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April 20, 2011
Missouri Session Update:
Progress being made on economic development and business climate
bills
With only three full weeks left in Missouri's regular
session, notable progress has been made on several of RCGA's
legislative priorities. Two
of the "Fix the Six" business coalition bills have been Truly
Agreed To and Finally Passed by the General Assembly and
delivered to Governor Nixon. SB
19, which was passed on April 6th, is
sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale) and
will phase out the corporate franchise tax over
a period of five years. SB
188, passed on April 13th, sponsored by
Sen. Brad Lager (R-Savannah), would
restore balance and strengthen the state's employment
laws by limiting individual liability of supervisors,
mirroring the federal standard of proof in discrimination cases,
tightening whistleblower protections, and implementing reasonable
damage caps. The RCGA urges members to contact the
Governor's office to express support for SB 19 and SB 188.
Governor Nixon has 13 more days to act on the bills.
[Click
here for talking points on SB19/SB188; Click
here for information on contacting the Governor's
office.] Other "Fix the Six" bills continue to move
through the legislative process. SB
8, a workers' compensation
reform bill sponsored by Sen. Jack
Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon), was voted out
of the House Workforce Development and Workplace Safety Committee
on April 11th and referred to the House Rules
Committee. HB
61 sponsored by Rep. Jerry Nolte
(R-Gladstone), which would remove the escalator
on the state's minimum wage, was voted out of the Senate
Small Business Committee and placed on the Senate's Informal
Calendar on April 12th.
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HB 840 sponsor
Rep. Caleb Jones
(R-California)
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SB 390 sponsor
Sen. Eric Schmitt
(R-Glendale)
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The Aerotropolis Trade Incentive Act
(HB
840) sponsored by Rep. Caleb Jones
(R-California) is scheduled to be heard today in the
Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government
Committee. HB 840 passed the House on April
11th with 142 votes in favor of the
measure. The Aerotropolis bill, which
provides incentives to support international
cargo flights at Lambert-St. Louis Airport, has
been lauded by many public officials, civic and business leaders
from the St. Louis region and throughout the state.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale), who chairs the
Senate Jobs Committee, is the sponsor of the Senate version of
Aerotropolis, SB
390. This bill was debated in the Senate on
April 5th, and now sits on the chamber's Informal
Calendar.
The Missouri Science and Innovation
Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA) passed the House on April
7th with 144 votes in favor of the bill. HB
468, sponsored by Rep. John Diehl (R-Town
& Country), also contains other economic development
provisions including incentives for data centers and dormant
manufacturing plant zones, both of which the RCGA supports.
The bill has now been referred to the Senate Jobs, Economic
Development and Local Government Committee. MOSIRA is also
contained in SB
189, an omnibus bill consisting of many programs the
RCGA supports including a proof of concept loan program, an angel
tax credit, a research and development tax credit, data center
incentives, and dormant manufacturing plant incentives. SB
189, sponsored by Sen. Schmitt, is currently on
the Senate's Informal Calendar.
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Focus on Illinois: RCGA Hosts 19th
Annual Illinois Legislative Softball Game
Last Wednesday, April 13th the
RCGA hosted its annual House vs. Senate Softball Game in
Springfield's Lincoln Park, providing a much-needed break from
the many challenges facing the legislature. More
than 200 people attended the rivalry game and enjoyed the perfect
spring weather as they watched the Illinois House beat their
Senate colleagues, 8-5. The
House team captain and MVP Rep. Harry Osterman
(D-Chicago) clearly gave his all, helping his team pull
out a win over the Senate. The Senate had fewer players and
little time to warm up due to their arrival after an extended
afternoon session, but they still put up a good fight.
Sen. Tim Bivins (R-Dixon), the team's MVP, hit a
multi-run triple that gave the Senate hope for a comeback, but
the House was ultimately able to hang on to their early 4-0 lead
thanks to solid fielding.
The RCGA's annual softball game is a great way for
legislators and staff to maintain camaraderie during the final
weeks of session, which can be quite stressful and
contentious. A special thanks to our co-sponsors
for the event (listed below) and to everyone who came
out for the game!
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The Illinois House team beams after their
8-5 win over the Senate.
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Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago)
(center) and his Senate colleagues
vowed to come back next year to reclaim
victory.
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Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago) connects
for a solid hit.
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(from left) RCGA's Chip
Casteel, Rep. Tom Holbrook (D-Belleville), Bruce Holland of
Holland Construction Services, Sen. Dave
Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), Mike Marshall
of Holland Construction Services, and
RCGA lobbyist Kevin Riggs.
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Sen. Ed Maloney (D-Chicago) throws a pitch
right down the middle.
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Missouri Legislative Breakfast Sponsored by Bank of
America
On April 13th the University
of Missouri sponsored the RCGA's biweekly legislative
breakfast in Jefferson City honoring members of the Missouri
General Assembly. The breakfast was hosted by MU's
Deputy Chancellor Michael Middleton,
RCGA Public Policy Council member Mary Anne
McCollum, Manager of MU Constituent Relations,
Michael Ouart, Vice Provost and Director of MU
Extension, Beverly Coberly, Associate Vice
Provost - MU Extension, and Sandy Stegall,
Director of Constituent Relations - MU Extension.
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MU's
Deputy Chancellor Michael Middleton and Rep. Stacey Newman
(D-Clayton)
discuss the state's workforce development
needs.
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(from left) Rep. Charlie Denison
(R-Springfield), Beverly Coberly, Associate Vice Provost for MU
Extension, Rep. Ed Schieffer (D-Troy), and Sandy Stegall,
Director of Constituent Relations for MU Extension, were all
smiles at the breakfast.
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Sen. Jim Lembke (R-South
St. Louis County) (left) and Michael Middleton
of MU discuss funding for higher
education.
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Rep. Sylvester Taylor
(D-Black Jack) discusses health care issues with RCGA Public
Policy Council member Leann Chilton, Director of Government
Relations for BJC HealthCare.
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(from
left) Mary Anne McCollum, Manager of Constituent
Relations at MU, St. Louis Regional Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Cole
McNary (R-Chesterfield), Sandy Stegall, Director of Constituent
Relations for MU Extension, and Michael Ouart, Vice Provost and
Director of Extension.
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Rep. Tommie Pierson (D-North St. Louis County)
(left) greets MU Deputy Chancellor Michael Middleton at
the breakfast.
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Upcoming
Events
April 27 - Biweekly
Legislative Breakfast in Jefferson City
Join us for our final biweekly Missouri
Legislative Breakfast, sponsored by University of
Missouri-St. Louis, at the Doubletree Hotel in Jefferson
City. Stop by anytime between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m.
RSVP to Sherri Bailey at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
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