February 5, 2024 Capitol Report
It's hard to believe that we're a month into session already. Last week, we passed the Open Enrollment bill (HB 1989) out of the House, and the Senate moved on all of the Governor's appointments before the deadline.
My committee will have its first meeting for the year on Monday - the Special Committee on Government Accountability will hold a hearing at noon to hear two bills on religious freedom. I look forward to learning more about these bills.
On the House floor, we have several bills on the Perfection calendar, including a bill on concealed carry permits and a bill on regulatory oversight. I look forward to a robust debate on these bills.
Public Meeting
Last Thursday, I attended the Hadley Democratic Township Club meeting.
For those not familiar with Township Clubs in St. Louis County, they form the backbone of the county Democratic party. Much of the 83rd District is in the Hadley Township, although the district also has residents in the Clayton and Gravois townships. I reside in Hadley Township.
I attended a public meeting of the Hadley Township Cub, as I had in the past, hoping to speak with constituents. It was clear I was not welcome at that meeting, and I was asked to leave as soon as the meeting was over by an employee of a statewide political campaign.
Israeli Consulate
On Tuesday, we will have a joint session led by Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the Israeli Consul General in Florida. I look forward to hearing what he has to say about mutually beneficial collaboration.
State of the Judiciary
On Wednesday, we will convene a joint session to hear the State of the Judiciary address from Judge Mary Rhodes Russell. I hope to learn more about how the judicial system is going to reform to better serve the people of Missouri.
Bills
I have filed the following bills this year:
HB 1839 - Renames Confederate Memorial State Historic Site
HB 1840 - Creates an Office of Inspector General within the Department of Social Services
HB 1841 - Allows the Department of Labor and the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute wage theft
HB 1842 - Replaces old statutory references to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act
HB 1843 - Adds tobacco products and vapor products to the "drug-free schools act"
HB 1844 - establishes protections for immigrants who are in rental housing
HB 1845 - Requires a Certificate of Value be filed when real property is transferred
HB 1846 - Abolishes the Death Penalty
HB 1994 - Establishes the Missouri Bureau of Investigation under the Office of Attorney General
The deadline for filing bills this year is March 1. As of February 4, there have been 1,274 bills filed in the House; 1 has been sent to the Senate.
Administrative Rules
One often-overlooked part of state government is Administrative Rules, which lay out the nuts and bolts of how the government follows the rules.
The February 1, 2024 Missouri Register proposes rule changes for the following Departments:
Conservation Commission (138)
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Division of Labor Standards (146)
Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (154)
Director of Revenue (157)
State Tax Commission (163)
Department of Commerce and Insurance
Board of Examiners for Hearing Instrument Specialists (164)
Division of Professional Registration (165)
Administrative rules govern much of the day-to-day workings of the state government. The legislature writes the laws - the basic framework. The administrative departments write the rules about how these laws are implemented.
Just like with the legislature, there is the opportunity for testimony on these rules. Usually, there is not a public hearing, but anyone can submit written testimony.
The Secretary of State’s Website has the Administrative Rules, as well as a listing of Emergency Rules and the Missouri Register, which contains proposed changes.
You can also sign up to be informed of administrative changes for specific issues.