David Sater

Shouldn't legislators abstain from votes on legislation that affects their personal income?

During this week's House debate on HB1472, Majority Leader Steve Tilley (R-Perryville) and Rep. David Sater (R-Cassville) spoke and voted against an amendment to require prescriptions to buy pseudoephedrine.  Under current law, the cold medicine is only sold behind counters at pharmacies, but amendment sponsor Jeff Roorda (D-Barnhart) wants to require prescriptions for use because it is abused to create methamphetamine.  After some debate, the House rejected Roorda's proposal.

Tilley and Sater are very familiar with how this change in law would impact pharamicists' bottom lines: Sater is a licensed pharmacist, and Tilley is married to a pharmacist. Kellie Tilley receives income from two companies in Perryville: Tricorex, Inc. and Convenient Healthcare Clinic.*  Tricorex is a pharmacy and wholesale drug distributor. 

Contrary to earlier reports, GOP Representatives Allen Icet, Rick Stream and David Sater refused to since the conference committee report for House Bill 11, the budget bill for the Department of Social Services. The report was approved by a 7-3 vote.

Senators of both parties signed on the report -- Sens. Gary Nodler, Robert Mayer, Joan Bray, Timothy Green and Scott Rupp all support the compromise HB11. Democratic Representatives Chris Kelly and Kiki Curls also signed the report.

This isn't a good sign.

Even though House Budget Chair Allen Icet was the House's key negotiator for the conference committee compromise for HB11 finalized yesterday, Icet is already floating the idea that he and the House leadership may not even bring the bill up for a vote. HB11 the budget bill pertaining to the Department of Social Services, and includes an expansion of health care for about 35,000 working adults. 

Or he might "simply withdraw the bill."

Icet says he has "no idea what is going to happen" -- but it's not like he's some back bencher taking orders from budget leaders.  He is the House's budget leader.  

H'ray leadership!

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UPDATE: A previous version of this post stated that Icet signed off on the conference report for HB11, based on this story from Missourinet. This is incorrect -- conference members Allen Icet, Rick Stream and David Sater refused to sign the report.