Archives: February 2012

Weekly Legislative Report:

REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND’S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
February 27, 2012

Greetings from your State Capitol. I noticed several new calves in fields as I journeyed home last week and even noticed some plants blooming around some yards. One would think that spring has arrived. I, for one, am a little hesitant; I believe we will have some winter in March and maybe April. The one thing I am confident in is that the legislature won’t be able to control Mother Nature.

This past week we passed the following bills:

HB 1192 requires the board of the Missouri Higher Education Savings Program to study investment plans of other states and provide Missouri those benefit options similar to their plans.

HB 1041 will restore the ability for the board of governors of several state universities to transfer property without an authorizing act of the General Assembly.

HCS HJR 61 is a proposed constitutional amendment that the voters of our State will have opportunity to consider which, if passed, affirms the right of farmers to raise livestock in a manner adhering to state and local laws. This measure would help protect our farmers and help them keep doing what they do best.

HCR 8 will help property owners and farmers along the river bottoms that were affected by this summer’s flooding, by keeping their property rates the same. Governor Nixon’s State Tax Commission has proposed raising rates on these classifications of land.

HCS HJR 41 adjusts the rules on term limits. The bill would allow state legislators to serve a total of sixteen years between the House and Senate but does not force them to serve only eight years in each body. (I voted against this bill.)

HCR 41 states the Missouri General Assembly will take a “firm and unwavering stand against an unconstitutional infringement on the right of the State of Missouri and its citizens not to be forced to participate in any health care system which is contrary to the Laws of Missouri.”

HB 1186 will help encourage immigrants to assimilate into our culture. This law requires Missouri Driver’s license exams to only be administered in English. This bill is a step to keeping our Missouri roads safe for everyone.

HCS HB 1442 specifies that when there is a vacancy in the office of Secretary of State, State Auditor, Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor or the United States Senate, the Governor must immediately appoint an acting officer until a successor is elected at the next scheduled election for that office.

HB 1059 would change when a candidate has the right to a recount in any election.

HB 1107 would name a portion of highway 5 between Ava and Mansfield the “Missouri Fox Trotting Highway.”

HB 1112 allows for life insurance companies to sell outside the United States.

HB 1128 authorizes some National Guard Ribbons and Awards.

HB 1188 allows a school nurse or other trained employees to administer asthma-related rescue medication to a student experiencing an asthma attack.

HB 1347 gives a budding preference in a state contract for products and services manufactured, produced, or assembled by certain veteran-owned businesses headquartered in Missouri.

As always it is a privilege to represent you in State Government.

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REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND’S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
February 20, 2012

Greetings from your State Capitol.

I am writing this column later than usual as the House was not in session last Thursday and I had no committee meetings on Thursday. This week looks to be great weather all across Missouri. Spring surely can’t be that for off. Noticed some large flocks of geese headed back north driving to Jefferson City this morning.

The following bills were Perfected and Third Read this past week and head now across the Rotunda to the Senate for consideration:

HB 1041 – Currently, only the Board of Governors of Missouri Western State University may transfer property, except in fee simple, without an authorizing act of the General Assembly. This bill restores that ability to the board of Governors of the other state universities and changes the expiration date of those provisions from August 28, 2014 to August 28, 2017.

HB 1103 relates to certain banks, savings institutions, and credit unions which are exempt from the Missouri Appraisal Management Company Registration and Regulations Act as it applies to the assignment of an appraisal request to an appraiser who is an independent contractor to the institution are required to file a notice with the Missouri Real Estate Appraisers Commission within the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration that includes the same information that the registered real estate appraisal management company must file. This bill repeals that requirement.

HB 1251 extends the authorization for the Department of Natural Resources to impose fees regarding the federal Safe Drinking Water Act from September 1, 2012 to September 1, 2017.

Consent bills (bills that contain zero fiscal note, no penalty provisions and are non-controversial in nature) that were Third Read as issued on the House Floor this week include the following:

HB 1075 prohibits a licensed pharmacy from being required to carry or maintain in inventory a specific prescription or non-prescription drug or devise.

HB 1093 allows for a special license plate for a person who is a recipient of the Navy Cross.

HB 1141 changes the laws regarding the “Don’t Tread on Me” special license plate.

HB 1156 sponsored by me designates a portion of U.S. Highway 160 in the City of Gainesville as the “Matthew England Memorial Highway.”

HB 1179 prohibits large water users from conveying water withdrawn or diverted from the southeast Missouri Regional Water District to a location outside of the district if it interferes with another major user.

HB 1192 changes the laws regarding investment contracts of the Missouri Higher Education Savings Program.

HB 1185 adds citizenship information to the sexual offender registration form and requires the State Highway Patrol to report to the federal government any non-U.S. citizen on the sexual offender registry.

HB 1250 allows certain third class cities to cancel any primary election for the office of mayor and councilman.

HB 1269 revises the laws regarding the Cass County—The Burnt District special license plate.

For more information regarding any specific piece of legislation, visit www.house.mo.gov.

Hopefully we will accomplish this much and more this week at your State Capitol.

As always it is a privilege to represent you in State Government.

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REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND’S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
February 9, 2012

Greetings from your State Capitol. This week reminded us we are still in a winter mode. We experienced some freezing rain and snow mix Tuesday night. Temperatures were uncomfortably cool and /or down right cold for most of the week.

The House passed out the following bills this week:

HB 1329 authorizes the Director of Department of Revenue to issue a permit to allow the temporary operation of a motor vehicle or trailer by a buyer and changes the laws regarding motor vehicle registration. This is a good government change to existing law to increase efficiencies in the system.

HB 1311 authorizes a state and local sales and use tax exemption on items related to data storage centers. This bill is an important economic development tool to establish an environment to encourage these industries to come to Missouri and create jobs and expand existing operations here and add more employment positions.

HB 1219 changes the laws regarding unlawful discriminatory employment practices as they relate to the Missouri Human Rights Act and establishes the Whistleblower Act. This bill corrects inequities that have arisen in our system due to several recent Court decisions over the past several years. The legislation would return Missouri law to the position it used to occupy as a mirror to the federal civil rights law. The proposed legislation would re-establish a level playing field for all employers and employees, allowing employers to properly deal with problem employees while still providing employees the protections they deserve. In this difficult economic environment, where employers are faced with increasing, burdens in the areas of taxation, regulation and litigation, we should do all we can to ensure that our small business owners have a level playing field in our State so they can operate in a stable and certain business environment.

HB 1104 specifies that a person seeking to vote in a public election must show valid photo identification to election officials before they can receive a ballot and have it counted. This is a common sense piece of enabling legislation that will support and implement the constitutional ballot question that all Missourians will be able to vote upon this coming fall. In this day and age of excessive and rampant voter fraud and voter registration fraud, we should do all we can to protect one of our most sacred and fundamental rights, the right to vote.

Consent bills (zero fiscal note, no penalty provisions, non-controversial in nature) that were third read and passed:

HB 1036 repeals the provision that require a political party’s emblem to be printed on an election ballot above the party caption.

HB 1039 allows a retiree of the Missouri Local Government Employees’ Retirement System to have health insurance or long-term care insurance premiums deducted from his or her retirement allowance.

HB 1099 designates March 26th of each year as “Veterans of Operation Iraq/Enduring Freedom Day.”

HB 1100 designates March 30th of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day.

HB 1105 allows the Adjutant General to waive the maximum age requirement for a member of the state militia.

As you can tell the House is starting to pick-up steam as we have worked on more bills this week as in previous weeks. The committees are getting more bills heard and passed out for possible floor debate. I’m sure this trend will continue for the coming weeks.

As always it is a pleasure to represent you in State Government.

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REPRESENTATIVE LYLE ROWLAND’S LEGISLATIVE REPORT
February 2, 2012

Greetings from your State Capitol. I can’t hardly believe that January is behind us and the weather feels more like spring. This is sure a sharp contrast to what it was last year.

This week the House started floor debates on two bills:

HB 1219 is a measure reducing litigation costs for businesses across the state. This bill will protect Missouri jobs and Missouri employers by returning the law to a position that is consistent with the federal Civil Rights law. Court cases need to be handled more quickly and efficiently, businesses need to be free to appropriately handle problematic, harmful employees to keep the workplace safe. Businesses need certainty if we want employers to expand, grow and re-invest. With the current system set up to punish employers, businesses are having difficulty dealing with our current conflicting environment. HB 1219 restores certainty and fairness and treats employers and employees equally.

HB 1104 specifies that a person seeking to vote in a public election must show a valid photo identification to election officials. This is a simple, common sense requirement that all should embrace to protect our fundamental rights and to seek an end to voter registration fraud. All costs incurred by an election authority to implement the photo identification will be reimbursed by the state. If the voter does not have a valid identification, they are allowed to cast a provisional ballot.

A fellow representative sent me a website that I would like to share with everyone. The person, Bill Whittle, explains the federal budget in this video entitled, “ The Vote Pump”. The website is:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u24nH03NccI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

As always it is a privilege to represent you in State Government.