(Missourinet) – A proposed change in the state budget could allow opponents of the death penalty to attempt to pull funding for it.

Members of Missouri’s execution team are paid in cash to keep their identities hidden, per the law – that includes the doctor that administers a lethal injection and a compounding pharmacy that makes the pentobarbital used. That money has come out of a fund for expenses and equipment in the Department of Corrections’ budget, so state lawmakers and others looking at the budget didn’t know how much was spent on executions.

A House subcommittee approved Representative Jeremy LaFaver’s (D-Kansas City) proposal to create a specific line in the budget for executions.

“Including it in the budget in this fashion I think is going to allow for a little better transparency and tracking of this important task that our state does,” said LaFaver.

If his action stands, legislators who oppose the death penalty could now see where it’s funded in the budget and by how much, and could propose pulling that money. LaFaver wouldn’t say if a proposal to pull the money for executions will be offered.

The idea passed a mostly-Republican committee chaired by Representative Kathie Conway (R-St. Charles), who says she supports the need for transparency as long as no identities of execution team members are released. Conway also said there is little chance an effort to defund executions would clear the Republican legislature.

“From what I heard happened in the Senate [Monday], yes I think that most Republicans are [in favor of the death penalty]. Personally, I am,” said Conway.

On Monday the state Senate debated a proposed repeal of the death penalty. Most Republicans spoke against it and the issue was tabled.
The line LaFaver’s action created includes a proposed amount of half-a-million dollars. Conway expressed concern about tying up that much money with the expectation that few executions will be scheduled during the 12 months it covers, beginning July 1.

LaFaver agreed to offer an amendment to reduce that amount to more closely reflect the execution-related expenses the Corrections Department expects, but he also wants additional money to cover potential federal fines. He referred to the Corrections Department Director, George Lombardi, last week telling the budget committee that the state has not issued federal tax reporting forms, or 1099s, to members of its execution team going back to the mid 1980s.

LaFaver said money in that line beyond the projected costs of executions, “would also allow for the payment of any penalties that would be assessed to the state from the IRS for not complying with the federal tax law requirements of issuing a 1099.”

LaFaver said he will work to come up with a figure more reflective of potential execution costs and IRS penalties to propose to the full budget committee when it considers the corrections budget.

The full budget committee is the next stop for that bill.

(Missourinet) – Senator Scott Sifton (D-Affton) says it’s only a matter of time before Missouri requires those arrested for any felony – not just certain felonies – to provide a DNA sample for unsolved crime analysis. He’s offering a bill that would apply such a law to those 17 years and older. A senate committee will today hear his proposal.

“Eventually, all 50 states will be running DNA samples on all felony arrestees. A number of states already do. The only question is how quickly does Missouri wants to get with the times and take advantage of the law enforcement technology that is now available to us? I think we should do it sooner rather than later,” said Sifton.

DNA samples are currently collected in arrests for only certain felonies, and then checked against samples taken from unsolved crimes.

“The reality is, we already do this in a lot of cases. We’ll be doing this in more cases. Will there be more analysis done and samples? Yes. Will there be more prosecutions? Yes, but we want to enforce the law,” said Sifton.

The estimated cost of expanded sampling is more than $860,000 a year.

A similar bill has been filed in the House.

(Missourinet)- The United States Supreme Court has granted a temporary hold on the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations that would limit the nation’s carbon emissions from power plants. A stay application was filed by Missouri and several other states that are suing the EPA on its “Clean Power Plan”. The Attorneys General of the states suing claim the EPA is exceeding its authority in issuing the regulations.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is pleased with the court’s decision.

“In staying the rule, the Supreme Court ensured the rule’s legality will be tested before Missouri ratepayers could be forced to bear the burden of compliance.”

The EPA’s plan aims to move the country’s energy production away from coal-burning power plants toward cleaner sources, including solar and wind power. Carbon emissions would be cut nationwide 30% by 2030.

Koster noted that Missouri’s energy producers estimate that complying with EPA’s deadlines would cost the state more than $6 billion.

He argued that Missouri is better off maintaining the competitive advantage it enjoys through low-energy costs while continuing to develop low- and zero-emission sources of energy on a more reasonable timeline.

“Renewable energy is a vital piece of our state’s energy portfolio,” Koster said. “It is essential, however, that we achieve this goal in an economically responsible way that makes sense for Missouri.”

The stay will remain in effect pending the outcome of the lawsuit, including through any appeal to the United States Supreme Court.

(Missourinet) – A bill that seeks to promote awareness and research on mental illness among medical students has cleared the state House.

The bill would create a panel that would review medical education in Missouri and have the authority to launch a study on depressoin and suicide among medical students.

Representative Genise Montecillo (D-St. Louis) spoke about her own suicide attempt last year and urged support for the bill.

“All of you told me by your cards and your phone calls … that it was okay and that you accepted me,” Montecillo told her fellow lawmakers, “so we all need to go forward. We need to embrace this legislation.”

House sponsor Keith Frederick (R-Rolla) said medical students fear seeking help for depression and suicidal thoughts because they think it could hurt their careers. He said there are more than 400 documented suicides among doctors per year.

“When you’re in this kind of a state, you’re not thinking clearly, and you really need help. Physicians are uniquely unable, really, to ask for help because it is a red flag of their further progress of their careers,” said Frederick.

Frederick said medical students are prone to depression often due to debt, lack of sleep, and pushing themselves to meet and exceed expectations.

The bill has been sent to the Senate.

(Missourinet) – The state auditor has expanded her review of the state’s colleges and universities.

Last year Nicole Galloway’s office launched a review of the Department of Higher Education and of the state’s performance-based funding for higher education, and those continue. Now it’s looking at the affordability of all universities that get state funding, and of the administration of the University of Missouri system.

“So that’s four audits related to higher education in Missouri, because our public colleges and universities must be transparent and accountable to Missouri families,” said Galloway. “It’s an investment that students make in themselves and I value that. It helps our economy. It’s an investment that families make. It’s an investment that we, as taxpayers, make.”

The audit of college affordability will study compliance with a state law that limits tuition increases based on tuition. Galloway said taking a broad look across all state-backed institutions will offer better perspective at how they are following that law.

“I think that we’ll be able to see some comparables across the state. We’ll be able to see how governing boards are making decisions that effect how students and taxpayers are paying for higher education,” said Galloway.

The audit of the administration of the University of Missouri System will review spending and policies as administered by the UM System President and the Board of Curators. Some state lawmakers had been calling for a thorough audit of the MU System, but Galloway says this is the right place to be looking now.