After a quick holiday break, Missouri lawmakers will head back to Jefferson City for the beginning of the 2021 legislative session on Wednesday.
The coronavirus upended the session in 2020, and despite tens of thousands of Missourians already , it鈥檒l still be a dominating factor this year.
鈥淲e recognize that COVID is here and it鈥檚 not going away anytime soon, but we also recognize that as a Legislature, we have an obligation to citizens,鈥� said incoming Speaker of the House Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold. 鈥淲hich is to keep working.鈥�
Vescovo said that he may have to work around the virus and that there will likely be more safety precautions throughout the Capitol, but he鈥檚 adamant that his chamber will be as busy as any other year.
鈥淎s far as I鈥檓 concerned, the session is on and we鈥檙e going to continue to work,鈥� Vescovo said. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean we won鈥檛 have outbreaks and things won鈥檛 change on a daily basis, but we do plan on working.鈥�
The statehouse brings in lawmakers, lobbyists, reporters and witnesses to offer testimony from all corners of the state. Despite scientific data and pleas from public health officials, Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, said he doesn鈥檛 expect to see a mask mandate this year, either.
鈥淲e have multiple senators who won鈥檛 wear masks on the Republican side,鈥� Rizzo said. 鈥淚 think if there were to be a mask mandate it would be something that the body would all vote on and agree to. I just don鈥檛 see the Republican caucus doing that.鈥�
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said she is hearing much of the same. As for day-to-day operations, Quade said she has not received any notice that the debate format will change or time on the floor would be limited.
鈥淭he only change that I have been told about is, obviously swearing in will be different and the nonpartisan staff are requesting that masks are worn in their offices,鈥� Quade said. 鈥淪o, like the clerk鈥檚 office, research, those types of places, but beyond that no. There are no changes.鈥�
Gov. Mike Parson and other statewide officeholders will be sworn in on the steps outside the Capitol on Monday. The 163 members of the House will be sworn into office in groups instead of having lawmakers and their families in the chamber at the same time.
Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said one major change is allowing experts to testify virtually during committee hearings. He said leadership is still working out the details of how it will operate.
鈥淲e want to do as much work as we can while still being mindful that we鈥檙e not entirely out of the woods yet,鈥� Rowden said. 鈥淚t literally is a day-by-day and maybe even an hour-by-hour sort of scenario. I鈥檓 ready for that, I think we鈥檙e ready for that, and I鈥檝e asked the caucus to be ready for that.鈥�
While many people are now familiar with video conferencing or Zoom calls after months of quarantine and working from home, Rizzo said there could be issues for the Legislature in terms of who is afforded the opportunity to call in.
鈥淵ou have to couch it exactly right,鈥� Rizzo said. 鈥淚f you have a very contentious bill and you have an opportunity to do the Zoom situation, you could end up with 500 people from Florida that have been recruited to come testify because now they can just roll out of bed and jump on a computer.鈥�
Leadership is also considering having a holding area, where experts could wait in a secluded place and be brought into the hearing room to testify individually. Vescovo said that even though these are all options being considered, participating in person is still going to be the expectation.
鈥淚f there is a director of a state department that thinks that we want them to testify virtually, they would be wrong,鈥� Vescovo said.
As for topics on the agenda, passing a balanced state budget is about the only guarantee. After months of economic difficulties due to the coronavirus, Rowden said there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this year鈥檚 budget negotiations.
鈥淲e all know what we want to do,鈥� Rowden said. 鈥淲e want to spend money on things that we value: education, infrastructure, workforce development and economic development 鈥� things that move the state forward. But there鈥檚 enough uncertainty for the moment that you prepare for a world where you鈥檝e got to make cuts, and if you don鈥檛 have to make cuts, you鈥檙e moving in a better direction.鈥�
Expanding Medicaid is expected to be when looking at the budget. While experts suggest it could eventually save the state money, the new program that voters approved in August will include upfront costs. With a state budget that is already stretched thin because of the economic effects of the coronavirus, lawmakers may have to get creative in figuring out how to pay for it.
鈥淲e know that the other side is already having conversations about how to lessen the population to curb costs,鈥� Quade said about the idea of mandating work requirements for the Medicaid population. 鈥淪o, for us it鈥檚 going to be upholding the will of voters and making sure that we implement it fully.鈥�
In addition to dealing with the state budget, Quade said ensuring the federal coronavirus relief funds have proper oversight is the top priority for her caucus.
鈥淓specially now that it鈥檚 been extended, in terms of the federal guidelines of when payouts are,鈥� Quade said. 鈥淏ut making sure that money is being spent appropriately and that we鈥檙e helping Missouri businesses and families.鈥�
allows Missourians to track federal coronavirus relief funds after they have been sent out to the designated recipients.
Legislators are also looking to tackle COVID-19 liability protections for businesses, schools and health care facilities. Parson had included this in the second special legislative session that wrapped up last month, but he eventually removed it from the agenda. This allowed lawmakers to get a jump on the conversation, and Rizzo said he expects robust debate in this area as well.
鈥淭he biggest thing you have to look at giving people immunity from being sued over COVID issues, is that the bill goes so far that it eliminates safety protocols,鈥� Rizzo said.
Vescovo was one of the legislators who encouraged Parson to include COVID-19 liability in his special session call, and he said it is an important issue he expects the House to bring up. Like Rizzo, he recognizes the Legislature will need to be careful when crafting the proposal in order to ensure that employees are still protected as the pandemic rages on.
A , sports betting and are all likely issues to be considered. And, after months of racial tension and protests in 2020, Democrats and the Legislative Black Caucus will be pushing for police reform.
鈥淣obody wants to defund the police, I just want to be clear about that,鈥� Rizzo said. 鈥淏ut there are some different conversations that need to be had when it comes to chokeholds, in regards to the militarization of the police departments in our state.鈥�
Parson will lay out his budget proposal and give his State of the State address later this month, which will shed more light on his priorities.
Every legislative session results in crucial policy discussion. But in 2021, Missourians can expect to have more access, with the opportunity to be more involved, as both chambers ramp up technological options to participate and observe.
