Lack of urgency slows Senate progress

By Olivia Sklenka and Emmet Jamieson, Missouri News Network
Posted 5/9/23

JEFFERSON CITY — With three days remaining in the Missouri General Assembly’s 2023 session, many Republican priorities have yet to get to the floor for final action.

The House on …

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Lack of urgency slows Senate progress

Posted

JEFFERSON CITY — With three days remaining in the Missouri General Assembly’s 2023 session, many Republican priorities have yet to get to the floor for final action.

The House on Tuesday passed a compromise bill changing the process for amending the state constitution, but bills addressing other issues such as banning gender-affirming care for minors, banning foreign ownership of farmland, legalizing sports betting and allowing open enrollment in public schools have yet to be addressed.

For two days, it’s been Republican Sen. Mike Moon of Ash Grove slowing progress on that chamber’s floor with detailed questioning of other senators about the finer points of legislation, alternating with discussions of other topics such as athletes dying unexpectedly.

When asked about the big priorities of the Senate this week, Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, the president pro tempore, said that “anything and everything” is a priority but the passing of legislation at this point is going to come down to timing.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, remained unsure at midafternoon as to whether anything would get done Tuesday because “we aren’t exactly zooming along.”

O’Laughlin said she would like to see action on constitutional amendments, open enrollment and crime bills before the session ends.

Moon lacked any sense of urgency as he took the floor repeatedly for most of the afternoon.

“Some will blame me for yesterday for standing up for a mere hour and a half and say, ‘Well, you wasted a whole day,’” Moon said. “I didn’t adjourn the chamber. If you look back at every single day we worked, short of one day if I recall, we ended those sessions at 7 or before 9 o’clock.”

Senate Bill 28, which deals with access to Missouri Highway Patrol public records, and Senate Bill 127, establishing provisions relating to infrastructure designations, were among the few pieces of legislation passed on Tuesday.

The House adjourned around 2 p.m., leaving the Senate with little time to pass legislation and discuss last-minute changes.