Marshall Griffin

Missouri’s inauguration day has arrived, as Governor Jay Nixon (D) and several other state office holders prepare to be sworn in.

It’ll be the second term for most of those taking the oath of office, including Democrats Nixon, Attorney General Chris Koster, and State Treasurer Clint Zweifel.  Fellow Democrat Jason Kander, the incoming Secretary of State, will be the only statewide office newcomer.  Republican Lt. Governor Peter Kinder will be taking the oath of office for the third time, and his third term may prove to be very short if his bid to replace southeast Missouri Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R) succeeds.

Aside from Medicaid expansion, the most talked-about issue so far during the just-begun Missouri legislative session is whether Gov. Jay Nixon has the authority to appoint a new Lt. Gov. if Peter Kinder succeeds Republican Jo Ann Emerson in Congress.

Following his annual prayer breakfast, Gov. Nixon told reporters he believes he has the authority to appoint a new lieutenant governor if the office suddenly becomes vacant.

Missouri’s 2013 legislative session is now underway.  Legislative leaders kicked things off by laying out more details on what they want to pass this year.

During his opening remarks to the Missouri House, Speaker Tim Jones said he wants to restore caps on medical malpractice damage awards, which were stripped away last year by the State Supreme Court.

As Missouri lawmakers begin a new session at noon on Wednesday, one issue facing them is how to fund Missouri’s roads and highways. A “Blue-Ribbon” citizen’s committee created by the Missouri House to examine the state’s transportation needs released its report on how to fix the funding crisis on Tuesday. The report lays out several options, including: raising either the state’s fuel tax or creating a sales tax dedicated to transportation needs.  House Speaker Tim Jones says he prefers exploring options that are "revenue neutral."

Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City this week for the start of the 2013 regular session.  So far it appears that this year’s dominating issue will be the expansion of Medicaid, which Democratic Governor Jay Nixon has called for and which Republican leaders in both chambers say won’t happen.  St. Louis Public Radio’s Marshall Griffin takes a closer look at that looming battle and other issues facing Missouri lawmakers this year.

Medicaid Expansion

A task force has released its recommendations on combatting sexual abuse of children in Missouri.

There are 22 recommendations in all.  They include requiring people who are legally obligated to report sex abuse incidents to directly contact the state’s Children’s Division, instead of just reporting incidents to superiors within their own organizations.  That particular recommendation will be sponsored by State Representative Marsha Haefner (R, Oakville).

It appears that Missouri has lost about $2.3 billion in revenue over the past nine years because it does not collect sales taxes on purchases made over the Internet.

A report issued by the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs says that averages out to around $468 million a year.  House Minority Floor Leader Jacob Hummel (D, St. Louis) says collecting taxes on Internet sales could help fund several critical needs, including K-12 schools.

“I think if you look at just levels of school funding, when adjusted for inflation, we’re back at levels in the early (19)90’s," Hummel said.  "Clearly this is a way to enhance revenue.”

2012 was a rough year for Missouri farmers battling severe drought and extreme heat, but some species of wildlife did well – specifically, turkeys, bobwhite quail and honeybees.

In the wake of the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, Missouri lawmakers will have competing gun proposals when they convene next month for the 2013 regular session.  They include one that would require background checks for anyone who buys a firearm at gun shows. 

Forecasters call for Missouri’s revenues to grow by just over 3 percent during the next fiscal year, and a conservative group wants any left over money to be returned to taxpayers or added to the state’s Rainy Day fund.  Democratic Governor Jay Nixon and Republican legislative leaders released the annual revenue estimate ahead of the 2013 legislative session.