A friend from a very, very major metropolitan area up east texted me: did Missouri really just pass a law taking the sales tax off diapers and guns???
Of course not, I replied. That took two laws.
Did Democrats vote to not tax guns?
No, silly. Even in Missouri Democrats retain a keen sense of decency and irony.
What non-Missourians fail to appreciate is how our state Senate works. Both sides of the aisle try to avoid situations which could trigger a filibuster. Yes, a filibuster can be broken by calling the previous question but all denizens of the south side of the Capitol know that “PQs have consequences.” Indeed, invoking the previous question usually is the last productive vote Senate vote in a session.
So, even though the Republicans command a supermajority in the Senate they tend not to completely trample the Democrats.
In other words, GOP members wanted Sen. Rick Brattin’s Senate Bill 131 removing the sales tax from sales and ammunition to pass. Afterall, the session is almost two-thirds over and the Senate hadn’t passed a good pro-gun bill (through concealed carry without a permit for 18 year olds has good legs).
Still, in order to not keep filibustering that gun bill the Democrats got a measure from Sen. Doug Beck (SB 143) to remove the sales tax from diapers and feminine hygiene products (as well as raise the Food Pantry Tax Credit by a million bucks a year) to the floor, where it passed.
Even some of my Missouri friends wonder aloud why the Senate’s smattering of Democrats aren’t launching a filibuster against every bad and goofy Republican proposal. Well, the respect for the filibuster has a flip side. Bad ideas fall out of the woodwork every day in Jefferson City. Yes, the Democrats could move into perpetual filibuster mode – and insure that no good things sneak through as well as inviting the previous question. When they can’t defeat a measure Democrats effectively use the threat of filibustering to trim the bad impacts. For example, the Senate’s prime anti-trans bill: Dems got a four year time limit on the legislation and ‘grandfathered in’ those getting care prior to the law’s target start of August 28, 2023. Less horrible doesn’t make a grand sounding bumper sticker but often it’s the best outcome with the cards dealt.
True, true, the radical wing of the GOP in the state House (about 90 of their 111 members) will strip the Senate’s limitations from the anti-trans bill. But that will make the measure return to the Senate where it could, very possibly, not get a vote before the session ends next month.
I’m not sure if my friend yet understands Missouri’s Senate. There may have to be more lessons.
This week I’m waiting for her reaction to Sen. Mike Moon’s contention that 12 year olds can marry and thence have happy lives. That’s today’s internationally cited news coming from Jefferson City.
Glenn
Original Image by JL Johnson of Lee Summit, MO modified for fit and sourced from Wikipedia through the Creative Commons 2.0 license.