The 2016 Missouri Legislative Session came to a close on May 13, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. Legislative leaders focused on ethics reform as their top priority following events in the prior legislative session.
With regards to the annual operating assistance program for transit, the Missouri Senate adopted the House position on funding for the transit assistance program including additional funding of $1,150,000 in State Transportation funds. This is in addition to the $1,056,000 in General Revenue and State Transportation funds which were funded last year. Total budgeted for transit assistance: $2.206 million – more than doubling last year’s amount. This funding is distributed based on a formula among 32 transit providers in MO. This will go to the Governor’s office as a part of the budget approval process.
Conceal Carry Bill on public transportation– Rep. Hicks successfully attached an amendment to SB 656 which would add his conceal carry on transit language to the bill. This bill with the amendments was sent to conference committee made up of five House and five Senate members to negotiate a compromise between the differing versions passed by the Senate and House.
Senator Brian Munzlinger, the sponsor of SB 656, was urged by several of the Democrats on the conference committee to remove the conceal carry provisions from the bill. Senator Bob Onder, the Senate sponsor of the conceal carry on transit bill in the Senate, was a member of the conference committee and urged this provision be kept in the conference committee report. However, due to the opposition voiced by Senator Jill Schupp and Representative Judy Morgan, the provision was removed. Senator Onder eventually agreed with this decision but stated the bill would be filed again next session. SB 656 was one of the last bills to be taken up before the Senate adjourned on Friday.
Moving Missouri Forward HB 2004 – During the appropriation process there was funding put into HB 2004 under a line item referred to as “Move Missouri Forward.” It is a cost share program for communities to fund local projects. The Senate amended the language to specifically include multimodal among the projects which could be considered for funding. The conference committee included the multi-modal language and funded the program with $20 million from General Revenue. The projects selected would be up to the discretion of the communities, but transit is eligible under this program. Governor Nixon signed HB 2004 without making any vetoes.
SB623 – increases in gasoline tax. Senator Libla amended this bill to a 5.9 cent gas tax to go to the vote of the people. Polling data showed the tax had very little support. The bill was voted out of committee the second to last week of session and was on the House Calendar of Senate Bills for Third Reading. Due to the fiscal impact of the bill, it had been referred to the Fiscal Oversight Committee. The bill remained in that committee and was not taken up before session adjourned.
Initiative Petition. An Initiative Petition for a tobacco tax for transportation projects was filed. There remains the question if enough signatures were gathered to move forward.
With regard to HB2004 and the State Transit Assistance Program, it will be up to the Governor to determine if all the funding will be released at the beginning of the new budget year.