MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY _ Missouri's Democratic legislative leaders and the governor both expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the 1995 session _ a session the governor had labeled as disappointing just a week earlier.
But the day before the end of the session, lawmakers completed action on major agenda items one day before the Friday (May 12) adjournment).
A tax-limitation measure and a juvenile crime bill _ two prongs of the governor's agenda _ were approved by both chambers and sent to Gov. Mel Carnahan's desk.
The tax-limitation measure will give Missourians the chance to vote on tax increases more than $50 million or 1 percent of state revenue.
The juvenile crime bill, also, received overwhelming bi-partisan acceptance, although some senators had problems with specific parts.
"The bill makes our law better than we have, but it could be better," said Sen. Joe Moseley, D-Columbia, who is the bill's sponsor.
The bill dictates that any child charged with a serious felony such as murder would be tried as an adult and would lower the minimum age for trying kids accused of any felony to 12.
The bill also lets judges sentence children to serve in juvenile programs for specified time periods. Currently, juvenile programs determine when the child is ready for release.
Moseley said he wanted the minimum age for trying kids to be 14, rather than 12, and juvenile program officials to retain the right to decide when child is ready to leave.
The fact that the juvenile crime bill got debated was encouraging to senators, who feared that it was being held hostage by the concealed weapons bill.
In other action Thursday:
* The abortion-counseling bill was set aside for this session. A motion was approved by senators to postpone action on the governor's veto until a later session _ either the veto session in the fall or at the next regular session in 1996.
But Carnahan said the motion was meaningless. He argued the constitution limits legislative consideration of an override attempt to the 1995 session which adjourned Friday.
* A 10-year effort to enact boating-safety legislation culminated in the House giving final approval to restrictions on boat noise and speed.
Bill proponents cited numerous deaths on Missouri lakes, and owners of lake side property complained about the noise created by the state's growing fleet of motorboats.