Missouri lawmakers return to pro-business agenda this week

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- At the halfway point of the 2017 session, the Republican-led Missouri Legislature has made some progress toward a pledged pro-business agenda, but it still has work to do on many of its priorities.

Before the session's May 12 end, lawmakers are hoping to pass more laws favored by business leaders now that, for the first time in almost 10 years, GOP majorities in both houses have the backing of a Republican in the governor's office.

The first bill to pass was a long-sought "right-to-work" law banning mandatory union fees, which Gov. Eric Greitens signed in early February. Both chambers also have passed bills setting up stricter requirements for vetting expert witnesses in jury trials and toughening penalties for people who damage other farmers' crops by using illegal herbicides. Those proposals have yet to be signed by the governor.

A long list of legislation regarding labor, lawsuits and education remains. Here's where key issues stand:

Labor

Proposals in both chambers would eliminate prevailing minimum wages, the minimum allowable pay for construction workers on government jobs. They are calculated for each trade on a county-by-county basis. Republicans who want to end prevailing wages say the policy drives up government construction costs, while Democrats have argued it leads to higher worker wages.

The House passed and the Senate is still debating a measure to require yearly authorization for union fees to be withdrawn from government employees' paychecks. The bill also would require written consent from employees to use dues for political purposes. Proposed Senate amendments would impose further regulations on unions in regard to electing bargaining representatives and keeping certain meetings and records open.

Lawsuits

Fueled by court rulings seen as unfavorable to businesses, some Republican lawmakers and Greitens are pushing to limit lawsuits dealing with torts, or wrongdoings. That can cover sales of lemon cars, deceptive marketing of food or other products, and medical malpractice.

Efforts include a bill on Greitens' desk to change vetting standards for expert witnesses in jury trials -- a move opponents argue will unnecessarily slow down legal proceedings and increase attorney fees.

Other pending bills would set restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits, block many class-action lawsuits and other lawsuits in which plaintiffs join together to sue, and create higher standards for employees to sue for workplace discrimination.

Bipartisan legislative opponents and critics such as the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys say restrictions on lawsuits will make it more difficult for plaintiffs to seek justice following wrongdoing.

Education

A few education bills have passed the House, and Senate leaders say education will be a priority after lawmakers return Monday.

The House passed a bill to expand online class offerings for K-12 schools. It requires the student's home school district to pay for classes if a course is not offered or the student has scheduling conflicts. If a student is too frail or sick to attend a brick-and-mortar school, the district must pay for online classes.

The House also voted to allow charter schools to open in districts where at least one school meets less than 60 percent of state standards. Under current law, charters can only open in urban school districts.

Budget

The Legislature has until May 5 to pass a budget for the fiscal year beginning in July.

Greitens recommended funding cuts for in-home and nursing home care through Medicaid, though he later backtracked because the state received extra money from a settlement with tobacco companies. He also proposed cutting nearly 10 percent of higher education funding and slashing funding for public school busing. He suggested more basic aid for K-12 public schools, but not enough to fully fund the amount called for under state law.

House Budget Committee chairman Scott Fitzpatrick wants to end tax credits for elderly and disabled renters to avoid long-term cuts to in-home care rather than relying on the one-time tobacco money. Basic aid for K-12 schools would be fully funded under Fitzpatrick's plan, and he's recommending smaller cuts to colleges and universities.

Other bills

The clock is ticking for Missouri to offer driver's licenses compliant with a 2005 federal Real ID law. If the state doesn't offer compliant licenses by January 2018, Missouri residents won't be able to board commercial flights or enter military bases using state-issued identification. Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and House Speaker Todd Richardson said proposals to give residents the option of compliant or noncompliant licenses will be debated after the break.

Lawmakers still are split over proposals to create a prescription drug monitoring database aimed at combatting opioid abuse by tracking scripts for addictive painkillers and other drugs. Dueling bills, including one by a senator who has previously blocked measures for a database, are pending.

The House has passed and the Senate is debating statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft.

Associated Press reporter Summer Ballentine contributed to this report.