March 4, 2024 Capitol Report
We are two weeks out from legislative Spring Break, which is considered the halfway point of our legislative session. It is often considered that bills that have not made it through one chamber before Spring Break have little chance of success. At this point, the House has sent 16 bills to the Senate, and the Senate has sent two bills to the House.
I met with Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary R. Russell this week. It is very clear to me that in a court case, having the facts and law on one's side is not enough; there must also be a judge who rules on that basis.
The Missouri House heard HB 2634 on the Floor this week, related to Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood facilities. I inquired of the sponsor, Rep. Cody Smith, about his plans for dealing with the fact that it conflicts with federal statutes on Medicaid funding, specifically the Free Choice of Provider regulation. He stated that nobody had brought that to his attention up until that point. I expressed my disappointment that we have not sought clarification with HHS that funding will continue if we violate federal regulations. I believe other states have passed similar laws to cut Planned Parenthood funding; however, the fact that a law has not been enforced in the past does not mean it won't be enforced.
Committee Hearing:
HB 1763
Last Monday, the Special Committee on Government Accountability had a hearing on HB 1763, or rather, on a committee substitute of HB 1763 that was sent to committee members two hours before the hearing. (I have not yet received a response to my inquiry about whether the substitute that we debated in committee was sent through House Drafting.) The Committee Substitute is not yet available on the House website.
During the hearing, we learned about Karpel, which is the prosecution management program used by some of the prosecutors' offices in Missouri. They receive state funding (although I'm told they do not receive general revenue funds), and the HCS we debated would punish prosecutors' offices for not reporting to the Karpel database system.
Former US Attorney General Bill Barr was spotted in the basement of the Missouri Capitol immediately prior to the hearing.
Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
I visited Whitehaven this week on the 160th anniversary of President Lincoln nominating Grant as the Lieutenant General of the Union Army. I have enjoyed learning about the Civil War more recently, and about how the laws of war from that time have evolved into more modern Geneva and Hague conventions. I found this, from Article 20 of the Lieber Code of 1863, especially enlightening:
“It is a law and requisite of civilized existence that men live in political, continuous societies, forming organized units, called states or nations, whose constituents bear, enjoy, suffer, advance and retrograde together, in peace and in war.”
Filing Day
Last Tuesday was the first day when candidates will file for office. I will be vacating my seat, so it was an honor to be visited by one of the candidates to replace me to serve in the 83rd District. Andrew Bolin has run for office before and his name appeared next to mine in November of 2022. We had a good discussion about his policy priorities (infrastructure, education) and what it is like to run for office six times.
I hope that the person who succeeds me in the 83rd District will be someone who will work for the good of the district and for the state of Missouri.
EPA Community Change Grants
Congresswoman Bush's has asked that my office make constituents aware of Community Change Grants through the US Environmental Protection Agency.
These Grants provide assistance to support climate resistance and environmental justice activities in disaster-prone areas. These grants are for disadvantaged communities as designated by the Inflation Reduction Act; the 83rd House district has one such census tract which is located in Maplewood. There are many other disadvantaged communities elsewhere in Missouri.