By Ray McCarty, President and CEO, Associated Industries of Missouri
January 5, 2023 - The 2023 Legislative Session started yesterday with speeches by leaders in both chambers and adoption of operating rules that give some insight into a new committee structure in the Missouri House. Associated Industries of Missouri is working hard on behalf of your business and we look forward to a successful legislative session in 2023.
As expected, the Missouri Senate elected Senator Caleb Rowden (R-19, Boone County, pictured at right above) to the position of President Pro Tem. In the Missouri Senate, the Lt. Governor presides over the body. But in the absence of the Lt. Governor, the Pro Tem assumes that role and, in practical terms, the Pro Tem actually serves as the leader of the Senate. The Pro Tem appoints senators to committees, rules on points of order raised during debate, recognizes senators for motions, and manages the Senate staff. Thus, this is a very important position and one Senator Rowden will hold for the next two years. In a show of bipartisan support, Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo (D-11, Jackson County) seconded the nomination of Rowden for the important leadership post and he was elected to that position unanimously (with the exception of three absent senators). President Pro Tem Rowden gave a speech which you will find HERE.
In the Senate, the committee structure was modified. The Ways and Means Committee, a standing committee for the entire time I have been lobbying (34 years), is eliminated and its duties combined with those of the Committee on Economic Development and Tax Policy. The Committee on Professional Registration is eliminated and the duties assigned to the Committee on Governmental Accountability. The Committee on Fiscal Oversight will again be a separate committee and will resume hearing bills with greater than $250,000 positive or negative impact in any of the first three years the bill is effective according to the fiscal note accompanying each bill. This function had previously been provided by the former Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight. The Committee on Education is expanded to become the Committee on Education and Workforce Development which will hear all education and workforce development bills, including those involving the creation and retention of jobs. A new "catch all" committee is created called the Committee on Emerging Issues to hear "bills and matters referred to it relating to recent trends and emerging issues." The Committee on General Laws will hear general bills also, but will also specifically hear labor management, fair employment standards, and employment security bills. The Committee on Small Business and Industry is eliminated.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft opened the Missouri House with a speech as is done in odd-numbered years. As determined by a previous caucus vote, Rep. Dean Plocher (R-89, St. Louis), the former House Majority Floor Leader, was elected Speaker of the House by acclimation after Democrat Rep. Crystal Quade (D-132, Springfield), House Minority Floor Leader, withdrew her name from consideration. You may find Speaker Plocher's speech HERE.
Missouri House rules changes include limiting the number of bills that may be filed by a representative to 20 bills, although that change is not effective until July 1, 2023 - after the 2023 session concludes - so it will apply beginning in the 2024 session.
Here is an analysis of some of the changes in the House committee structure and process from Dave Drebes at Missouri Scout, reprinted with permission (for more information about MOSCOUT and to subscribe, click HERE):
"There will be three Rules Committees. (It wasn’t long ago that there was just one). This should reduce the load on each Rules Chair and allow them to give greater scrutiny to their assigned bills. The new committee is Rules - Regulatory Oversight. Also, there aren’t tracks for bills to head to a specific Rules Committee. It’s up to the speaker on each bill. NOTE: Rules Committees receive all bills from all committees and must pass them before they may be debated on the House floor.
All committee chairs are required to attend committee chair training.
Committee chairs can require that amendments be distributed twenty-four hours in advance of a committee hearing.
Public Safety gets folded into Crime Prevention and Public Safety.
Downsizing Government becomes Government Efficiency and Downsizing.
Insurance becomes Insurance Policy
Workforce Development becomes Workforce and Infrastructure Development.
Transportation gets split into two: Transportation Accountability Committee and Transportation Infrastructure Committee.
New committee – Healthcare Reform
Also, it looks like the Appropriations process is get revamped. It appears that the Appropriation Subcommittees will now be doing the mark-ups on their portion of the budget. Of course, the Budget Committee will presumably make changes as it ultimately passes the budget. But this will likely push down a lot of decision items to those subcommittees."
The next step is for committee chairs to be appointed by Speaker and Pro Tem. Stay tuned for that information when it becomes available.