Politics

Missouri Lawmakers Discuss 2nd-Half Priorities As Legislative Spring Break Arrives

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published March 15, 2013 at 4:56 PM CDT

Spring break has arrived for Missouri lawmakers, as they take a week off before returning to Jefferson City on March 25th.

They’ll have plenty of items on their plate when they get back -- among the House’s priorities is debating and voting on the state budget, which still does not include Medicaid expansion. Speaker Tim Jones (R, Eureka) says the federal health care law does not require states to add more people to the Medicaid rolls.

“I personally do not view health care as a right," Jones told reporters Thursday. “I think it is something that the state should take upon as an obligation, if they’re able to do so, and the emphasis has to be on providing health care to the disabled, to children, and to seniors, not to able-bodied adults.”

Jones says the House will also focus on passing a bond issue for university and state building projects, and will take up efforts to restore caps on medical malpractice lawsuits.

Senate leaders are also not expected to expand Medicaid when they debate and vote on the budget next month. Meanwhile, President Pro-tem Tom Dempsey (R, St. Charles) says his chamber will continue to work on labor issues, including the state’s prevailing wage for construction projects.

“Not to repeal prevailing wage law, but especially in those out-state areas to have a system that is reflective of what the labor in those communities is currently paying, so that there’s not an unfair inflated wage for public projects where we’re using taxpayer dollars,” Dempsey said.

But there is one bill in the Senate that would repeal all of Missouri’s prevailing wage laws. Senate Bill 30 was passed in committee this week and could get floor time when the Senate returns from spring break.

The Missouri General Assembly has until May 10th to send the state budget to Governor Jay Nixon (D). The 2013 regular session ends one week later on May 17th at 6:00 p.m.

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Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.