Lathrop GPM Consulting LLC
314 East High Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101

+1 573.469.4172
Week 13: Still No Congressional Redistricting Map
When most weeks are marked with what gets done in the General Assembly, this week is noted as what didn’t get completed: the new U.S. Congressional districts map for Missouri. Candidate filing deadline was Tuesday this week, but on Thursday the Senate and House of Representatives adjourned without adopting a new map.

The Senate had approved its version of the map in the early hours of March 24, sending its map to the House. On Tuesday, the amended map bill, HB 2117, was sent back to the Senate by the House on a 115-19 vote, seeking a conference committee to rework the map. On Wednesday, the Senate refused to recede from its position on the map the Senate had approved and requested the House to accept and pass the Senate’s version. On Thursday, the House overwhelmingly voted down the Senate’s version of the map, 26-129. Then, the House sent its map back to the Senate, seeking approval of the House map, and if not, asking for a House-Senate conference committee. The Senate adjourned on Thursday morning without taking action on the redistricting issue. The House adjourned, also, and both chambers are scheduled to return to regular session on Monday afternoon. If the General Assembly cannot decide a Congressional map, the courts may decide the boundary lines.

COVID IS OVER IN MISSOURI
At a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Mike Parson announced the COVID-19 crisis is over with the state entering an endemic phase of COVID-19 response much like influenza: the disease will continue to be found in communities. The state will continue to monitor sewer sheds (for viruses), hospitalizations, deaths and outbreaks of illnesses reported to emergency departments. The state transition becomes effective Friday, April 1.
 
FILINGS END FOR AUGUST PRIMARY ELECTION
Candidate filings for the August 2 primary election ended on Tuesday, March 29. According to the Secretary of State’s office, 506 candidates have filed for the primary. The candidate breakdown by parties includes 318 Republicans, 166 Democrats, 20 Libertarians, and two Constitution candidates filed with the Secretary of State. Candidates that filed on the first day, February 22, drew a random number to determine the order their names will appear on the ballot. The names of candidates that filed after will appear on the ballot in chronological order based on the time of filing. For a current list of candidates and more information, visit the official website here. 
 
HOUSE, SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEES UPDATES
The House Budget Committee began marking-up the FY2022 second supplemental budget, the 13 budget bills for FY2023, and HB 3020 which contains the majority of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The committee met Monday afternoon and late into the evening to discuss the changes that committee chair Cody Smith (R-Carthage) made to the various bills. There are changes that were made across-the-board which are expected to pass which include a 5 percent administrative cap on federal grant funds, an update on some county identification demographic language with the newly released census data, almost across-the-board reductions in the flexibility the departments have to spend their funds, and, particularly in HB 3020, “ongoing funding” was changed to “one-time funding.” It is expected the House will begin floor debate on the budget bills sometime next week.
 
The Senate Appropriations Committee also convened on Tuesday morning to receive a presentation from state budget director Dan Haug regarding the FY2022 second supplemental bill (HB 3015). Numerous committee members took the opportunity to express their frustration with the House Budget Committee’s lack of action, at that time, on the various budget bills. Members were also frustrated that a second supplemental was needed and lashed out at department directors over the lack of a coherent spending plan for the requested funds. Many members also expressed doubts the amounts requested by the departments could be expended by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2022. 
Committee Activity
Senate Bill 705 (Bean, R-Peach Orchard) The bill establishes the Joint Committee on Rural Economic Development for the purpose to investigate and examine issues relating to the economic development of rural areas of the state and issue a report to the General Assembly of their recommendations. During an executive session of the Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee on March 28, substitute language was adopted to include land surveyors by clarifying the method used to determine township lines, wood energy tax credit, ethanol fuel tax credit, meat processing facilities tax credit, biodiesel retail sales tax credit, biodiesel production tax credit, urban farm tax credit, soybean producers assessment, agriculture production tax credit, Family Farm Act, and anhydrous ammonia standards. Once modified, the committee passed the bill by a 7-0 vote.
 
Senate Bill 1058 (Brown, R-Rolla) The bill is the Senate companion to House Bill 1586 (Murphy, R-St. Louis) and specifies that the General Assembly preempts any political subdivision from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any order, ordinance, rule, regulation, policy, or other similar measure that prohibits, restricts, limits, regulates, controls, directs, or interferes with the practice of veterinary medicine. Hearing held March 28 in the Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee. The Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Opportunity Solution Project, and Missouri Pet Breeders Association supported the bill. The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, and U.S. Humane Society opposed the bill.
 
Senate Bill 1152 (Eslinger, R-Wasola) The bill modifies a sales tax exemption for certain farm machinery and equipment by providing that the term "farm machinery and equipment" shall include utility vehicles that are used for any agricultural purposes. Hearing held March 28 in the Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee. The Missouri Automobile Dealers Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Power Sports Dealers, Missouri Soybean Association, and Missouri Department of Revenue supported the bill. No opposing testimony was presented.
 
Senate Bill 1153 (Eslinger, R-Wasola) The bill modifies provisions relating to exemptions to professional licensing by creating an exemption from professional licensure for military personnel participating in federal Innovative Readiness Training (IRT). During committee discussion in an executive session of the Senate Professional Registration Committee on March 28, substitute language was adopted to include provisions from multiple bills. Specifically, the substitute includes SB 1001, changes the name of a person licensed as a land surveyor-in-training to a land surveyor intern; SB 993, authorizes the Missouri Dental Board to approve pilot projects to extend care to under-served populations dental board pilot projects; SB 938, provides some fixes to the assistant physician statutes that were not foreseen at the time they were originally passed; HB 2149, modifies the timeline graduating physical therapists can apply for licensure; and SB 978, allows those wishing to practice speech-language pathology or audiology to apply for a provisional license from an accredited program and also enters Missouri into an "Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact". Once modified, the committee passed the bill by a 5-0 vote.
 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 22 (Beck, D-St. Louis) urges the U.S. Congress to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling for beef and pork. SCR 22 was heard by the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee on March 29. In 2008, Congress passed mandatory country of origin labeling for meat sold at retail, however, the law was repealed in 2015 after the World Trade Organization filed suit against the U.S. “Country of origin labeling is good for farmers, ranchers, workers, and meat packers because it allows them to identify their products as born, raised, and slaughtered’ in the U.S., the resolution states. Senator Crawford commented that meat labeling could be in violation of U.S. trade agreements and could cause bigger problems. Senator Beck said labeling would simply be truth-in-advertising. No testimony was presented, supporting or opposing the resolution. Information only testimony by MOST Policy Initiative. The committee took no action on the bill.
Click the button below to access your 2022 Tracking Report
Upcoming Hearings
House-Health and Mental Health Policy
04/04/2022 11:30 AM 
Committee Hearing, HR 7

Executive Session:
HB2510 Simmons, John - Modifies provisions relating to telemedicine
Senate-Agriculture, Food Production, and Outdoor Resources
04/04/2022 2:30 PM 
Committee Hearing, SCR 2

SB1200 Gannon, Elaine - Designates the second full week of March every year as Pet Breeders Week in Missouri
House-Special Committee on Criminal Justice
04/05/2022 5:00 PM or upon adjournment 
Committee Hearing, HR 6

HJR83 Dogan, Shamed - Proposes a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for adult use
House-Rural Community Development
04/07/2022 8:00 AM 
Committee Hearing, HR 1

Executive Session:
HB1586 Murphy, Jim - Creates provisions relating to the practice of veterinary medicine
Lathrop GPM Consulting LLC
314 E. High Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
T: +1 573.469.4172