Lawmaker Wants. Missouri Special Session on Refugees November 18, 2015

(AP) – A Missouri lawmaker is seeking a special legislative session aimed at preventing Gov. Jay Nixon from allowing Syrian refugees to resettle in the state.

Nixon, a Democrat, on Monday called on the federal government to ensure strong safeguards. But he did not say he’d pause refugee relocations as governors in several other states have pledged in the wake of the deadly Paris attacks.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/1H8O4Fh ) that Republican state Rep. Mike Moon has written House Speaker Todd Richardson calling for the special legislative session to “tie the governor’s hands” and stop “the potential Islamization of Missouri.”

Three-fourths of the House and Senate would have to vote in favor of calling a special legislative session.

Messages left with the offices of Richardson and Nixon weren’t immediately returned Wednesday.

Nixon Flips: No Special Session Needed Now December 1, 2014

(AP) – Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon now says a special legislative session will not be necessary to pay for the public safety response to protests in the St. Louis area.

Nixon’s decision Monday came after legislative leaders suggested he could use existing budget authority to pay National Guard and Missouri State Highway Patrol officers who have been on duty.

The governor said Friday night that he planned to call a special session because costs appeared on track to exceed what was allowed in the budget.

The governor activated the National Guard because of protests over a grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who is white, for the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of black 18-year-old Michael Brown. Protesters set fires and looted stores after the decision was announced.

Nixon Calls for Special Session to Pay Guard & Patrol for Ferguson November 29, 2014

Governor Jay Nixon is calling for a special session of the Missouri Legislature in order to get more money to pat National Guard troops and members of the Highway Patrol stationed around Ferguson and in the St. Louis area.
Nixon called legislative leaders Friday night.
A statement from the Governor’s office said. ” with the ramped up presence and role of the Guard and the Highway Patrol in the region”, the agencies are going to exceed their emergency payroll budgets.
Nixon’s statement indicated he hopes for quick action so members of the Guard are paid on December 15.
The state’s budget included $4 million for the Guard’s emergency duty response and $3.4 million for the State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA) between July 2014 and June 30 2015.
Nixon said he call with legislative leaders, some of whom have been critical of his role in the troubles in Ferguson, “was a productive discussion”.

Nixon May Call School Transfer Special Session May 17, 2014

(AP) — Missouri’s Legislature failed to advance highly publicized legislation that sought to nullify some federal gun laws as its session concluded Friday, but it did send the governor a measure that could allow specially trained teachers to carry concealed weapons in the classroom.

Despite being a top priority that majority GOP leaders pledged would be one of the first bills passed this year, a dispute among Republicans ultimately derailed the attempt to void any federal law that “infringed on people’s right to keep and bear arms.”

Supporters were divided until the closing hours of session over how aggressive the measure should be in punishing federal agents who enforced unspecified gun laws. House sponsor Rep. Doug Funderburk, R-St. Peters, said it was difficult to come to a compromise that protected gun rights while easing the concerns of law enforcement groups.

“The problem is how to deal with a very fine line of language that isn’t overprotection but still has elements to keep our community safe,” he said.

The House adopted the final compromise and sent it to the Senate with less than 30 minutes remaining in the session. Democratic senators were able to stall for a vote for the remaining time.
http://www.missourinet.com/2014/05/16/lawmakers-nixons-office-indicates-special-session-coming-on-transfer-bill/

Missouri Senate Passes Boeing Bill, House Next December 4, 2013

(AP)–JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –
Missouri senators have passed legislation offering up to $1.7 billion of incentives over two decades for Boeing to assemble a commercial airplane in St. Louis.

Senators passed the bill 23-8 Wednesday while meeting in a special session called by Gov. Jay Nixon. It now goes to the House.

The eight ‘no’ votes includes Lee’s Sumitt Republican Will Kraus.
He and Sen. John Lamping voted against the nil in the committee hearings Tuesday. Lamping also cast a ‘no’ vote during the roll call.

Other ‘no’ votes include: Dan Brown; Ed Emery; Brad Lager;Brian Nieves; Rob Schaaf and Kurt Schaefer.

Missouri is one of more than a dozen locations invited by Boeing to bid on assembling the new 777X airplane.

Most other states are crafting their proposals privately. But Nixon called a special session because he wanted to offer more incentives than currently allowed under state law.

Under Missouri’s plan, the amount of incentives Boeing gets would depend on the number of jobs created.

Supporters say the Boeing project includes 2,000 to 8,000 company jobs, plus thousands of more at its suppliers.