China hub lingers another week

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - The long debated China hub bill will linger for at least another week as the Missouri House and Senate are set to meet on Monday.

Following a Republican caucus Tuesday afternoon, Senate President Pro-Tem Rob Mayer says the special session will end next week with or without a China hub bill.

Mayer says he hopes that the Senate can alter the House's mindset.

"We have the opportunity to go to conference to argue or present our position as to why we're where we're at and at the end of the day we'll see if we change anybody's mind," Mayer said.

There are no termination dates included on any of the tax breaks surrounding the China hub bill.

Mayer says the Senate won't pass the bill if these dates aren't included.

Alex Gordon, Missouri Digital News

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Mamtek facing two investigations

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - A Moberly development deal with China-based Mamtek is facing not one, but two investigations.

The Senate's Appropriations Committee chair will join the committee that will investigate a Moberly deal with the artificial sweetener company.

Mamtek promised more than six hundred new jobs in Moberly.

But when Mamtek failed to make a payment on nearly $40 million in bonds, it forced the city to dip into its debt service reserve.

The attorney general and the local prosecuting attorney are also investigating the deal.

Moberly's prosecuting attorney is Mike Fusselman.

"You're looking at the types of representations that were made with people to convince them to part with the money to invest in the project and if the representations were accurately stated or if they were misleading," Fusselman said.

Meanwhile, state legislative leaders say this scandal has undermined Jay Nixon's proposal for a deal with another China company to create an airport cargo hub in St. Louis.

The Senate's top leader, Rob Mayer, announced the Government Accountability Committee's investigation of a deal between the city of Moberly and China-based Mamtek.

Committee chairman Jim Lembke says this shows the legislature it needs to establish more targeted tax credits to prevent this from happening again.

"The legislature has to take a close look at you know current tax credit programs and any new ones we would establish," Lembke said.

The development project was supposed to create more than six hundred new jobs.

Mariel Seidman-Gati, Missouri Digital News

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New Mo. Senate committee to look at legality of health exchanges

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer has created a Senate Interim Committee on Health Insurance Exchanges.

At question is the legality of Missouri creating its own health insurance exchange in order to meet federal health overhaul law requirements.

Missouri voters passed Proposition C last August, which blocked the government from requiring individuals to purchase health care.

Mayer, a Republican from Dexter, says that the committee is a response to concerns about federal law.

“I, along with many other state Senators, have some concerns that complying with the federal law and creating a health insurance exchange, could be and would be in violation of state law,” Mayer said.

The interim committee consists of four Republicans and two Democrats. Mayer says that they will begin work within two or three weeks.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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Filibuster ends in Missouri Senate

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - A group of Senators opposed to a plan to accept federal funds to extend unemployment benefits for Missourians, ended their filibuster Thursday after accepting a compromise with Senate leaders.

As part of the deal, Senate leaders say they will cut $250 million from federal stimulus projects for Missouri. The plan also cuts the maximum weeks of state unemployment benefits from 26 to 20.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey says states do look to the federal government for some funding.

"You know, it just means difficult decisions at all levels and I'm just glad that we were able to take one step forward today," Dempsey said.

Republican St. Louis County Senator Jim Lembke was part of the filibuster. He says the United States is a country in crisis.

"We're talking about shutting our federal government down yet we're talking about continuing to take money they've borrowed from China. This is a great victory for the taxpayers of Missouri today," Lembke said.

Senate Leader Rob Mayer says while Lembke succeeded in sending back federal funds, he questions the effectiveness of the message.

Andew Weil, Missouri Digital News

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Mo. Senate passes late-term abortion bill

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - Following a similar House vote just weeks ago, Missouri Senators passed a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks unless the fetus is determined non-viable by two physicians.

The bill would prevent women from getting a late-term abortion if a fetus is determined viable.

If a physician says the fetus is not viable, the doctor must get a second opinion of another physician before performing the abortion.

Dexter Republican Senator and bill sponsor Rob Mayer has been working for years on late-term abortion legislation.

"We were very pleased it was third read and passed out of the Senate. It makes sure, in most cases, viable children are saved from abortion," Mayer said.

Jackson County Democratic Senator Jolie Justus said lawmakers should not be involved in a woman's decision whether to carry to term a fetus that has a fatal abnormality or has already died.

"What they are doing is basically interfering with the practice of medicine by passing this bill, because this is a decision doctors should be making with their families, and we should not be interfering with that here in the legislature," Justus said.

Despite Justus's opinion, the bill passed 27 to 5 with no floor debate.

Meghann Mollerus, Missouri Digital News

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Mo. Senate bill would shut down habilitation centers

DEXTER, MO (KRCU) - Families who have loved ones in Missouri’s Habitation Centers are organizing a town hall meeting tonight in Dexter to discuss a State Senate bill that would close the centers by 2018.

The bill, introduced by Senator Scott Rupp (R-St. Charles), would end new enrollment at Hab Centers by August of this year.

Hab Centers house residents with severe mental retardation or other conditions which require constant care that cannot be provided at home. There are six hab centers in Missouri, including in Sikeston and Poplar Bluff.

The Senate bill calls for residents to be transferred to privately-owned care communities.

But that doesn’t sit well with Joyce Dixon, whose son resides at the Poplar Bluff center. Like many other parents, she had tried privately-owned care communities in the past, and she was not impressed.

"There was not that consistency, that continuity of care. There was not that follow-up to make sure that these people were meeting the safety guidelines, that this safety net was there for them," Dixon said.

650 individuals are housed in Missouri Habilitation Centers.

Senate Leader Rob Mayer (R-Dexter) will attend today'’s town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Dexter Inn.

KRCU, Jacob McCleland

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