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 House Speaker Catherine Hanaway has said her biggest challenge would be keeping the fiscal and social conservatives on the same agenda.
As the legislature goes on spring break at the end of this week, both sides have scored gains -- with legislative advancement of key issues for each faction.
Hanaway said she is "very happy with the progress the House has made this session."
"The priorities of a variety of members have been addressed on the floor. We are dealing with both fiscal and social issues," Hanaway said. "We have balanced a budget without tax increases and have passed 24-hour wait on abortions and conceal and carry."
The fiscal conservatives seem to be getting their way with a state budget that is being cut more than $700 million to keep it in balance, restrictions on workers' compensation and limits on liability lawsuits.
But social issues are also getting attention in both the House and Senate with abortion restrictions and concealed weapons.
"The budget cutters are having their day this year, but the social conservatives have an equal passion for their issues too," said. Sen. John Loudon, R-St. Louis County.
The Republicans took the leadership of both chambers of the legislature for the first time in more than half a century years after the election last November.
"The historical obstacles to the social agenda have been removed this year," Loudon said. "It is easier to push both agendas because Republicans are going to do what we said we would do when we campaigned on these issues last fall."
Most legislators agree that the budget is the No. 1 priority of this session, but they are looking at socially conservative issues to bring the budget in balance and to take steps that they think will improve future budgets.
"The only way to resolve the budget issue is to grow the economy," said Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph. "We need to fix the job situation. If corporations make money they want to stay in the state and will pay taxes."
The House passed the Republican budget plan this week that will give lump sum payments to department directors and allow them to distribute the money to the many programs each department sponsors. The budget now moves over to the Senate for approval.
"Now that we've sent the budget over to the Senate, we can opt to work on other priorities - economic development, workers' compensation and other measures to create jobs," said Rep. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield.
Senate Appropriation Chair, John Russell, R-Laclede, said his chamber will work with the House-passed budget to come up with a plan that will be least painful.
"When we finish our budget, neither conservatives or liberals will be happy," Russell said. "The middle-of-the-road types are the ones who will get their way with this year's budget."
Before the budget came to the floor, the House passed several social issues including measures to allow people to carry concealed weapons, a mandatory 24-hour waiting period on abortions and restrictions on who can qualify for workers' compensation.
Both the House and Senate are working on similar legislation that would cap the awards patients could receive in medical malpractice lawsuits and change other aspects of the liability lawsuit provisions.
Hanaway said the budget was getting the most attention, but that the underlying issue of reviving the state's economy is now on the social agenda.
"Job creation is our top priority," Hanaway said. "The root of the budget crisis is a decline in revenue. If we don't address that problem, we will never turn this ship around."
She said the House will be addressing social issues - nursing home care, department of family services procedures and unemployment compensation - for the remainder of this year's session.