January 29, 2024 Capitol Report
The cold slowed us down again this week, but it's going to be hard to get anything done before the Senate breaks its stalemate. They have a deadline at the end of the week to confirm gubernatorial appointments; any appointments that Parson made during the interim who are not confirmed by Friday will not be eligible to be appointed again.
Two of these appointments are Paula Nickelson, appointed as Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, and Robert Knodell, appointed as Director of the Department of Social Services. These two departments touch more lives, in a more fundamental way, than any other department of state government. All business of the Senate stopped after their confirmation was called up (with others) for a vote on Thursday, January 18. I urge the Senate to confirm these appointments as soon as possible and continue with the work of government.
State of the State
Governor Parson delivered his State of the State address this week, long on memories but short on policies. You can read more about the speech on the Missouri Independent.
Here is the archive version of the speech.
Food Drive
As a policy wonk, I focus more on policy change than on direct service, but both are needed.
At church yesterday, we learned about the food drive members held on Saturday at Schnuck's. As people went in, they were asked to grab items to give to the Church's Little Free Pantry.
I was touched by the stories told about individuals who gave. One woman bought 6 cans of hearty soup--because one can of soup is a meal, and for her, sometimes that has been her only meal of the day. Another gentleman left a note of thanks in the pantry, stating that he lives in a tent and takes care of his aging mother. He takes from the pantry when he needs and gives when he can.
As the stories were told, I found myself asking, why do we allow people to live this way? People are so generous when they see the need--but as a state, the needs gap cannot be overcome by generosity.
Policy change is needed. Our departments don't do what is needed. But good policy will never be enough -- we will always need generosity and direct service.
Audit of Secretary of State's Office
Last week, the Missouri Auditor's Office released an audit of the Missouri Secretary of State's office. The audit expressed concerns about the withdrawal from ERIC (Election Registration Information Center), a multi-state collaboration to improve election integrity. The auditor's office also stated significant concern about the Secretary of State office's refusal to cooperate with the Auditor and give information as required by law.
You can read the audit summary and the full audit report. Secretary of State Ashcroft calls the audit a "political opinion under the guise of an audit report." See his statement.
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
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.