Dec 29 – Weekly Capitol Update
2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION GETS UNDERWAY JAN. 4
The 2012 regular legislative session of the Missouri General Assembly begins on Jan. 4 with most of the major issues from the 2011 session still awaiting action by lawmakers. Republicans will continue their solid control of both legislative chambers with a 26-8 advantage over Democrats in the Senate and a 106-57 majority in the House of Representatives. The session ends on May 11.
Despite their overwhelming numbers, Republicans were unable to enact much legislation of significance during the regular 2011 session or a two-month special session that followed in the hopes of addressing the major issues that had been left unfinished, particularly the passage of job creation legislation. Infighting between House and Senate Republicans was the primary cause of the legislative dysfunction in 2011, and it is uncertain whether the relationships between the two chambers’ GOP members will be improved in 2012.
In addition to job creation and the other leftover issues from 2011, balancing the state budget amid tough financial times will continue to be a major task for lawmakers. The Consensus Revenue Estimate agreed to by House and Senate budget leaders and Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration for the 2013 fiscal year, which begins July 1, predicts 3.9 percent general growth over the revised estimate for FY 2012, which is halfway over. Although that estimate would yield an additional $285 million over FY 2012 collections, the loss of federal money and other spending pressures means the state is facing a budget shortfall of roughly $550 million, which would require yet another round of state spending cuts in addition to cuts that have already been imposed in the last several years.
STATE WON’T LOSE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION DELEGATES
The Democratic National Committee has ruled that Missouri will retain its full slate of delegates to the party’s 2012 national convention despite the fact that the state will hold its presidential primary on Feb. 7 in violation of party rules. Both the Democratic and Republican national parties adopted new rules for 2012 that prohibit all but certain states from holding presidential nominating primaries or caucuses prior to March 1. States that violate the rules can be penalized by the loss of delegates to national conventions at which the Democratic and Republican nominees will be formally selected.
The Missouri General Assembly passed a bill in the spring that would have pushed the state’s presidential primaries to March 6, but Republican lawmakers loaded up the legislation with numerous unrelated provisions that prompted a veto from Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. Lawmakers made another attempt at changing the state’s presidential primary law during a fall special session, but the bill failed to win final passage.
In order to avoid losing delegates, the Missouri Democratic Party appealed to the DNC, which accepted the state party’s argument that the failure to change the law was the result of actions by state Republican lawmakers.
Rather than likewise appealing for clemency from the Republican National Committee, Missouri GOP leaders have instead chosen to ignore the results of the state’s Republican presidential primary, which under state law must still be held. Instead, Missouri’s Republican delegates will be awarded to presidential candidates through a series of local nominating caucuses that will be held around the state on March 17.
Category: Weekly Capitol Update
