State Sen. Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester) will serve his 16th and final year in the Missouri Legislature in 2024, due to term limits. He chairs the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee and is also seeking the GOP nomination for Missouri Treasurer in 2024. Senator Koenig joined us live this morning on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” to preview the 2024 session, which begins January 3 in Jefferson City. One of his top priorities is what he describes as initiative petition reform. Senator Koenig tells listeners that changing the Missouri Constitution should require a higher threshold than a simple majority. Democrats strongly oppose the change, saying Missouri voters have been approving things like a minimum wage increase, Medicaid expansion and a right-to-work repeal because GOP lawmakers are not listening to voters. But Senator Koenig disagrees. He wants to see an IP bill pass that would require a proposed Missouri constitutional amendment to be approved by voters in five of the state’s eight congressional districts. Senator Koenig says cities shouldn’t be able to tell farmers what to do and versa. Senator Koenig also called for the expansion of school choice and a parental bill of rights on the program. He’ll also focus on transgender legislation in 2024:
(AUDIO): State Sen. Holly Rehder (R-Scott City) discusses her lieutenant governor bid on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
State Sen. Holly Rehder (R-Scott City) is a veteran lawmaker in Jefferson City. She’s served more than 11 years in the Missouri Legislature: eight in the House and three in the Missouri Senate. She’s launched her candidacy for lieutenant governor and says she wants to unabashedly protect sacred Christian and conservative values. One of her landmark bills that was signed into law in 2021 was bipartisan prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation. Senator Rehder joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”, telling listeners that more than 70 percent of Missourians support PDMP. She also says her constituents in southeast Missouri back her transgender bill that becomes law on August 28. It requires athletes to participate in male or female competitive sports based on their gender at birth, through the collegiate level:
(AUDIO): Missouri’s House Speaker doesn’t believe special session will be necessary; anti-hazing bill appears to be dead
Missouri’s House Speaker is pleased with the 2023 legislative session, which wraps up Friday evening at 6 in Jefferson City.
Speaker Dean Plocher (R-Town and Country) notes House Republicans have a 111-51 supermajority, and tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” they should lead like they have a supermajority. Plocher notes he outlined House GOP priorities in early January.
“We wanted some tax cuts, we wanted initiative petition reform, we were going to work on the transgender anomaly that’s hitting this country for some social reason. We’re going to talk about open enrollment, reducing personal property taxes. We outlined all of that in January and I think come the end of the week here, we have four days to go, I think people are going to be very happy with what we deliver,” Plocher says.
The House also voted 154-2 this week to pass a bipartisan bill that would end state taxes on Social Security benefits starting in 2024. That bill is now on the governor’s desk. Speaker Plocher predicts the Legislature will pass transgender-related legislation by Friday evening. He tells “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that he doesn’t believe a special session will be necessary, based on what he anticipates will happen this week in Jefferson City.
“I know we’re going to hit the transgender issues. Whether we hit them up to everybody’s satisfaction remains to be seen. But we’re going to pass some stuff. Hopefully the governor (Mike Parson) finds it satisfactory, I think he should. I think the people will,” says Plocher.
Meantime, anti-hazing legislation in the Missouri House appears to be dead, over language concerns about the bill. House Bill 240 from State Rep. Travis Smith (R-Dora) says any person who renders aid to a hazing victim or is the first to call 911 or campus security is immune from prosecution. Speaker Plocher doesn’t like the bill’s wording.
“I don’t want to grant immunity just because you call 911. What if you’re the perpetrator. I mean you can shoot somebody or haze them in some capacity and then you call 911 and then you’re immune? I think it’s a duty for people to help each other,” Speaker Plocher says.
Representative Smith, a Mizzou graduate, has said he wants to prevent another situation like Danny Santulli’s from happening again. Santulli’s family members say he’s blind and unable to walk, after an alleged October 2021 hazing incident at a Mizzou fraternity house.
Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers: 24-10 in the Missouri Senate and 111-51 in the Missouri House. You can hear the full interview with Speaker Plocher here.
(AUDIO): Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher (R-Des Peres) discusses 2023 legislative session on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
Missouri’s 2023 legislative session has four days left. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers: 24-10 in the state Senate and 111-51 in the Missouri House. House Speaker Dean Plocher (R-Des Peres) says his chamber has a GOP supermajority and that they should lead like they have a supermajority. He tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that residents will be very happy with with what legislative Republicans deliver by Friday. Speaker Plocher’s priorities this session have included tax cuts, initiative petition reform and transgender legislation. He predicts that some transgender bills will pass and hopes Governor Mike Parson (R) will sign them. He’s also pleased the Legislature has given final approval to a bill ending state taxes on Social Security benefits starting in 2024: