Easter weekend. I am up in St Louis visiting the new grandson and celebrating my father in law's 90th Birthday. Five more weeks to go in the Legislative session. All the threads will be coming together in the next month. An exciting phase of the process but one where we have to be careful as this is when the real decisions are made.

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Autism bill HB 357 struggles on after celebrating World Autism Day

After a setback the Autism bill is sent to the House

Two weeks ago we celebrated World Autism Awareness Day in this country. Advocates from across the State came to Jeff City to encourage the passage of House Bill 357. They were concerned because the bill had been reported out of the Health Care Policy Committee with a Do Pass on March 5th. Nearly a month later it had been languishing in the Rules Committee. The House Leadership assured the advocate on April First that the next day it would be voted out of the Rules Committee and sent to the House Floor for debate. But the very next morning without explanation the bill was returned to the Health Care Policy Committee on a straight party line vote. All Republicans voting to return it and all Dems voting against. I serve as one of the 5 Dems on Rules and asked what the problem was that couldn't be resolved on the House Floor. The only explanation was the amount of money the bill would cost. So it was returned. On April 8th the Health Care Committee promptly voted once again Do Pass. This time the Rule Committee heard it the next day and sent it on to the floor. What's the big deal you ask? Well delaying it by those weeks makes it very, very unlikely it can become law. The insurance company lobbyists flexed their muscle after the parents of autistic children went home and gave the Majority its marching orders. They complied and have, for all practical purposes, killed the bill. Oh, they have some political cover. They will probably sent it on to the Senate one of these days and blame it when the Senate has no time left to take it up. Happy Autism Awareness Day.

Here is the Wikipedia link to autism

And here is the link to HB 357

House Joint Resolution 10 seeks to amend the MO Constitution

HJR 10 seeks change in the way Missouri Judges are chosen

One of the most contentious debates last year was about changing the way Missouri Judges are chosen. The Missouri Non-partisan Court Plan has been a national model for the merit selection process of choosing judges. Last year House Joint Resolution 49 sought a Constitutional amendment to change all that. After a long battle the House defeated that on a vote of 69-83-2. 82 of the 163 Reps were required to pass this. So the measure fell 69 votes short. But not really. When the voting is taking place on the electronic board Reps can, and do, change their votes up to the last second. Last year the board was open for several minutes while arm twisting took place. The peak was 78 votes at that time it was four short. It held there and began to fall as it became obvious the measure was failing. Reps who had been pressure to change got off the train so as not to take the heat for voting for a failing issue. That high water mark should have been a clue of things to come.

This year House Joint Resolution Ten passed the House on a vote of 85-72-1. What happened? Well 10 members who were here last year changed their votes. As the vote total got close to 82 this time it got made it. At first is slowed but then once it got there others switched and got on the bandwagon. So now it is on to the Senate for the issue. Rumor has it (in Jeff Rumor Rules) that the measure will not pass the Senate. But. Rumor had it that it would not pass the House and look what happened. Oh. Who changed? Well if the Missouri Court Plan is changed these folks deserve special credit.

Here are the returning Reps who flipped from "no" (or present) on HJR 49 last year to "yes" on HJR 10:

Republicans

Brandom
Deeken
Denison
Dusenburg
Fisher
Grisamore
Guest
Kraus (present last year)
Nance
Pratt
Pollock
Silvey


Democrats

Dougherty (present last year)
Nasheed

I will do my best to keep you posted on this issue as it moves to the Senate.

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