Small business board, tort reform fail in Senate

With a 20-12 vote, the Missouri Senate Sept. 10 failed to override Gov. Bob Holden_s veto of Senate Bill 69, according to a press release from Sen. Anita Yeckel_s office.

Yeckel (R-St. Louis County) sponsored the bill, which would have created a statewide panel to represent small-business owners regarding enforcement by regulatory state agencies.

_The Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board, as set up under SB 69, would have had an impact on small businesses by offering them structural input to regulatory writing,_ Yeckel said.

In addition, legislation that would have reformed Missouri_s tort laws also went down to defeat with a vote of 21-12. Twenty-three votes are needed to override a veto in the Senate.

The tort reform measure would have capped pain and suffering awards, also known as punitive damages, and made a variety of other changes aimed at reducing medical malpractice premiums.

Advocates of the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board said helping small businesses helps stimulate Missouri_s economy. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce, which supports the bill, reports that Missouri lost 77,000 jobs last year, representing $126 million in tax revenues. Yeckel believes small-business growth is essential in recovering those losses.

_Small business has always been the backbone of Missouri_s economy,_ Yeckel said. _A vibrant and growing small-business sector is essential to jump starting our state_s sagging economy._

In August, Holden signed an executive order setting up a Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board.

_The governor_s executive order is a pale version of the reform measure that the General Assembly passed,_ Yeckel said. _It has no real teeth and will be of little assistance to small-business owners._

Yeckel claims political allegiances stymied the bill.

_Democrat senators who voted for this bill in May, turned around and voted against it,_ she said.

Lobbyists have vowed to push for a similar bill again next year.