Trimming a few minutes off of recess or even eliminating it altogether won’t hurt children at all. They get a lot of time at home, after school hours to get physical activity in the day.”

No one spoke in favor of eliminating recess except Ono and her fellow 4^th grade teacher Brigette Ryan.

Children argued that recess gives them time in sunlight during which they are exposed to healthy Vitamin-D, that it gives them time to interact socially, and that studies have shown that children need time for unstructured play in order to thrive.

4^th grader Keaton Coldwater said sometimes kid need a break just like adults.

“When you’re in class sometimes it gets uncomfortable, and you just want to get outside and do something other than just sit in class, so it reduces stress. If you’re stressed about something you just get outside and play,” said Coldwater.

The student committee held a vote and the mock bill to eliminate recess was defeated 11-0. Lavender noted this was the third year such a proposal had been offered and defeated, and she expects it will come up again for future students to consider.

House Budget Committee unhappy with how Greitens administration created drug monitoring program

State House Budget Committee members are not pleased with how Governor Greitens’ (R) administration paid for a new prescription drug monitoring program.

The Missouri House Budget Committee (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

The Governor created the program with an executive order issued in July. It includes a $250,000 no-bid contract with Express Scripts, under which that company provides data to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The Department uses that data to try to identify prescription drug abusers.

Legislators on the budget committee are frustrated that the administration created and found a way to pay for that program without their input or approval.

Versailles Republican David Wood said it looks bad for this new program to have been announced at a time when the governor has withheld money from other state programs, and after the legislature refused to fund many things saying the state is in a tight budget year.

“It makes me look like a liar,” said Wood.

The Office of Administration’s budget director, Dan Haug, told legislators the money came from additional federal funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that the state had not anticipated it would get. He said the administration was free to use that money as it saw fit, and used it to address what it sees as a crisis: prescription drug abuse.

Yukon Republican Robert Ross said the administration circumvented the legislature’s authority and used money that could have supported other state needs, including some the legislature voted to pay for but that later saw the governor withhold the funding.

Budget Director for the Greitens’ Administration, Dan Haug, took the brunt of criticism from House Budget Committee members over how the administration paid to create a prescription drug monitoring program. (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

“You are taking that money away from someone else,” said Ross. “Now we could have that discussion of whether it’s more deserving to go to the kids, or whether it’s more deserving to go to the seniors, or whether it’s more deserving to go to those with disabilities, but at the end of the day you are taking that money from one of these other groups.”

Criticism came from both supporters and opponents of prescription drug monitoring with those on both sides saying their problem was not with the program the governor launched, but with how he launched it.

It also came from both political parties.

Springfield Democrat Crystal Quade told Haug it was “extremely frustrating” that CHIP money was used in a way that the legislature had no say in.

“I hope that as you all continue to come up with these new ideas to address this crisis that you bring them to use before you start moving money around,” said Quade.

House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob) suggested the administration should not move forward with its drug monitoring program, and to instead bring it as a proposal to the legislature during the next budget process. He urged administration officials to halt the transfer of that CHIP money to pay for the program, and to not sign a contract with Express Scripts.

“My suggestion would be to not do that,” said Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick called the use of that money, without the legislature’s approval, a “breach of trust.”

House Budget Committee members frustrated by Capitol metal detectors

Members of the state House Budget Committee have told the Greitens Administration they aren’t pleased with how it paid to keep operating metal detectors in the State Capitol.

House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

The state legislature passed a budget that approved paying for additional police officers to patrol the Capitol while the metal detectors, which were installed shortly before Eric Greitens (R) became governor, would be removed. Greitens’ administration has paid contract workers to continue operating those detectors using money out of a fund for building maintenance.

Lawmakers on the budget committee expressed frustration not only at how the administration is paying for those contract workers, but also at Greitens’ continued support for using metal detectors.

“If the administration had come out at the beginning of the year and said, ‘We think these metal detectors need to be here,’ and there was clear communication that that was the intent of the administration, I think it’s far more likely that there would have been an appropriation for the manning of the metal detectors,” said Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob). “The public communication that was out there was that the administration was not in favor of metal detectors.”

Representative Kathie Conway (R-St. Charles), who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety, was critical of the administration’s decision to use money from the maintenance fund to pay to staff the detectors – a step that was done without the legislature knowing about it or approving it.

“We need to be in the loop,” said Conway.

Not all budget committee members were as upset with the administration’s actions.

Kansas City Democrat Greg Razer asked Greitens’ Office of Administration Commissioner, Sarah Steelman, what would happen if the detectors are removed and an incident occurs at the Capitol.

Sarah Steelman is the Commissioner of the Office of Administration, under the administration of Governor Eric Grietens. She testified to the House Budget Committee that the administration wants to keep metal detectors in the Capitol. (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications).

“The governor works here, the legislature works here, and anyone who’s here during the springtime knows that there are hundreds of rambunctious, loud fourth graders that roam this hall … if we remove the metal detectors and, God forbid, something horrible happens in the halls of this building and one of those kids are hurt, can we look that parent in the eye and say we did everything we could to protect your kid?” asked Razer.

“No, I don’t think we can,” said Steelman.

Fitzpatrick said he is, “somewhat indifferent,” about the metal detectors being in place, but he remains frustrated about the administration funding the staffing of those without the legislature’s approval.

He did say he does not want to see Capitol Police officers staffing those detectors after the legislature approved money for more officers to be hired so the Capitol halls would be patrolled.

“I’m going to have a major problem with that,” said Fitzpatrick.

House does not override any vetoes; aims for new plan to help disabled, elderly

The Missouri legislature did not act to override any of Governor Eric Greitens’ (R) vetoes of its legislation in the veto session that began Wednesday at noon.

Representative Deb Lavender came up with an earlier version of a “fund sweep” plan when the House was working on a proposed state budget. (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

The House was asked to consider overriding one veto; that of House Committee Bill 3. That bill would have reduced cuts to reimbursement rates for nursing homes and in-home care providers by taking $35-million from surpluses in multiple state funds. Governor Greitens called the proposal unconstitutional and a one-time fix to a long-term issue.

House and Senate leadership confirmed Wednesday those chambers would work together to create within three weeks a new funding solution to preserve care for the more than 8,000 Missourians who would be impacted by those cuts.

The House voted not to overturn that veto, 49-106, with most Republicans voting to sustain.

Kirkwood Democrat Deb Lavender was the chief architect of the idea of a “fund sweep,” as called for by HCB 3. She made the motion to overturn the veto.

“With the unnecessary veto of House Committee Bill 3, the governor took away independence from these 8,000 individuals, stripped $34.5-million out of our local economies, and threatened the care provided by our nursing homes to our elderly,” said Lavender. “By the stroke of his pen the governor ignored a hard-found, bipartisan compromise intended to ensure that the disabled and elderly individuals continue to get the care they need.”

House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick is charged with representing the House in developing a new funding plan to preserve services for more than 8,000 disabled and elderly Missourians. (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

House Republicans said voting to override the veto wouldn’t accomplish anything because the wording of HCB 3 gives the Greitens’ administration the option of sweeping those funds, so he could still elect not to do it even if the bill were passed.

House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob) said the House should instead focus on the effort to create a new, long-term plan to maintain services to those 8,000 Missourians.

“Do I think that it’s possible to get to a place where we can put something on the table that can pass? I think it’s absolutely possible,” said Fitzpatrick, who was asked along with Senator Mike Cunningham to work with their colleagues to develop a plan.

If they are successful, the legislature would next be asked to consider voting to call itself into special session to consider that plan. That would require approval by at least three-fourths of the legislators in each chamber.

Democrats were not convinced that the answer is to wait for a new plan to be developed.

“We’ve had all summer to work on this and no one even saw that it was important enough to pull together,” said House Democrat leader Gail McCann Beatty (Kansas City).

The House adjourned with no motions having been made to consider overrides on any other vetoes. The Missouri Senate did not send the House any veto overrides to consider.

Sponsor of bills to help overdose victims looks for next challenge in drug abuse fight

The sponsor of Missouri’s new law providing some immunity for those seeking help for overdose victims says he’s achieved all he set out to do, and is looking for other ways to help substance abusers.

Representative Steve Lynch (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Senate Bill 501 contained language offered by Representative Steve Lynch (R-Waynesville). It provides immunity to anyone seeking medical help for themselves or anyone else who is overdosing, from crimes including possessing small amounts of drugs; probation, parole, or restraining order violations; and underage drinking.

Lynch said that combined with other laws allowing first responders, friends, and loved ones of abusers to have and administer naloxone – a drug that counteracts opioid overdoses – could save lives. Lawmakers considering the bill heard that often a person will die of an overdose or from drinking too much because others don’t call for help out of fear they will be prosecuted for crimes or face other consequences.

“In North Carolina where they did their bills the same year it was just a couple years later that there were more drug rescues than there were overdose deaths,” said Lynch. “We are certainly hoping that will be the case for us.”

Lynch also sponsored the language that in 2014 and 2016 became the laws related to naloxone.

He began working on these issues after learning that the son of one of his childhood friends died of a heroin overdose.

“What inspired me was he was taking his sadness and turning it into something positive, and he became an advocate that other parents wouldn’t have to go through what he did,” said Lynch, who said as he’s worked on these issues he’s seen many other parents who do the same. “To turn all their energies around and to try and get laws changed, to raise awareness … It inspired me to get into an area that I don’t really know much about.”

Having sponsored now a series of laws aimed at saving the lives of overdose victims, Lynch is now wondering what the next such issue to tackle might be. He’s meeting with the advocacy groups he’s worked with before in looking for the next steps that could be taken.

“Most of those areas are going to be in the treatment side and in the prevention side, and certainly those are so important,” said Lynch. “Saving their lives is such a narrow part but important part of it, but if we can get people not to use it or if we can get people off of heroin or the opioid addiction … I’m really looking forward to making some progress on some treatment laws.”

Meanwhile, Lynch says there must be an awareness campaign so that people with drug problems know about the laws that have been passed in recent years and can take advantage of them.

“I’ve already talked to some of the people that I’ve been dealing with on these bills for years, particularly in the metropolitan areas, to run some big awareness [campaigns] that you can call because if they don’t know, they’re still not going to call,” said Lynch. “Unfortunately it’s not just the metro areas that are having problems – it’s everywhere.”

The immunity law is often called the “Good Samaritan” law, or “Bailey and Cody’s Law,” for two overdose victims whose parents believe having it in place might have saved their children’s lives.