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.
“Unless we take action, we will see millions and millions of dollars in the health care industry diverted away from care, diverted away from health care jobs, and instead those precious dollars will be needed for legal defense costs,” said Jones.
Senate President Pro-tem Tom Dempsey told his chamber he wants to lower the state’s income tax and create a more business-friendly tax code. Democrats in both chambers emphasized their intentions to push for expanding Medicaid in the state budget.