Under the Dome; March 2-6

ABORTION & SANCTITY OF LIFE

House Thursday HCS HB 46 & 434 Introduced by Representatives Cynthia Davis (HB 46) and Pratt (HB 434), changes the laws regarding the consent requirements for obtaining an abortion and creates the crime of coercing an abortion. Perfected on the House floor.  A final 'third read' vote, to forward the bill to the Senate, expected next week. HB 520 Introduced by Representative Oxford, establishes the so called Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act which requires hospitals and health care facilities to provide abortifacients to sexual assault victims. Referred to the House Health Care Policy Committee. Senate Monday SB 264 Sponsored by Senator Mayer, enacts provisions regarding the coercion of abortions. Voted do pass out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Reported to the Senate floor on Thursday. CRIME House Monday SB 79 Sponsored by Senator Wilson, modifies the definition of "bullying" as used in school district antibullying policies to include cyberbullying and electronic communications. Second read in the House. Tuesday HB 241 Introduced by Representative Yates, establishes the Missouri Universal Red Light Enforcement Act which allows political entities to establish automated photo red light enforcement systems to detect red light signal violations. Public hearing held in the House Public Safety Committee. HB 668 Introduced by Representative Kenny Jones, specifies that deadly force may be used against a person who unlawfully enters, remains after unlawfully entering, or attempts to unlawfully enter private property by the owner or lessee. Public hearing held in the House Agri-Business Committee. Wednesday HB 351 Introduced by Representative Parkinson, requires any person who is found guilty of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a felony in this state on or after August 28, 2009, to serve a minimum prison term of 85% of his or her court sentence. Public hearing held in the House Crime Prevention Committee. HB 362 Introduced by Representative Guest, allows any local governing agency to establish a work for restitution program and requires certain nonviolent offenders to participate in and complete the program. Voted do pass out of the House Corrections Committee. HCS HB 689 Introduced by Representative Bringer, makes criminal background checks for teachers and other school personnel valid for one year, even if they move from one district to another or there is a change in the type of teacher certification. Voted do pass as a consent bill and referred to the House Rules Committee. HB 925 Introduced by Representative Burnett, enhances the points assessed for certain driving offenses involving serious injury or death. Second read in the House. HB 160 Introduced by Representative McGhee, changes the laws regarding the crime of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and adds a penalty for the possession of a controlled substance in the presence of a minor. Public hearing held in the House Crime Prevention Committee. Senate Tuesday SB 529 Sponsored by Senator Goodman, criminalizes prenatal drug or alcohol use. Second read and referred to the Senate General Laws Committee. DRUGS & ALCOHOL House Tuesday HB 912 Introduced by Representative Deeken, allows persons who have been convicted more than twice of driving while intoxicated to obtain an ignition interlock restricted license for a one-year period if the person meets certain requirements. Second read in the House. EDUCATION House Monday HCS HB 242 Introduced by Representative Kingery, allows school districts to establish a four-day school week upon a majority vote of the school board. Reported  to the Senate and first read. Wednesday HB 547 Introduced by Representative Dixon, authorizes an income tax credit for donations to public school foundations. Public hearing held in the House Education Committee. Senate Monday SB 499 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, requires public higher education institutions to annually report on steps taken to ensure intellectual diversity. Second read in the Senate, and reffered to the Senate Education Committee. SB 500 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, requires school districts to allow parents to withhold permission for students to participate in school-sponsored clubs and extracurricular activities. Second read in the Senate, and referred to the Senate Education Committee. SB 502 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, establishes procedures for the evaluation of student credits when a student transfers to a public school from another educational setting. Second read and referred to the Senate Education Committee. SB 505 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, prohibits a superintendent of an unaccredited or provisionally accredited school district from transferring a teacher if the principal of the receiving school refuses. Second read in the Senate, and referred to the Senate Education Committee. Tuesday SB 537 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, creates procedures for open enrollment across school district boundary lines for certain students. Second read and referred to the Senate Education Committee. Wednesday SB 41 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, creates the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act to hold public school teachers and employees accountable for sexual offenses against students. Public hearing held in the Senate Education Committee. SB 42 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, creates the teacher choice compensation package to provide performance-based salary stipends for participating teacher. Public hearing held in the Senate Education Committee. SB 291 Sponsored by Senator Shields, allows school districts to offer courses in a virtual setting and receive state funding for virtual courses. Voted do pass out of the Senate Education Committee. Thursday SB 291 Sponsored by Senator Shields, allows school districts to offer courses in a virtual setting and receive state funding for virtual courses. Reported from Senate Education Committee to the floor. ELECTIONS House Tuesday HB 59 Introduced by Representative Corcoran, allows voters to cast advance ballots. Public hearing held in the House Elections Committee. HCS HB 534 Introduced by Representative Koenig, requires the local offices and resident hunting and fishing permit vendors of the Department of Conservation to make a voter registration application form available to a resident permit applicant. Voted do pass out of the House Emerging Issues in Animal Agriculture. HB 709 Introduced by Representative Dusenberg, changes references of voter notification cards to voter identification cards and specifies that individuals registering to vote by postcard and who have not voted will not receive a voter identification card. Public hearing held in the House Elections Committee. HJR 34 Introduced by Representative Cooper, proposes a constitutional amendment establishing a voter's bill of rights. First read in the House. Senate Tuesday SB 523 Sponsored by Senator Bartle, establishes advance voting and modifes voter identification requirements. Second read and referred to the Senate Elections Committee. SB 532 Sponsored by Senator Bray, requires that electronic voting machines used in elections produce a paper ballot. Second read and referred to the Senate Elections Committee.

IMMIGRATION

House

Wednesday HB 350 Introduced by Representative Parkinson, changes the laws regarding unauthorized aliens. Public hearing held in the House international Trade and Immigration Committee. HB 500 Introduced by Representative Cynthia Davis, requires any employer convicted of hiring illegal aliens to execute a surety bond and repay the value of any state-administered or subsidized tax credit, tax abatement, or loan. Public hearing held in the House Immigration Committee. HOMOSEXUALITY PORNOGRAPHY & SEX CRIMES Senate Monday SJR 3 Sponsored by Senator Crowell, creates an exception to the prohibition against laws retrospective in operation by allowing certain laws pertaining to sexual offenders and other felons to be applied retrospectively. Public hearing held in the Senate Judiciary Committee. TAXES House Wednesday HB 318 Introduced by Representative Kelly, requires the Department of Revenue to develop methods for replacing the state individual and corporate income tax and the estate tax with a fair tax based on all new retail sales and services. Public hearing held in the House Tax Reform Committee. HB 814 Introduced by Representative Emery, establishes the Fair Tax Act of 2009 which replaces the state individual and corporate income tax and the estate tax with a fair tax based on all new retail sales and services. Public hearing held in the House Tax Reform Committee. Senate Wednesday SB 99 Sponsored by Senator Cunningham, establishes the predictable property tax act. Public hearing held in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Thursday HB 951 Introduced by Representative Oxford, establishes the Missouri Earned Income Tax Credit Act, authorizing an individual income tax credit equal to 20% of any earned income tax credit claimed by the taxpayer on the federal income tax return. Introduced and first read in the House.

VETERANS

Senate

Thursday HCS HB 82 Introduced by Representative Kraus, authorizes an individual income tax credit for military retirement benefits. Perfected on Monday, first read in the Senate. OTHER House Tuesday HCS HB 154 Introduced by Representative Ruestman, requires the state to make diligent efforts to locate the grandparents of a child needing emergency placement and requires the grandparents to be given first consideration for foster care placement. Reported do pass out of the House Rules Committee as a consent bill. HB 504 Introduced by Representative Kander, requires all court orders regarding child custody or visitation issued or modified while either party is in active military service and deployed out-of-state to be temporary in nature. Voted do pass out of the House Veterans Committee. HB 618 Introduced by Representative Brown, lowers the minimum age requirement for obtaining a concealed carry endorsement from 23 years of age to 21 years of age. Public hearing held in the House Agi-Business Committee. HB 810 Introduced by Representative Schaaf, limits the number of embryos a physician can implant in a human to the current number recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Public hearing held in the House Healthcare Transformation Committee. Senate Monday SB 218 Sponsored by Senator Ridgeway, allows jury trials in termination of parental rights actions. Hearing held in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Tuesday SB 458 Sponsored by Senator Lager, imposes duties of confidentiality upon employees of the Oversight Division of the Committee on Legislative Research. Public hearing held in the Senate General Laws Committee. SJR 12 Sponsored by Senator Scott, proposes a constitutional amendment reaffirming a citizen's right to free expression of religion. Public hearing held in the Senate General Laws Committee. Wednesday SB 104 Sponsored by Senator Justus, provides information and the opportunity to be immunized for the human papilloma virus. Voted do pass out of the Senate Oversight Committee on Monday. Third read and passed in the Senate, first read in the House on Thursday.