Missouri lawmakers say state law contains a statute which says that a marriage can only be a union between a man and a women. The Chairman of the House's Judiciary Committee Richard Byrd says that the Massachusetts ruling won't lead to same-sex marriages.
During the legislative session, Rep. Richard Byrd, chair of the House judiciary committee, proposed a bill that would have capped noneconomic damages at $500,000. Gov. Bob Holden vetoed the bill saying it protected the special interests of large corporations by excluding them from the bills legislations, said Still.
"If you speak to those companies who decided to move to other states, they will say it's the cost of doing business in Missouri," Rep. Richard Byrd, R-St. Louis County.
The bill's supporters, like Representative Richard Byrd, say the act is needed to make sure the government doesn't overstep the bounds between church and state.
Under the bill, state courts would have the authority to tell violators to pay back any profit they made from bogus investment deals. Violators could also be fined up to one million dollars for fraudulent investment sales. Bill sponsor and Kirkwood area Representative, Richard Byrd, says this bill will do a lot for investor confidence.
The bill, known as Securities Reform, comes in response to last year's Enron scandal. The bill would fine violators up to one million dollars for selling phony investments. It would also allow state courts to tell fraudulent dealers to turn over any profits and pay their victims back. Bill sponsor and Kirkwood area Representative Richard Byrd says restoring investor confidence is what matters.
Three bills that would lower the jury age to 18 are currently in the House Judiciary Committee. Chairman Richard Byrd, R-St. Louis County, said the committee probably won't vote on the bills because they are not among the highest priorities at this time.
The bill, sponsored by republican Senator Matt Bartle and Representative Richard Byrd, would give the state more power to punish people who commit investment fraud.
The bill's sponsor, Richard Byrd, R-St. Louis County, blamed the current "litigation climate" for many of the job losses that have recently been incurred in the state. Byrd said that physicians are often unable to afford malpractice insurance and are leaving the state without a sufficient number of specialists in many areas, particularly in rural regions. Byrd said the situation has reached a "crisis state" and called for passage of this bill to create jobs and ensure quality health ca..
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