The Missouri House voted unanimously today to reject the resignation of Rep. Rick Roeber.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers argued the House Ethics Committee should complete its investigation into allegations Roeber sexually and physically abused his children.

Three adult children of Roeber publicly alleged that in 1990 he molested his adopted daughter when she was 9 years old.

Despite the allegations, which became public more than a month before Election Day, Roeber defeated his Democratic opponent by 300 votes.

The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation in January.

It was close to completing its work when Roeber announced his resignation on Tuesday, stating he had to step down because he was moving out of the district.

The committee plans to issue its report next week.

Missouri House District 140 Rep. Tricia Derges has been indicted on eight counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances, and lying to federal agents.

The newly elected Derges, who holds a special assistant physician license and runs multiple health clinics for low-income patients, began her first two-year term in office early last month.

She pleaded not guilty in her initial appearance.

The felony charges carry a possible prison sentence and fines.

A felony conviction would also bar Derges from running for public office in Missouri in the future.

If she resigns, Gov. Mike Parson must call for a special election.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order calling for a special election on April 6, 2021, the same day as the statewide spring election.

The election will fill the Senate District 13 seat being vacated after Sen. Scott Fitzgerald was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

A primary, if necessary, will be held on the same day as the spring primary, February 16.

A special primary and special election will also be held on those dates for the 89^th Assembly District seat vacated by John Nygren.

Nygren resigned less than a month after winning reelection to his eighth term to be the executive director for the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans.

The association is a coalition that lobbies lawmakers on behalf of health insurers.

The second special session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on December 16.

The special session called by Gov. Mike Parson to focus on getting federal CARES Act funding distributed to the state began on November 5 and included 10 legislative days interrupted by COVID-19.

Before adjourning lawmakers passed a bill to distribute the federal CARES Act funds.

The second special session of the Missouri General Assembly has been delayed until after the Thanksgiving break.

This comes in response to a number of positive COVID-19 cases among members and staff.

The special session began on November 5 to focus on getting federal CARES Act funding distributed to the state.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Parson won reelection as governor of Missouri over Democratic challenger Nicole Galloway by roughly 16 percentage points as of Wednesday morning with greater than 98% of votes counted.

Third-party candidates, Libertarian Rik Combs and Green Party candidate Jerome Bauer pulled in just over 2% of the votes combined.

Voters passed a constitutional amendment creating a lobbyist gift ban, reducing campaign contribution limits, and repealing redistricting.

The measure amends Article III of the Constitution to prohibit all gifts from lobbyists or lobbyist principals to members of the General Assembly, staff members, and anyone employed by the General Assembly.

The amendment also reduces contribution limits made to or accepted by any candidate or committee for state senator from $2,500 to $2,400 per election.

There is no change for candidates for state representative.

The amendment also modifies the criteria for redrawing legislative districts and changes the process for redrawing state legislative district boundaries during redistricting.

The change happens by repealing the post of nonpartisan state demographer and giving all redistricting responsibility to a bipartisan commission, renaming them as the House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission and the Senate Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission, respectively.

Additionally, the amendment increases membership on the commissions to 20 by adding four commissioners appointed by the Governor from nominations by the two major political party’s state committees.

As of Wednesday morning, with 98% of votes counted, these constitutional amendments had narrowly passed by 2% and are effective immediately.

Missouri voters defeated a constitutional amendment that would have extended term limits currently applicable to the governor and treasurer to all statewide elected officials.

The failure of the amendment does not affect the term limits currently applicable to the governor and treasurer under Article IV, Section 17 of the Constitution.

Namely, that no person shall be elected governor or treasurer more than twice, and no person who has held the office of governor or treasurer, or acted as governor or treasurer, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected to the office of governor or treasurer shall be elected to the office of governor or treasurer more than once.

The amendment needed to receive a majority of votes to pass and as of Wednesday morning was defeated by only 4% with 98% of the votes counted.

Gov. Mike Parson announced a special session of the General Assembly.

The session begins November 5 to focus on getting federal CARES Act funding distributed to the state.

This session is the second special session Parson has called this year.

The session does not affect lobbyist reporting.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri granted a preliminary injunction enjoining the Missouri Ethics Commission from enforcing the 60-day formation deadline for continuing committees and PACs, including out-of-state and federal committees.

The court found the requirement for committees to file a statement of organization no later than 60 days before an election for which the committee receives contributions to likely be unconstitutional.

In granting the injunction, the court relied upon the decision of the Eighth Circuit in Missourians for Fiscal Accountability v. Klahr, which found Missouri’s 30-day formation deadline for campaign committees unconstitutional.

Gov. Mike Parson approved Missouri House Bill 1386, modifying the definition of legislative lobbyist for purposes of lobbying laws to exclude legislative liaisons.

Legislative liaison is defined as any state employee hired to communicate with members of the General Assembly on behalf of any elected official of the state, the judicial branch of state government, or any department, agency, board, or commission of the state, provided such entity is a part of the executive branch of state government.

Any state employee employed as a legislative liaison who performs lobbying services for any other entity must register as a lobbyist with respect to such lobbying services.

The law becomes effective August 28, 2020.

Gov. Mike Parson announced a Special Session of the General Assembly beginning July 27 to focus on addressing violent crime in Missouri.

The escalating violence has become especially deadly in St. Louis and Kansas City, and both cities have tried various measures to stem the violence.

A new Kansas City program announced by the White House last week, Operation Legend, will bring in more than 100 agents from the FBI and other agencies to battle violent crime.

Parson said stopping this trend is more than just a big city problem, “It is a Missouri problem and we cannot wait until next session to address it.”

Other states are considering police reforms in the wake of protests.

Parson indicated Missouri lawmakers will focus only on measures that could strengthen laws and put more people behind bars.

He wants lawmakers to focus on six issues: juvenile certification, witness statement admissibility, witness protection funds, the unlawful transfer of weapons, and laws against endangering the welfare of a child.

The Second Regular Session of the 100th General Assembly adjourned sine die, officially ending the session, on May 27.

Before adjourning lawmakers sent House Bill 1386 to the governor, modifying the definition of legislative lobbyist for purposes of lobbying laws.

The definition will exclude legislative liaisons, defined as any state employee hired to communicate with members of the General Assembly on behalf of any elected official of the state, the judicial branch of state government, or any department, agency, board, or commission of the state, provided such entity is a part of the executive branch of state government.

The Legislature also passed Senate Joint Resolution 0038, placing a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot enacting a lobbyist gift ban.

Additionally it will reduce contribution limits made to or accepted by any candidate or committee from $2,500 to $2,000.

And finally it will repeal a redistricting plan enacted by voters in 2018.

The veto session is scheduled for September 16.

The special election to fill two vacancies on the Board of Aldermen, originally scheduled for May 19, has been postponed to June 23 by a state appeals court panel.

Mayor Lyda Krewson had requested the Board of Elections postpone the special election in wards 4 and 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The board had to go to court to reschedule as, under city charter requirements, May 19 was the latest possible date for voting in Ward 4.

Additionally May 26 the latest date allowed in Ward 12.