Tagged: Missouri Senate

  The Missouri Senate unanimously passed a bill today allowing pharmacists to issue small prescription refills of emergency medication without a doctor's order.

Missouri’s budget for the next fiscal year has been passed by the State House.

While Medicaid expansion has dominated most of the debate, spending hikes were approved in other areas.  There’s an extra $65 million for K-12 schools, although the increase still falls short of fully funding the state’s public school formula.  Republican Mike Lair of Livingston County chairs the Appropriations committee on Education.

The Missouri Senate has passed an unusually large number of tax cuts, credits, deductions and increases at the midway mark of the legislative session.

The bottom line could be a net gain in state revenues, if all the proposed changes become law.

A calculation prepared for The Associated Press by former legislative tax analyst Brian Schmitt shows that Missouri may reap $355 million in 2016, with that gradually decreasing to $118 million by 2019.

The Missouri Senate has approved legislation requiring public employee unions to seek annual consent to automatically deduct fees from members' paychecks.

The bill also would require the unions to seek consent for spending members' fees on political contributions.

Public safety unions representing first responders would be exempt and not have to seek consent from members under the Senate bill.

The Missouri Senate has passed a proposed 1-cent sales tax to fund state and local transportation projects.

The tax would require approval by Missouri voters and go back on a statewide ballot after 10 years.

Officials estimate the tax would generate nearly $8 billion over a decade with 10 percent dedicated to local transportation needs.

The proposal now goes to the House after clearing the Senate Thursday on a vote of 24-10. All the opponents were Republicans.