Sen. Barbara Anne Washington’s Legislative Column for the Week of Feb. 7, 2022 – Missouri Senate

Redistricting Debate Stalls In Missouri Senate

The Missouri Senate spent a lot of the previous week working to deal with the problem of congressional redistricting. The Basic Meeting is tasked with redrawing the state’s congressional boundary traces to mirror modifications to the state’s inhabitants utilizing data from the U.S. census. The districts created must be compact and contagious, signify roughly equal quantities of the state’s inhabitants, and attempt to preserve communities of pursuits collectively as finest as attainable.

The proposed congressional map the Senate spent a lot of the week on was House Bill 2117, which is basically believed to protect the present partisan make-up of the state’s congressional delegation. Some senators, nevertheless, disagreed with this evaluation, and launched an over 30-hour filibuster in opposition to the invoice. Even after the filibuster ended, continued opposition to the proposed congressional map stalled a lot of the Senate’s deliberate legislative actions. As of this writing, the Senate has not been capable of transfer ahead with any proposed congressional map. As we search for a path ahead on this important challenge, know that my precedence is making certain the individuals of Jackson County are pretty represented by no matter map strikes ahead.

Senate Invoice 666 Fails in Committee

On Feb. 10, the Senate’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Security Committee voted 3-4 to defeat Senate Bill 666. This laws would change state regulation to permit somebody who used bodily or lethal pressure to be presumed to have acted in self-defense and “immune from legal prosecution or civil motion.” Not solely might that particular person not be prosecuted, the invoice would prohibit suspects from being arrested, detained or charged with against the law until authorities can show “by clear and convincing proof” that suspect didn’t act in self-defense.

Senators Block Affirmation of Well being Division Director

On Feb. 1, the Missouri Division of Well being and Senior Providers Director Donald Kauerauf was blocked from being confirmed to his place.

Kauerauf, a 30-year veteran of the Illinois Division of Public Well being with expertise in emergency administration, had been Missouri’s well being director since Sept. 1, however wanted to be confirmed by the Senate no later than Feb. 4 so as to preserve the job. Kauerauf confronted opposition from a variety of senators who had issues about his stances on COVID-19 vaccines in addition to masks mandates. Regardless of Kauerauf’s repeated public statements that he was opposed to those types of mandates, he continued to face opposition from a number of senators. Finally, Kauerauf’s appointment was by no means introduced up for a Senate vote, and because of this, he’s now constitutionally barred from being re-appointed to the submit sooner or later. Kauerauf has resigned, and the governor has since appointed Richard Moore to function appearing well being division director till a everlasting alternative is chosen. Moore had been the division’s common counsel.

Home Approves $4.6 Billion Supplemental Spending Invoice

On Feb. 10, the Home of Representatives voted 114-11 with an extra 25 members voting “current” to go a virtually $4.6 billion supplemental spending invoice that may distribute billions of {dollars} in federal pandemic aid funds to native public college districts, in addition to absolutely fund Missouri’s Medicaid program for the remainder of the FY 2022 fiscal 12 months.

House Bill 3014 authorizes considerably much less spending authority than the $5.27 billion the governor had initially requested, primarily by not appropriating as a lot federal funds. Whereas the governor requested establishing a $15-an-hour base wage for state staff via the invoice, the Home’s proposal solely included a $12-an-hour wage flooring for many departments. Each plans, nevertheless, embrace a 5.5% pay bump for all state staff. The invoice now advances to the Senate. Lawmakers should allocate about $2 billion in federal funding that’s set to run out in late March or the state will lose the cash.

Home Advances Plan to Restrict Initiative Petitions

The Missouri Home of Representatives voted 98-53 in favor of a proposed constitutional modification that may seemingly make it more durable to make use of the initiative petition course of to suggest and enact legal guidelines and constitutional amendments independently of the Basic Meeting. House Joint Resolution 79 will increase the variety of signatures from registered voters required for an initiative petition to qualify for the poll. Below the proposed constitutional modification, proposals that make it to the poll would additionally want approval from at the very least two-thirds of voters to go, as a substitute of the present easy majority. Home Joint Decision 79 now advances to the Senate. If it clears the Basic Meeting, the proposed constitutional modification would nonetheless must obtain approval from the voters earlier than turning into regulation.

Home Panel Advances Proposal to Alter Medicaid Enlargement

The Home Price range Committee voted on Feb. 7 to advance a proposed constitutional modification geared toward stopping the state from funding voter-approved Medicaid enlargement. House Joint Resolution 117 would empower the Legislature to dam providers to the expanded inhabitants by withholding funding, and now goes to the total Home of Representatives for additional debate. If the proposal clears each chambers of the Legislature, it could go on the Nov. 8 statewide poll for voter ratification.

Supreme Court docket Hears Problem to Gun Nullification Regulation

On Feb. 7, the Missouri Supreme Court docket heard arguments in a case difficult a 2021 regulation that declares federal gun legal guidelines unenforceable in Missouri. The arguments primarily targeted on procedural questions, with little dialogue of the case’s deserves. The courtroom will challenge its ruling at a later date.

In 2021, the Basic Meeting handed House Bill 85. Later that 12 months, St. Louis Metropolis, St. Louis County and Jackson County filed a lawsuit claiming HB 85 violates the U.S. Structure’s Supremacy Clause, which prohibits particular person states from invalidating federal legal guidelines. An legal professional for the U.S. Division of Justice appeared earlier than the state excessive courtroom to argue in help of putting down the brand new regulation, saying it has chilled cooperation between state and federal regulation enforcement officers in legal investigations. Along with purporting to nullify federal gun legal guidelines, HB 85 permits Missouri police departments to be sued for aiding federal authorities.

Decide Principally Upholds Poll Language on Schooling Proposal

On Feb. 2, a Cole County choose largely upheld the poll language the secretary of state wrote for a proposed constitutional modification that may prohibit diverting taxpayer funding to personal colleges via vouchers or tax credit. The choose, nevertheless, did rewrite a portion of the secretary of state’s language pertaining to a provision requiring the state to implement a uniform course of for evaluating and accrediting public colleges.

Supporters of the proposed modification sued the secretary of state in October, claiming his poll language offered a “distorted characterization” of what it could do and was “calculated to prejudice voters towards the measure.” The backers are searching for to place the measure on the Nov. 8 statewide poll through the initiative petition course of, which permits voters to suggest and enact laws independently of the Basic Meeting.

One part of the proposed modification states its intent is to protect income obtainable for public colleges by largely prohibiting efforts to subsidize personal colleges with public funds, topic to a listing of 5 slender exceptions. The Basic Meeting final 12 months enacted a regulation making a voucher program for college students to attend personal Okay-12 colleges. The proposed modification would render that regulation unconstitutional.

The modification’s second part would require the Missouri State Board of Schooling to determine uniform laws on public colleges and seems supposed to make sure primary accountability for constitution colleges, which at present function freed from many laws that apply to conventional public colleges. At current, constitution colleges are solely allowed to function in St. Louis and Kansas Metropolis, however proponents have been lobbying lawmakers lately to increase them statewide.

The case is anticipated to be appealed. Supporters have till early Might to gather the roughly 172,000 signatures from registered Missouri voters essential to qualify for the poll.

Supreme Court docket Strikes Down Two Legal guidelines Limiting Referendums

On Feb. 8, the Missouri Supreme Court docket struck down two state legal guidelines the secretary of state used to successfully stop Missouri voters from having the ultimate say on laws enacted in 2019 that restricted most abortions after eight weeks of being pregnant.

In 2019, the Basic Meeting handed House Bill 126, which sought tighter restrictions on abortion. Opponents of the invoice rapidly filed a referendum petition, which forces a statewide vote on laws handed by lawmakers and signed by the governor. The petition’s backers confronted a 90-day deadline to gather the roughly 100,000 signatures from registered voters wanted to place HB 126 on the poll, however this effort was delayed because it confronted authorized challenges. Even after the secretary of state was ordered by the courts to certify the petition, he waited the total 51 days given to him by state regulation to finish the job. This gave petition backers simply two weeks to gather the mandatory signatures by the deadline.

To forestall the same scenario from occurring sooner or later, petition supporters challenged the constitutionality of the regulation permitting the secretary of state to delay the certification course of and a associated statute prohibiting petitions from being circulated previous to that point. The excessive courtroom’s 5-2 choice sided with a decrease courtroom’s holding that these statutes intervene with the state constitutional proper to referendum.

Supreme Court docket Orders Disclosure of Medical Marijuana Data

The Missouri Supreme Court docket unanimously dominated the Division of Well being and Senior Providers (DHSS) should disclose data submitted by profitable candidates for medical marijuana licenses in an administrative problem introduced by an applicant who was denied a license.

Since Missourians voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2018, DHSS has confronted accusations that an inconsistent scoring course of allowed the division to grant licenses to sure recipients whereas denying them to others, resulting in a whole bunch of appeals. One unsuccessful applicant sought different candidates’ data as a part of its enchantment, however the division argued it couldn’t disclose it due to a constitutional provision requiring such data to be stored confidential. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court docket dominated the structure expressly permits such data to be disclosed throughout the license denial appeals course of and that DHSS should disclose the knowledge in different pending appeals.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Particular License Plate

Through the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers handed Senate Bill 189, which I used to be proud to sponsor. This laws creates a particular license plate for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Anybody inquisitive about supporting this Kansas Metropolis gem can apply for the license plate by following these steps:

1. Make a $10 donation to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
   • Donations will be made on to the museum or by sending the museum a examine upon submitting your utility. You’ll want to get a receipt to your contribution.
2. Full the 1716 kind to use for the specialty license plate. This way will be discovered at mo.gov/motor-vehicle/plates/personalized-specialty.html.
   • When finishing the shape, choose “different” and fill in that you’re making use of for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum plate.
3. Ship your utility, alongside together with your $10 museum donation (or the receipt to your donation), and your $15 normal plate utility price to the museum at 1616 E 18th St., KCMO, 64108.

As of April 9, 2021, anybody age 5 and up are eligible to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. Please contact your native pharmacy or well being care supplier for data on how finest to obtain one of many obtainable vaccines. For extra details about the vaccine in Missouri, please go to covidvaccine.mo.gov.

College Well being is now offering Pfizer, Moderna and J & J booster photographs for COVID-19. The CDC permitted a booster shot for any grownup who obtained their first two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at the very least six months in the past, or for any grownup who obtained a single dose of the J & J vaccine at the very least two months in the past. In case you are eligible, you’ll be able to schedule an appointment by calling 816-404-CARE or stroll in to College Well being (2211 Charlotte St., KCMO 64108) or College Well being Lakewood Medical Middle (7900 Lee’s Summit Street, KCMO 64139). The COVID-19 vaccine is on the market to youngsters 5-12 at these two areas as effectively. Established sufferers might make an appointment with their youngster’s supplier on the Med/Ped’s clinic at UHTMC or the Household Medication Clinic at UHLMC. Extra vaccine data, together with free transportation data, is on the market at www.universityhealthkc.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine/.

The Jackson County Well being Division additionally has quite a few vaccine and testing clinics obtainable. For extra data, please go to jacohd.org.

The Middle for COVID Restoration is open to deal with sufferers who expertise long-term results from the virus. For extra data, go to universityhealthkc.org/covid-19/center-for-covid-recovery; please share this data with anybody who continues to battle after a optimistic COVID-19 prognosis.

Thanks to your vote of confidence to serve the individuals of the ninth District within the Missouri Senate. In an effort to maintain you recent with my laws or different proposed measures, please be at liberty to go to my web site at senate.mo.gov/Washington. I recognize your energetic curiosity in your neighborhood and encourage your participation within the legislative course of. Do you have to want help with state issues, please be at liberty to contact my workplace at (573) 751-3158.

Senator Washington’s Sponsored Legislation for 2022

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