Statehouse News: Nov. 30 to Dec. 4

The following headlines are compiled each week by Sarah D. Wire, a senior at the Missouri School of Journalism. The weekly newsletter — drawn from stories by student-reporters with Missouri Digital News — is dispatched to members of the Missouri Press Association.

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Missouri’s governor calls for mandated autism coverage — Gov. Jay Nixon, joined by legislative supporters, traveled across the state Thursday to announce support for legislation that would require health insurance to cover treatment of autism at up to $72,000 per year. A spokesman for the Missouri Insurance Coalition said the measure could raise premiums for all policyholders by three percent.

Missouri National Guard Troops not part of troop surge — Missouri National Guard spokeswoman Capt. Tammy Spicer said the state will not send more troops to Afghanistan “any time soon.”

Columbia Democrat no longer ranking member of House Budget Committee — Missouri Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, will lose his designated title as the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. In exchange for serving on the House Judiciary Committee, Kelly will relinquish the position and no longer be a ranking member of the Budget Committee, a position that assists and communicates with the committee chair.

State revenue collections increase for the first time this year — Although still down for the year, state revenue collection increased in November compared to last year. “It’s the first positive number in quite a while,” State Budget Director Linda Luebbering said.

Ethics legislation tops new bills — Top legislative leaders have proposed measures to impose tougher conflict of interest standards on government officials. House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Jackson County, announced a legislative package that would ban elected officials and their staff from working as lobbyists for one year after leaving office. It would also place limits on campaign contributions. Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joesph, proposed banning lobbyists from giving campaign contributions to legislators or to the governor while the legislature is in session.

Columbia senator named vice-chair of Appropriations Committee — Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, was appointed as second-in-command of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Missouri to receive $2 million for broadband expansion — Missouri will receive $1.9 million in grant using federal stimulus funds for mapping and planning broadband Internet expansion across the state.

Recap of the Candidates’ Forum at MU

Tonight I went to the Associated Students of the University of Missouri’s candidates’ forum in Memorial Union. Sen. Chuck Graham, Kurt Schaefer, Mary Still, State Rep. Ed Robb, Chris Kelly, State Rep. Steve Hobbs and Kelly Schultz all came to speak to students and Columbia community members. Still’s opponent, Republican Ryan Asbridge, could not attend the forum as he has been called to active duty by  U.S. naval intelligence.

About 65 people showed up for the event, which began with an opening statement from each of the candidates. In the first round of the forum, candidates responded to questions they had seen beforehand. In the second, people in the audience got to ask the candidates questions.

Question topics ranged from concerns about health care, questions about Medicaid cuts, second amendment rights and the legalization of medical marijuana.

Some quotable quotes from the evening:

Graham, on the MU student curator bill vetoed by Gov. Blunt in July, said to the students: “They shouldn’t have underestimated you.”

Schaefer, on Graham’s record in the Senate: “We can do better.”

Still, on Medicare cuts: “The other part of the cuts, apart from the moral issue, is the economic issue. There’s a multiplier effect in this and it hurts the economy of the state. Those (federal) dollars went to New Jersey, New York, I don’t know where they went, but they did not come to Missouri.”

Robb, on being an advocate for MU: “I will support all measures to fund higher education.”

Kelly, on Robb and the failure of the Prepare to Care agreement: “The difference between us is as stark as can be and it is not from a desire to help the university, but the ability to fight sucessfully. Prepare to Care was essential, and it failed. It will not fail on my watch.”

Hobbs, on Medicare cuts: “The money is available to restore those cuts; it’s in your wallets and your parents’ wallets.”

Schultz, on academic freedom: “Our role is not to micromanage what happens in the classroom.”