House Members Seek to Recognize “Hidden Figures” During Black History Month

As the state and the nation celebrate Black History Month in February, members of the Missouri House are working to recognize “hidden figures” in their district. The annual event is meant to celebrate the achievements made by black Americans, and to recognize the central role African Americans have played in the nation’s history.

The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The celebration was expanded to a month during the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. At that time, President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Now in theaters, the movie “Hidden Figures” tells the previously untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. The three African-American women worked at NASA where they calculated by hand the complex equations that allowed space heroes like Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard, and Glenn to travel safely to space.  The pioneering trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to make their dreams a reality.

Just as the movie shines a spotlight on the accomplishments of these outstanding women, the Speaker of the House has asked the members of the Missouri House of Representatives to honor African-American Missourians who have not been given the chance to be recognized for their achievements. House members will present each honoree with a resolution on the House floor on each Wednesday in February.

Updates on Legislation Filed by Don

HB 662 has made it through it's public hearing! We expect for it to pass out of Committee and head to the house floor within the next two weeks. 

HB 603 has also been publicly heard. It will be voted on in Committee soon as well.  

 

Governor Unveils Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2018

Governor Eric Greitens held a press conference Thursday to reveal his budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year that begins in July. Because of lagging revenue and faster-than-projected growth in health care expenditures, the governor’s budget makes more than $572 million in cuts across state government, and reduces the state workforce by 188 positions.

The House Budget Committee Chairman reacted to the governor’s proposal by saying, “It is the obligation of the General Assembly and the governor to balance the state budget in good times and bad. I commend Governor Greitens for making tough decisions. Over the next two months, the Budget Committee and entire House of Representatives will scrutinize the proposed cuts and increases and determine the greatest good that can be done for Missourians with the revenues available.  Furthermore, I commit to working with the Senate and the executive branch to advance long-term solutions that will provide greater stability and viability to future budgets while maintaining the state’s Triple A credit rating.”

Some of the highlights of the governor’s budget proposal include:

Right-to-Work Set to Be Signed into Law (SB 19)
 


The Missouri House gave final approval this week to Senate legislation that would make Missouri the nation’s 28th Right-to-Work state. The bill makes good on the promises of House Speaker Todd Richardson and Governor Eric Greitens, who both have pledged to make Missouri a Right-to-Work state in an effort to spur job creation and economic development.
 
The bill approved by the General Assembly would simply ensure employees are able to decide whether to join a labor union instead of being forced to join as a condition of employment. The bill also includes a clause that will exempt existing union contracts. Specifically, it exempts any current agreement between an employer and labor organization from the restrictions in the bill. However, the provisions of the bill will apply to any current agreement that is later renewed, extended, amended, or modified.
 
Right-to-work supporters have highlighted the importance of giving workers the freedom to decide whether to join a union, and the increased level of accountability that union members would see from their unions as a result. Supporters also note that Missouri is in fierce competition with other states for jobs and that Right-to-Work will make the state a more attractive location for businesses seeking to relocate or expand.
 
Advocates cite statistics showing states with Right-to-Work experience healthier job growth than those without. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Right-to-Work states added 8.6 percent more new jobs in the last decade. During the same time period, non-Right-to-Work states grew employment by only 5 percent. During that same time, GDP in Right-to-Work states increased by 15.3 percent. In contrast, non-Right-to-Work states grew by 11.9 percent. Supporters have also said that Right-to-Work does not negatively impact worker pay. They cite U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis statistics that show wage growth in both Right-to-Work and non-Right-to-Work states increased by the same margin of 7.7 percent.
 
When it is signed into law by Governor Greitens, the provisions in the bill will take effect August 28 of this year.


Lawmakers Reject Proposed Pay Increase (HCR 4)
 


After several hours of discussion Monday evening, the Senate voted to join the House in rejecting proposed pay raises for elected officials and judges. The resolution approved by both chambers will prevent the pay increase recommendations made by the Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials from going into effect. Lawmakers gave bipartisan support to the measure as they noted it is not appropriate to use taxpayer dollars to increase their own pay. Members of the General Assembly have consistently voted every two years to reject proposals that increase their own pay. Lawmakers said it was even more important to reject an increase this year because of the state’s difficult budget situation. The measure now moves to the governor for his approval.
 


House Approves Collateral Source Reform Legislation (HB 95)


 
This week the Missouri House continued its work to improve the state’s legal climate in an effort to make the court system fair to all litigants, and to attract more job creators. As part of its tort reform package, the House approved legislation commonly referred to as collateral source reform.
 
The bill is meant to clarify that an injured person involved in a lawsuit can recover only the actual cost incurred for medical treatment. Specifically, the legislation would modify Missouri’s collateral source rule that currently prevents evidence from being admitted to show when a plaintiff’s losses have been compensated from other sources such as insurance or workers’ compensation.
 
Those who believe the collateral source rule needs to be reformed say the current system allows plaintiffs to make money by filing lawsuits for injuries that have already been covered by other sources. They say it allows individuals to recover damages or costs that were never incurred, while the intent of the law should be to make the plaintiff whole. Supporters also say the change would help Missouri shed its reputation as “judicial hellhole” and create a more business-friendly environment.
 
The change approved by the House clarifies that an injured person can recover the actual cost incurred for medical treatment rather than the inflated value of the treatment billed by a health care provider. Specifically, it allows evidence to be admitted in court showing the actual cost, rather than the value, of the medical care or treatment to the plaintiff.
 
The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill is similar to a measure approved by the General Assembly last year that was vetoed by the previous governor. Governor Greitens is expected to sign this year’s version of the bill into law if it receives approval from both chambers.



Expert Witness Legislation Receives House Approval (HB 153)
 


Continuing with its tort reform efforts, the House also gave approval this week to legislation meant to improve the reliability of expert evidence that is presented to juries in Missouri state courts. The bill would implement an established standard for determining when expert-witness testimony is admissible as evidence at trial.
 
The proposed standard, which is commonly referred to as the Daubert standard after a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court case, is used in federal courts and in more than two-thirds of the states. Under this standard, the trial judge acts as a gatekeeper to ensure that “expert” testimony is based on “sufficient facts or data” and is the product of “reliable principles and methods.” Currently in Missouri, judges admit expert testimony if it is based on facts that are “reasonably relied upon by experts in the field.”
 
Supporters of the change say the bill would ensure that testimony from someone designated by lawyers as an ‘expert’ can be relied upon by citizen jurors. They say the state should ensure that evidence presented in court is trustworthy and not just a product of how much a party can afford to pay a so-called expert to say whatever supports the party’s case.
 
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
 


Missouri Set to Issue Assistant Physician Licenses
 


Members of the Missouri General Assembly passed legislation in 2014 to help address the health care needs of Missourians in medically underserved areas. Now, the state is set to take applications beginning January 31 for the newly-created assistant physician positions that are the first of their kind in the nation. 
 
The assistant physician position is open to medical school graduates who have passed the first two rounds of licensing exams, but have not completed a residency program. As assistant physicians, they will be able to provide primary care services while under the supervision of another physician. Assistant physicians are allowed to enter a collaborative practice arrangement with a licensed physician in a medically underserved area. The arrangement will allow the assistant physician to gain knowledge and experience while giving people in rural areas additional access to care.
 
As the sponsor of the bill noted, “many doctors can begin working instead of waiting on a residency, and several underserved areas will have access to an assistant physician.”
While the legislation was approved in 2014, it took more than two years for the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts to create rules and regulations for the position. The board officially began taking applications Tuesday, January 31. Additional information is available online at http://pr.mo.gov/healingarts.asp.
 

Remembering and Honoring Missouri Veterans

 

Veterans who wish to share their stories are encouraged to make a trip to the State Capitol to participate in the Missouri Veterans History Project.

 

The MVHP is a not-for-profit corporation organized to interview and record the stories of Missouri’s veterans. The project collects first-hand recollections of their service to provide a richer and more personal context to historical accounts. The recordings are provided to the veteran free-of-charge and are archived and made available to scholars, students, veterans and the public through a partnership with the State Historical Society of Missouri, the Library of Congress and other organizations. The videotaped stories are archived by the Library of Congress and the state Historical Society of Missouri for future generations. 

 

Videographers from the MVHP will be at the State Capitol in Room 426 on February 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Veterans interested in having their experiences recorded should contact Mr. Kirk Klinger at 660-882-1274 to schedule a date and time.  Each recording is expected to take approximately one hour to complete.