Democratic Senators held their caucus and kept the status quo for party leadership. Immediately after, Senator Joe Maxwell resigned as caucus chair leaving the position for Senator Harold Caskey. But, Maxwell, who will be sworn in as Lieutenant Governor by January 8, has not given up his Senate seat yet.
Incumbent Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, is in a tough fight against Republican Bill Foster for that southeastern Missouri seat. In western Missouri, Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler, is squaring off against Republican Jim Howerton.
The BAC bill died in the Senate after gaining House approval late last night. Bill sponsor Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler, never sought Senate approval Friday, thereby killing the bill like he did a similar measure last year.
The idea behind the bill has a history. In previous sessions, versions of the measure have died in the Senate, largely due to the actions of one man. Last year, Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler, held the bill in the committee he chairs preventing it from getting chance on the floor. Ironically, this year he is the Senate sponsor of the bill.
The two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate are not moving forward. The committee did pass from a Senate committee, but Harold Caskey, the committee chair, hasn't sent the bill to the Senate floor. The House bill hasn't even been voted on yet.
Senator Harold Caskey's proposal will provide better access to adaptive telecommunications equipment. Representative Bill Boucher has extended this measure by adding a legislative substitute that offers Missouri's disabled low rate loans. Diane Golden, Director of Missouri Assistive Technology, says the bill will provide better resources for the disabled.
The Senate version of the bill was voted out of committee, but the committees chair Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler, has not reported the bill before the Senate. A spokesman for Caskey said the Senate was already too busy to be considering new legislation this late in the session.
JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval Wednesday to a bill changing the state's drunk-driving laws. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Harold Caskey (D-Butler), would lower the legal blood-alcohol limit from 0.10 to 0.08.
Currently, local property taxes fund education. But, Senator Harold Caskey says rulings in other states against using property taxes for education threaten how Missouri now funds schools. Now he wants to reform Missouri's policy.
Sen. Harold Caskey, D- Butler, brought the bill lowering the punishable BAC level for drivers from .10% to .08% before the Senate Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence committee.