Archives: April 2011

Weekly Legislative Report:

REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND'S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
April 28, 2011

Greetings from your state capitol. This past weekend was not a pleasant one for our district. The severe weather and flooding affected many residents. My prayers go out to all those who experienced loses. This isn't the first time nor will it be the last that we will experience these events. We must pray for the best and plan for the worst. Together we can survive anything.

This has been a hectic week here in Jefferson City. We finally finished the U.S. Congressional redistricting process. The final outcome left Ozark and Howell counties in the 8th district and all of Taney and Stone are in the 7th district. The governor has the option of signing or vetoing the map. If he should veto the map we should have it back on May 13th to try a veto override.

In other House action this week the following bills were approved:

HCS HB 366 changes the laws regarding economic development by offering tax incentives for the development and expansion of technology business facilities, data storage centers and server farm facilities; we will improve the job outlook for Missourians.

HCS HB's 600, 337 and 413 changes the laws regarding public safety, prohibits all drivers, regardless of age, from text messaging while driving and expands the crime of making a false declaration to a public servant.

HCS HB 523 changes the laws regarding the Missouri Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Act, insurance coverage for portable electronics and residential and home warranty service contracts.

HCS HB 787 changes the laws regarding early distributions from certain annuities and retirement plans.

HCS SB 161 allows the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority to provide loan guarantees for loans to agribusinesses.

HCS SCS SB 366 creates cooperative associations and modifies the law relating to the conversion of certain business organizations.

HCS H 597 establishes the Private Landowner Protection Act which allows for the creation and enforcement of conservation easements to protect the environment and preserve certain historical or cultural property.

SB161 Every Missouri group involved in this debate over Prop B signed off in support of this legislation. The groups representing animal right, animal agriculture, dog breeders, the Governor's office and many others, finally came together on a good, solid, constitutionally defensible piece of legislation that is fair to all. Hopefully opponents and proponents will read the complete bill text themselves.

HJR 27 proposes a constitutional amendment specifying that the right of every citizen to possess, purchase ammunition and any parts or articles for the proper functioning of arms must not be infringed.

HCS HB 17, 18, 21 and 22 appropriates monies for capitol improvement projects involving maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of state buildings and facilities.

The final two weeks of the session will be very busy. The Senate has started sending bills to us and returning some of our House bills.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question or a concern. It is a pleasure to represent you in state government.

REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND'S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
April 21, 2011

Greetings from your state capitol. We dealt with a little bit of severe weather that produced some rather large hail here in Jefferson City. Had a visit from the College of the Ozarks Young Republican Club on Wednesday and the fourth grade class of Hollister elementary on Thursday. (My granddaughter was with this group.) I hope they all had a good time and learned about state government and about their state capitol.

Despite a short week we continued to make progress on common sense reforms for Missouri. Here is the result of this week:

HB 828 changes the laws regarding prevailing wages.

HB 661 changes the laws regarding debt adjusters.

HB 1008 allows the Highway and Transportation Commission to enter into infrastructure improvement agreements to reimburse funds advanced for the benefit of a county, political subdivision, or private entity.

HB 656 changes the laws regarding unsecured loans of $500 or less, commonly known as "payday loans".

HCS HJR 5 proposes a constitutional amendment guaranteeing citizens the right to hunt, fish, trap, and harvest wildlife using traditionally approved devices or methods.

HB 708 changes the laws regarding violations of the public policy of Missouri when decisions are based on foreign law or legal code.

HCS HB 473 changes the laws regarding charter schools and establishes the Missouri Charter Public School Commission.

HCS HB 562 changes the laws regarding the Missouri Children's Service Commission and establishes the Missouri Task Force on Prematurity and Infant Mortality.

HCS HB 579 changes the laws regarding Alzheimer's research, developmentally disabled, medical record fees, newborn screenings, hospital licensure regulations, hospital district sales taxes, MO Healthnet dental benefits and Missouri Rx plan and authorizes the establishment of a permanent sickle cell disease standing committee.

HCS HB 664 changes the laws regarding infectious diseases incurred in the line of duty and the Firemen's Retirement System of St. Louis.

We are being held over for a session Friday morning that will take up the congressional redistricting map. The Senate and House are meeting in a conference committee to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the map. I will be reporting those outcomes next week.

It is a pleasure to represent you in State Government.

REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND'S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
April 7, 2011

Greetings from your State Capitol. I would like to congratulate the Bakersfield and Kirbyville Elementary Schools for being honored as a "Missouri Gold Star School" for 2011. Only eight districts received this prestigious award. The communities should be very proud of their schools.

Our jobs are getting rougher this week by having some very difficult bills coming to the floor. We passed out a large number of consent bills that had little to no opposition. Most of these bills dealt with minor changes that were non-controversial. Some examples: HB 307 that allows for a special "Don't Tread on Me" license plate; HB 749 designates April as "Child Abuse Prevention Month", HCS HB 32 allows the State Registrar to issue a heritage birth certificate. The rest of these consent bills can be found on the House web site: www.house.mo.gov<http://www.house.mo.gov/>.

In other action this week:

HB 458 establishes the Missouri Farmland Trust Act to receive donated land to preserve it as farmland and provide beginning farmers an opportunity to farm through low and variable cost leases on the land.

HCS HB 641 changes the laws regarding the designation of controlled substances.

HCS HB 192 changes the laws regarding environmental protection programs.

HCS HB 470 & 429 changes the laws regarding the nonresident entertainer and professional athletic team income tax.

HCS HB 336 authorizes an income tax credit for the eligible costs of bringing a sporting event, as specified, to Missouri.

HCS HB 28 establishes the Abortion-inducing Drugs Safety Act which places restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs.

HCS HB 546 requires the Missouri Housing Development Commission's executive director to reside within forty miles of Jefferson City.

HCS HB 468 changes the laws regarding economic incentives for job development, retention, and training and establishes the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act.

HB 677 removes the June 30, 2012 expiration date of the provisions requiring every child enrolling in kindergarten or first grade in a public school to receive one comprehensive vision examination.

HCS HB 193 changes the boundaries of the state's congressional districts per the 2010 census.

It is a pleasure to represent you in state government