The 1999 session of the Missouri General Assembly officially ended at 6:00 p.m. on May 14, 1999. The General Assembly passed 231 bills this session and all are awaiting action by the Governor before they become law. Under the Missouri Constitution, the governor has 45 days after the end of the legislative session to either sign or veto a bill. If he takes no action after 45 days, the bill automatically becomes law. If a bill is vetoed by the governor, legislators have the opportunity to override the veto during the September 15th veto session. Below find a brief review of the bills Family Watch followed during the session. Status of the bill will indicate “passed” or “failed” by the General Assembly. Contact your state legislators with your concerns – (573) 751-2000.

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban: Passed This 28-line bill bans "partial birth abortions" by classifying them as infanticide – an act of “intentionally killing a living infant that is born, partially born, or aborted.” Infanticide would be a class “A” felony. This bill is different from the ban passed during the 1997 session, which was vetoed by Governor Carnahan. The PBA does not contain a “health” of the mother exemption, because the medical community has said that such abortions are never medically necessary. The PBA passed by a veto proof majority in the House, 127-29, and a veto proof majority in the Senate, 27-6. (109 votes are needed in the House and 23 in the Senate to override a veto). NOTE: The PBA in 19 states have been ruled unconstitutional while nine states have PBA bans in effect.

Planned Parenthood Funding: Passed As part of the state’s $16.8 billion operating budget, Missouri legislators approved new restrictions on Planned Parenthood funding. The new rules for PP funding are the result of a recent court decision by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that lawmakers do have the right to require abortion services to be separate from family planning clinics. Under the new rules, groups that receive family planning money and their abortion affiliates must not share the same or even similar names; they cannot share medical facilities, business offices or waiting rooms; cannot share expenses, employee wages or equipment. The goal of these restrictions is to ensure that state tax dollars do not subsidize abortion services.

Video Gambling Machines: Failed This constitutional amendment, if approved by the Legislature, would have asked Missouri voters to change the state constitution to allow video poker and video slot machines in private, non-for-profit clubs. According to Steve Taylor, of Casino Watch, this amendment was Missouri gaming industry’s latest attempt at gambling expansion. “Our constitution does not allow for land-based gambling, but if we allow fraternal and religious organizations to operate slot machines, then it’s just full-blown gambling in the state of Missouri.”

Off-Track Betting: Failed This legislation would have authorized a Missouri horse racing track to broadcast live horse races from the nation’s premier tracks around the country and, eventually, at up to four off-track parlors. Off-track betting, or simulcasting, would have allowed gamblers to watch live horse races from TV monitors in local betting parlors, placing bets 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as if they were at the various tracks throughout the country. This legislation would have added another form of gambling in Missouri, which already has riverboat casinos, a state lottery and bingo. According to Steve Taylor, executive director of Casino Watch, “Unlike riverboats, [which requires a local vote before a boat can be located in a community] these [betting parlors] may be placed in any community deemed fit by the Horse Racing Commission.” A similar bill lost by only one vote last year.

“Slots for Tots”: Passed This bill exempts amusement machines commonly found in “kiddie” arcades from gambling laws, while prohibiting non-cash prizes from exceeding the value of play. Many Casino Watch sponsored amendments were passed and in its final form, language was attached which prohibited any game from simulating slot machines or any other gambling games.

Alcohol Ban At Capitol: Failed This legislation would have banned alcoholic beverages at the Capitol, holding legislators to the same standard as other government employees. Dollies full of liquor make their way through the halls of the Capitol, creating a bad image for constituents and/or children to witness. The bill would have ended a double-standard – if legislators are in favor of drug and alcohol-free workplaces – then they should be willing to set the example.

Abstinence Education: Passed This legislation requires that public school sex education curriculum teach abstinence as the preferred choice of behavior for unmarried pupils, because it is the only method that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity. All sexuality curriculum will be made available for public inspection and parents will have the right to remove their students from any part of the district’s human sexuality instruction.

Same-Sex Marriage: Failed This legislation would have stated that: 1) it is the public policy of this state to recognize marriage only between a man and a woman; 2) any purported marriage not between a man and a woman is invalid; 3) no recorder shall issue a marriage license, except to a man and a woman; and 4) a marriage between persons of the same sex will not be recognized for any purpose in this state even when valid where contracted. This bill was passed by the Senate, but never received action by the House. A similar bill was passed in 1996, but was procedurally voided by the courts in 1997. The Vermont Supreme Court could possibly legalize homosexual marriages by this summer and because of the “Full Faith and Credit Clause” in the U.S. Constitution, Missouri would likely be forced to recognize marriage licenses issued to people who travel to Vermont to get married and then return to Missouri.