Legislative Column - Feb. 18, 2013

The Missouri Senate is busy, with more than 330 bills having been introduced. Only half of them have been assigned to committees at this point, where the sponsor will present his or her bills and give the public an opportunity to share their input. My office and I are working diligently to study all proposed legislation. Our seniors, veterans, children, schools, and businesses are very important, and I promise to protect their best interests and yours. Here are a couple bills we worked on this past week:

We gave final approval to legislation that would change the state's laws relating to the Second Injury Fund and provisions pertaining to occupational disease within the Worker's Compensation system. Established by the Legislature in the early 1940s, the Second Injury Fund benefits physically disabled citizens and individuals with previous work-related disabilities, and is funded by surcharges employers pay on Workers' Compensation insurance premiums.

However, with Missouri's downtrodden economic climate over the last several years, the Second Injury Fund saw its financial position steadily decline. This left more than $28 million in unpaid obligations to Missouri citizens who have received judgments in their Second Injury Fund cases, with an additional 30,000 cases with a potential liability exceeding $100 million still pending.

Senate Bill 1 would, among other provisions, create a funding mechanism, set to expire in December 2020, to bolster the Second Injury Fund when usual collections do not meet the fund's demands; establish a priority for paying fund liabilities; and no longer allow the fund to pay for permanent partial disability. The legislation would also exclusively cover occupational disease under Workers' Compensation laws and create expanded benefits for certain occupational diseases. This bill now goes on to the House for further consideration.

As a member of the General Laws Committee, I recently heard testimony on Senate Bill 150, a measure that would make any federal law or executive order that is more restrictive than current firearm law that has been in effect since Dec. 31, 2012, unenforceable. This would include banning or restricting the possession of semiautomatic firearms, any ammunition feeding device, or requiring the registration of any respective weapon, device or accessory.

As I have previously stated, first and foremost, this is a measure designed to protect Missourians' constitutional rights afforded to them by the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms. I remain committed to standing up for our constitutional rights instituted by our Founding Fathers and upheld by dedicated officials and citizens. Restricting our Second Amendment rights is not the answer to the horrific gun-related tragedy that occurred late last year that continues to play out in our country on a daily basis. Limiting our God-given rights as American citizens is not the step in the right direction. As this legislation moves forward, I will keep you updated on its progress.

Legislation that has already been approved by the Missouri Senate and sent over to the House for its consideration would benefit certain organizations that utilize benevolent tax credits. Senate Bill 20, 15 & 19 includes the Public Safety Officer Surviving Spouse tax credit, the Children in Crisis --later named the Champion for Children -- tax credit, the Rebuilding Communities tax credit, and pregnancy resource and food pantry tax credits, among others. Benevolent tax credits benefit charitable rather than profit-making entities.

Although the Legislature needs to rein in on the allocation of various tax credits in our state, these benevolent tax credits will re-establish and continue the work of many important groups that truly work for the betterment of Missouri citizens, from surviving spouses of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty and children who have experienced or are at risk of abuse or neglect, to eligible businesses that stimulate the economy in distressed communities and individuals who make donations of cash or food supplies to qualified food pantries.

I recently had the distinct honor of sponsoring the appointment and reappointment of two District 25 residents to their respective state board and commission: William S. Moriarty of Van Buren to the Missouri Emergency Response Commission and Martha E. Black of Charleston to the Missouri Workforce Investment Board. Mr. Moriarty and Ms. Black are both well qualified to serve on these important panels and bring with them a vast knowledge and experience that is invaluable to the members of their respective panels and the citizens of our state.

I was also recently presented with artwork from Kyle Holden, a 3rd grade student from Puxico R-8 School District. His art will be on display in my office for the next year. We want to thank Kyle for allowing me to show off his exceptional artwork, and thank his family for accompanying him on his visit to the State Capitol. We also want to applaud the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri for continuing the Children's Arts Festival, which reminds lawmakers that the arts are instrumental in every child's development.

For more information please call our office at 573-751-4843 or visit our website at www.senate.mo.gov/libla to see a list of Senate bills. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.