Missouri House Republicans, Democrats lay out 2018 priorities

Republican and Democratic leaders in the Missouri House of Representatives laid out their priorities for the 2018 legislative session.

House Speaker Todd Richardson said on Wednesday that he hoped to have a bill that would ban lobbyist gifts through the House by next week. The House passed a similar measure last year with a 149-5 vote, but the effort stalled in the Senate. Richardson said he was optimistic the bill could make it to Governor Eric Greitens’s desk this year. Greitens has said he supports a ban on gifts.

“I’m very optimistic that we’re going to continue a good, strong working relationship with the Senate,” Richardson said. “And I’m hopeful that we’ll see the Senate take up and pass that bill.”

Minority Floor Leader Gail McCann Beatty (D – Kansas City) said she and the party will focus on bills addressing the opioid crisis and ethics reform this year. ABC 17 News was there when Beatty and others unveiled a package of bills taking on the opioid addiction.