Senate bill puts expiration date on state programs

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The era of never-ending government programs could itself come to an end under legislation that won unanimous Senate approval last week.

The bill would set a six-year expiration on new state programs and provide a review process to determine whether a program is worthy of renewal.

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Chuck Gross, R-St. Charles, was forwarded to the House of Representatives without debate following a 31-0 vote.

Critics of government growth say that once the legislature establishes a program, it rarely revisits it to determine whether the anticipated benefits are being provided for the money invested.

The bill calls for the legislature's research arm to review a program four years after it is created and recommend whether it should be renewed, modified or allowed to expire two years later. Lawmakers could renew a program deemed worthy for up to 12 years, after which it would again be re-examined.

Supporters of the measure say periodic review and elimination of inefficient or unneeded programs would help the state control its spending and avoid future financial problems.

Signs of the times

Disappointed that majority House Republicans punted to the Senate the task of writing a detailed state budget, House Democrats returned from spring break Monday with signs on their desks bearing the phrase "The buck stops here."

The saying famously coined by President Harry S. Truman aptly describes the responsibility House GOP leaders sidestepped, said state Rep. Paul LeVota, a Democrat from the late president's hometown of Independence.

"We have the signs as a reminder that this is where we do the people's business," LeVota said.

The next day Republicans responded with placards of their own which read: "The buck never got here."

That referred to the budget plan originated by Democratic Gov. Bob Holden that requires $700 million in as yet nonexistent revenue to achieve balance.

Blame Blaine

The name of another deceased politician was invoked in the Missouri Capitol this week, though not in a favorable light.

Packing a Senate hearing room, representatives of various religious faiths expressed support for two proposed amendments to the Missouri Constitution that would repeal existing provisions prohibiting the state from spending taxpayer money for any religious organization or purpose.

One of those provisions, which specifically bars state aid for religious schools, is a so-called Blaine Amendment after James Blaine, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and a failed Republican presidential candidate in the 19th century.

Reflecting the anti-Catholic bigotry of the time, Blaine unsuccessfully worked for an amendment to the federal Constitution that would ban taxpayer support for parochial schools. However, several states adopted the Blaine Amendment, including Missouri, which incorporated one into its 1875 constitution.

A group of eighth-grade students from St. Ambrose Catholic School in St. Louis attended the hearing bearing signs that read: "Shame on Blaine."

Mae Duggan of St. Louis and a representative of the group Parents' Rights in Education said it is well past the time for the Blaine provision to go.

"The Blaine Amendment, which we are asking you to repeal, is really a hate law that has no place in our enlightened Missouri," Duggan said.

Lobbyists for several public school groups, while not defending the motivations of Blaine and others of his philosophical ilk, said the repeal effort is really an attempt to open the door for taxpayer funding of parochial schools. At a time when the state can't fully fund public education, it can ill afford to spread its resources even thinner, they said.

If approved by lawmakers, Missouri voters would ultimately decide if the two sections should be repealed.

Repeal of term limits offered

Ever since Missouri voters approved legislative term limits in 1992, some veteran lawmakers have tried to have them rescinded.

This year Senate Minority Floor Leader Ken Jacob, D-Columbia, has taken up the task. Whereas some past efforts have sought to extend the number of years a lawmaker can serve or at least allow an individual to return to the legislature after sitting out a term, Jacob's proposal is a straight-up repeal of the lifetime service caps of eight years per legislative chamber.

Though the hearing on Jacob's measure lasted under a minute and prompted no opposition, the proposal isn't expected to make much progress, especially considering that a majority of incumbent lawmakers owe their jobs to vacancies created by term limits.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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