2017 Missouri legislative session closes

With the traditional ceremonial paper toss, the 2017 Missouri legislative session ended at 6 Friday night.

The 99 th General Assembly did its business with high emotion at the Capitol in Jefferson City.

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty said, “With complete control of the state government, Republicans proved unable to govern in the 2017 Legislative Session, likely setting the record for the fewest number of bills passed in a regular session in state history.”

Republicans are a bit more upbeat about the session. Republican Sen. Caleb Rowden of Columbia said, “It was a bit tumultuous at times” but is proud of “the things we wanted to do, some labor reforms, some tort reforms, education reform moving further than it has previously. There’s a lot of good things.”

The Republican-controlled legislature pushed a number of measures onto the governor’s desk including a $27.7 billion for the fiscal year starting July 1. The budget plan fully funds K-12 schools but cuts core funding for public colleges and universities by nearly 7 percent.

After years of discussion, lawmakers passed the so-called Real ID measure. HB151 allows the option of getting a Missouri driver’s license that complies with the proof-of-identity requirements of the federal Real ID Act.

A bill that prohibits local governments from enacting minimum wages higher than the state’s minimum wage, made it through at the last minute

An ethics reform measure to limiting lobbyist gifts to elected officials did not make it. Sen. Rowden says he is optimistic it will pass in the near future.

SB43 is one of the more controversial bills to land on Gov. Greiten’s desk. The bill makes it harder to prove workplace and housing discrimination in court by requiring proof that race, gender, age or disability was “the motivating factor” instead of merely a contributing factor in decisions.

SB34 passed and if it’s signed into law as expected would enhance penalties for various crimes against law officers or their family members, creates a “Blue Alert” system to notify the public about suspects who kill or wound law officers and creates a crime of illegal re-entry for deported immigrants who return and commit certain crimes.

HB90 is one of the assembly’s failures. The bill would have created a state database to track prescription drug purchases.