House passes slate of Republican-backed bills

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A raft of Republican-backed bills, including measures that GOP leaders say will create a more business-friendly environment, won Missouri House approval Thursday and went to the Senate.

Republicans cite Missouri's loss of 91,000 jobs since March 2001 as evidence of why changes are needed. They say their legislation would help create jobs and improve the economy.

Among the measures was a so-called tort reform package placing new restrictions on personal injury lawsuits and on the the money that can be awarded for pain, suffering and other non-economic damages.

The legislation also would require mediation of many lawsuits and would protect people who were only partly at fault in multiple-defendant lawsuits from having to pay an entire verdict.

"We've got an iceberg. Nobody sees it yet. It's just like the Titanic," said House Speaker Pro Tem Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill.

"This is just one piece -- an important piece -- in solving that problem and avoiding that iceberg."

The House also passed a bill revising Missouri's workers' compensation laws. Currently, benefits are granted when a person's job is a "substantial" factor in an injury or disease; the bill would require that the job be the "dominant" factor.

"Will workers' comp reform fix all Missouri's problems? No. Is it the right step? Yes," said sponsoring Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho.

Both the tort reform and workers' compensation measures passed the House on largely party-line votes.

Also winning House passage was legislation intended to encourage more investment in college tuition savings plans.

Currently, Missourians can deduct from their state income taxes any investments in Missouri's savings plan. Under the bill, college savings could be deducted whether they were invested in the state's plan or in a certificate of deposit at a bank in Missouri or some other state.

Democrats were largely opposed to the measure because they said they could not understand why Missourians should be encouraged to invest in other states. Republicans, however, said that already happens, because the company that manages Missouri's plan is based out of state.

Without dissent, the House approved a bill requiring governors and lawmakers to set up fund-raising committees for their inaugural balls. The bill would require the committees to disclose their donors and expenditures.

The House also approved a measure allowing counties to create "crime reduction funds" to help finance sheriffs' operations.

The bill would allow judges to order people convicted and given suspended sentences to pay $1,000 to a county's crime reduction fund. Judges also could order $1,000 payments as a condition of probation.

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Personal-injury lawsuit bill is HB273. Workers' compensation bill is HB321. Tuition savings bill is HB73. Inaugural committee bill is HB412. Crime fund bill is HB91.

On the Net

Missouri Legislature: www.moga.state.mo.us

HOW THEY VOTED

How Southeast Missouri's delegation to the House of Representatives voted on HB 321 -- workers' compensation reform, which passed 88-66 -- and HB 273 -- tort reform, which passed 98-53:

HB 321 HB 273

Otto Bean, R-Kennett Yes Yes

Lanie Black, R-Charleston Yes Yes

Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau Yes Yes

Mike Dethrow, R-Alton Yes Yes

Kevin Engler, R-Farmington Yes Yes

Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill Yes Yes

Gayle Kingery, R-Poplar Bluff Yes Yes

J.C. Kuessner, D-Eminence Yes Yes

Scott Lipke, R-Jackson Yes Yes

Rob Mayer, R-Dexter Yes Absent

Denny Merideth, D-Caruthersville No Yes

Peter Myers, R-Sikeston Yes Yes

Wes Wager, D-DeSoto No No

Dan Ward, D-Bonne Terre No Yes