LEGISLATURE STILL HAS KEY ISSUES TO DECIDE

The second half of this year's legislative session began this past week in Jefferson City. The big news to emerge from the first half of the session was the decisive, early action taken on two House bills.

First came the governor's priority, announced in his January State of the State address, to pass a bill authorizing collective bargaining for public employees. This bill, which would have effectively unionized our public schools and all of state government, is one of the worst ideas any administration has ever pushed. After a huge campaign by organized labor and personal calls by the governor to wavering lawmakers, House members rejected the governor's proposal by a decisive 13-vote margin.

Second came action by an overwhelming House majority to pass House Bill 427, the bill banning that form of infanticide known as partial-birth abortion. Known this year as the Infant Protection Act, HB 427 is a well-crafted bill that won a veto-proof majority of nearly 130 votes in the 163-member chamber. Timely action in the House sent the bill to the Senate nearly a month ahead of last year's schedule. House members rejected pleas by the governor to add to the measure an health-exception amendment that would have gutted it. The bill now rests in the Senate, where a hearing is set for Monday night and a sizable majority awaits its passage in that chamber as well. However, Senate president pro tem Ed Quick, D-Kansas City, is known to share the governor's hostility to the bill. Many twists and turns, and more than a little tough infighting, lie ahead for HB 427 before adjournment in about seven weeks.

Also rejected were the dreams of road contractors to persuade lawmakers to sign onto a package of tax increases for transportation. This one never even made it into a bill to be introduced. Transportation officials will be years climbing out of the credibility hole they have dug for themselves.

The Legislature needs to act on proposed tax cuts as well. The vehicle for this will likely be a House bill that proposes to increase the personal exemption for all individual taxpayers. To this measure, business interests want to add elimination of the corporate franchise tax. Also, an interesting bipartisan Senate coalition will be pushing for an innovative mix of tax credits to advance the cause of school choice in Missouri. Modeled on an Arizona proposal that has recently withstood constitutional challenge before that state's supreme court, this measure's fate will be among the most interesting of this or any other session. Again, the governor and key legislative leaders are opposed, but supporters are determined.

Another major issue is action on the state's award in the tobacco litigation. Senate leaders have won first-round approval for a bill that would establish a trust fund for whatever award Missouri eventually receives. Another bill seeks to write into Missouri law a national model bill being passed by all the states entering into the tobacco settlement. There are more many twists and turns to be seen on this bill, as well.

We remain hopeful that lawmakers will look favorably on some amount of funding, to be included in the capital-improvements bill, for Southeast Missouri State University's proposed River Campus. There isn't a project at any college or university in the state that can boast the level of local funding -- both public and private-sector fund raising -- that Southeast is bringing to the table on this promising project.

All these and many more issues remain to be resolved before the May 14 adjournment. With steady work over the next seven weeks, it can yet be a productive session.