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MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – VETO SESSION CONCLUDES

The Missouri General Assembly met on Wednesday, September 15th in Jefferson City for their annual Veto Session, resulting in no overturned legislation.  Governor Mike Parson (R) this year had vetoed line times in 12 appropriations bills and four other omnibus bills in the end on Wednesday, none of the Governor’s vetoes were overridden.

 

The House of Representatives did vote to override vetoes in sections of HB 4, allotting $150,000 for tax refunds to certain businesses; HB 11. Providing three percent raises for Children’s Division workers; HB 12, providing $300,000 to fund a Lincoln County program that focuses on crimes against children; and HB 19, providing $700,000 in stabilization funds for a Community Improvement District in Columbia.

 

When the bills arrived in the Senate, heated discussion was triggered when Sen. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove) made a motion to override HB 4, a bill that was originally handled in the Senate by Sen. Dan Hegeman (R-Cosby), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R), who was presiding in the chamber, did not recognize Sen. Moon’s motion.  At that point, the Senate spent four hours debating Senate Rules and past precedent as Senate leadership was then criticized by various members of the Senate Conservative Caucus.  The discussion ultimately ended when Sen. Hegeman decided to bring up the bill, adding he was against the override, and the motion failed by a 15-13 vote.  To successfully override a Governor’s veto, both legislative bodies must pass the motion by a supermajority (two-thirds) vote.

 

MISSOURI HOUSE REPUBLICANS SELECT SPEAKER IN-WAITING

On September 15th, the House Republican Caucus voted by secret ballot to elect Representative Dean Plocher (R-Town and Country) as their next Speaker of the House in January of 2023.  Plocher currently serves as the House Majority Floor Leader and is on this third term in the legislature.  Plocher currently manages his own law firm in Clayton.

 

GOVERNOR PARSON ANNOUNCES $400 MILLION FUNDING PLAN FOR BROADBAND

Governor Parson has announced plans to deploy more than $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to increase broadband internet access, adoption, and assistance statewide.  The plan, announced on August 19th, was developed through a multi-agency effort designed to address a diverse range of broadband connectivity challenges and is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of Missouri families.  The plan will be presented to the Missouri General Assembly in January for appropriation. 

 

Also, the Missouri Department of Economic Development has applied to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration Broadband Infrastructure Program, requesting an additional $56 million for broadband deployment.  If approved, this funding could support up to 19 projects, connecting more than 17,000 households, businesses, and other institutions.  According to the Federal Communications Commission, more than 147,000 households or almost 400,000 Missourians do not have access to high-speed internet, most of those citizens reside in rural communities.

 

DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES RELEASE DRAFT LAND DISTURBANCE PERMIT

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has sent the HBA office a draft of a proposed land disturbance permit as part of their 10-day industry review process.  The DNR has asked that anyone with comments to please submit by 7:00 am on September 26th

 

Under the federal Clean Water Act of 1987, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delegated authority to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for permitting in 1992.  The Missouri DNR has been moving forward with implementation of the federal act since.  In 1999, the national Phase II Storm Water Rule was added to the Federal Register (Rules and Regulations) that required permitting of land disturbance activities on areas of one acre or greater,  Permits are also required for land disturbance construction activities that disturb less than one acre when part of a larger common plan of development or sale that will disturb a cumulative total of one or more acres over the life of the project.

 

For more information on construction land disturbance permits, please visit the Missouri DNR website at:

 

https://dnr.mo.gov/water/business-industry-other-entities/permits-certification-engineering-fees/stormwater/construction-land-disturbance

 

We have attached a copy of this proposal in the newsletter.  Upon submission and review, the DNR plans to hold a public hearing on the issue in mid to late October. 

 

If anyone has any questions, please contact:

 

Sarah Wright

MS4 & Land Disturbance Permitting Coordinator

Operating Permits | Stormwater and Certification Unit

Water Protection Program Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources

573-526-1139 | Sarah.Wright@dnr.mo.gov