Republicans and Democrats in the Missouri House of Representatives agree this legislative session was a success, but for different reasons.
The session adjourned Friday with 58 policy bills and 16 appropriation bills passed through the Legislature.
House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, said this is the time to focus on the chamber's successes.
He touted his colleagues helped pass comprehensive tort litigation to eliminate frivolous lawsuits and labor reform to make the state more attractive to employers, as well as regulatory reforms and a balance budget, which fully funded the education formula without raising taxes.
"Missouri is once again open for business," Richardson said.
However, House minority leader Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City, felt otherwise.
Beatty said the overarching theme was pro-business and anti-people, noting Republicans chose to take pay away from hard working people in St. Louis by prohibiting any city in the state from setting a minimum wage at a higher level than the state's rate.
She also characterized the majority caucus actions as tipping "the scale of justice in favor of the powerful," by passing House Bill 43 - a law that increases the threshold of proof a person needs to meet when filing a discrimination lawsuit.
Despite the disappointment, the Kansas City representative explained having the lowest number of bills passed in state history this session was a tiny victory for the Democrats.
"We could have seen a lot more bills that hurt a lot more people," Beatty said.
A win for the Democrats was preserving funding through House Committee Bill 3, which requires the state treasurer to deposit $35.4 million into the Senior Services Protection Fund on or before Sept 1.
Local lawmakers' response
Local legislators like Reps. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, and Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, were pleased with the results of the legislation session.
"I'm very happy with this session thus far, considering the business climate we're creating, allowing business' to thrive without doing business in what people have called a judicial hellhole," Fitzwater said. "We got right to work and the Uber (ride-sharing) bills through, which we have been told will bring 10,000 additional jobs to the state."
In addition to those bills, Fitzwater mentioned how he was able to pass an adult high school bill that enhances workforce opportunities across the state.
That bill requires the state Department Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to grant a license to a Missouri-based nonprofit organization before Jan. 1, 2018, to establish and operate four adult high schools with locations as specified in the bill. Currently, these include St.Louis City and contiguous counties - those that share boundary lines - surrounding Boone, Greene and Butler counties.
Fitzwater said the measure aligns with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 2030 study, which says the No. 1 need in the state is workforce development.
Barnes named right to work and a bill that lowers the years required for a state employee to become vested in the retirement plan as two of the big pieces of legislation that the House was able to pass.
Personally, Barnes said, he was able to pass two bills that focus on deregulation in the health care field. One bill amended the law to make becoming a licensed speech pathologist easier, and the other amendment allowed dentists to practice in hospitals under special circumstances.
Rep. Tom Hurst, R-Meta, said the session started off on a good foot, but by the end, he was frustrated with the Legislature's decision to try and force legislation through by submitting multi-subject bills.
He said it's unconstitutional for lawmakers to lump bills together and load then with amendments just to push them through.
"If they can't stand alone as a single subject, then they can't stand at all, in my opinion," Hurst said.
He added: "The governor said he wanted simple, one-subject bills - and I want to see if he is going to hold true to that.
"I want to know if he feels the system as it is working today, is the way politics is supposed to work. I'm hoping he sets precedent for the next three years, that simple single-subject bills are the way it works."
Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, called the just-finished session generally "fantastic."
He cited the bill that would have the state convey about 32 acres of land at the former Missouri State Penitentiary to Jefferson City's government.
"The MSP deal was a huge deal," Kehoe said. "We've been talking about that since I was on the (Jefferson City Area) Chamber (of Commerce) in 2004 - so getting the MSP piece done gets us closer than we've ever been to that.
Sen. Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, also was pleased.
"In the Senate, we looked at things that affected our businesses, so tort (reform) was a big area," she explained. "The lawsuits that so many of our businesses get caught up in, they win, but it still costs them a lot of money and a lot of time.
"And it takes money away from growing and hiring more Missourians, so we've addressed a number of those issues."
And Senate Appropriations Chairman Dan Brown, R-Rolla, added: "We did a lot of good stuff this session.
"We passed right to work, that's been an issue for 40 years in Missouri.
"I think we got a good budget, considering the possibilities - after coming off a budget that withheld (around) $450 million-$500 million.
"We did a lot of reform - both tort reform and some education reform."
Hurst said constituent trust is based on the Legislature's decisions, and he wants to be able to assure his constituents he is voting on behalf of their needs.
"We're supposed to instill confidence in our constituents that we are doing the right thing," Hurst said. "I don't want to feel forced to vote in favor of the bill if it is coupled with bad bills or one that is loaded with multiple amendments and the people I represent don't appreciate it.
"When you try to hide something, the public doesn't trust you."
Riddle and Fitzwater both were disappointed the Legislature didn't address efforts to improve the transportation and electricity distribution systems.
A statewide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) died due to an inability for the House and Senate to compromise on their separate bills.
Going forward, Fitzwater said he would like to see a comprehensive transportation plan passed into law and a tax credit reform package that would reduce the number of tax breaks afforded to businesses.
Next session, Richardson said, bills pertaining to ethics reform still will be a priority.
Governor's response
"People sent us to Jefferson City to fight for them - and that is exactly what we've done," Republican Gov. Eric Greitens told reporters in a post-session news conference in his Capitol office.
"We've taken on the lobbyists and liberals, the trial lawyers and union bosses, the insiders and special interests - to create more jobs with higher pay."
However, Greitens told reporters he thought lawmakers had an "incomplete" grade for the session and suggested - but did not say - he might call the General Assembly back to Jefferson City for a special session.