May 16, 2019 – Following discussions and negotiations over abortion restrictions that lasted until early this morning, the complicated political interplay between the Missouri House and Missouri Senate continues as we enter the final hours of the legislative session.
Disagreements between the two chambers continue over the fate of a prescription drug monitoring program. Some senators object to that program because of privacy concerns and their legislation has been held up in the House. Many House members are also disappointed because much of their legislation has not been acted upon in the Senate due to long filibusters and disagreements within and between political parties and between the two chambers, often on issues that are unrelated to the issues addressed in those bills.
In previous years, when contention has existed between the two chambers in the final days of session, the Missouri House has stripped all House changes and simply agreed to Senate versions of bills. But that is not an attractive option for many House members who understand that strategy leaves the House with little or no input on bills.
As our team of lobbyists head into the final two days of session, the fate of much of our legislation hinges on how the House and Senate work together. We hope leadership in the two chambers is able to resolve issues and produce some results for the business community.
Several observers have noted many business people believe a super-majority of legislators claiming to understand the importance of a vibrant business environment should be able to pass many business priorities and the risk of legislation harming business should be low. We know that is not always the case and our lobbyists must keep a keen eye on all legislation that is passed, particularly in the closing days of the session.
Here’s hoping for very productive final hours of the legislative session.
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