Missouri House Democrats reveal plans for 2009 session
One bill would outlaw automated calls from campaigns.
Dec. 2, 2008
Missouri House Democrats unveiled three pieces of legislation to be filed before the start of the upcoming legislative session at a news conference Monday morning.
Rep.-elect Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, and Rep. Paul Quinn, D-Monroe City, profiled separate pieces of legislation that would allow early voting, increase regulation of the state's payday loan industry and increase transparency for automated calls during campaigns. Monday was the opening day for Missouri legislators to pre-file legislation before the 2009 legislative session, which begins Jan. 7.
Columbia Reps.-elect Stephen Webber and Mary Still, who had planned to attend the conference, were not able to attend because of traveling difficulties with regards to the weather.
The early voting bill would allow voting up to three weeks prior to Election Day and would establish satellite sites for early voting for every 50,000 registered voters.
Kelly, who is sponsoring the bill, said the legislation would leave the decision to have early voting in local elections to municipal and county elections authorities. He said that, for bigger elections, he would support the establishment of at least one early voting site in every district, and possibly more in larger districts.
"It cuts down on the number of possible difficulties on Election Day," Kelly said.
Quinn, Still and Webber are listed as co-sponsors of the bill.
Shortly after the conclusion of this year's General Election, Democrats came out in support of early voting, including the state's election authority, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. Not long after they were elected to their new offices Nov. 4, Still and Webber held a news conference to voice their support for early voting.
Kelly said he does not think early voting would benefit any party over the other.
"We ought to change election laws insofar as what's good for the voters, not insofar as what is good for the parties," Kelly said.
In a seperate interview, Sen.-elect Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, said he would support early voting legislation.
"An overwhelming number of voters have said they would like to see more convenience in the voting process," Schaefer said.
The legislators have agreed to work together on legislation that would reform the state's payday loan industry, or non-banking lenders that provide loans of up to $500 or less.
According to a report from the Missouri Division of Finance, which was released in 2007, the average annual interest rate for payday loans was 422 percent.
The legislation proposed by the representatives would reduce the annual interest rate to roughly 36 percent and prohibit the renewal of loans, which is used by the companies to circumvent the current 75 percent cap on fees and interest enforced by the state.
Kelly said the legislature would have to work with banking and consumer groups to determine the exact terms of the legislation.
"The lenders have some legitimate arguments here," Kelly said. "But so do the consumers."
During a previous term in the Missouri House, Kelly voted to remove restrictions from small loan companies, which he called "one of the two worst votes" he "ever made."
The legislators will also sponsor a bill that would add automated calls, or "robo-calls" to the Attorney General's No Call List, unless the consumer gives consent to a live operator before they hear the message.
Schaefer said adding robo-calls to the No Call List could infringe on the First Amendment rights of organizations that seek to use them. He said automated calls are a cheap way for organizations, namely campaigns, to communicate with people.
"As much as they annoy people, they are effective as well," he said.
During the campaign, a robo-call was used to the detriment of Schaefer's opponent in the race, Democratic incumbent Chuck Graham of Columbia. The call gave directions to a Democratic fundraiser and billed it as a one-year anniversary party for Graham's driving while intoxicated arrest in 2007.
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