Senate rejects journal amendment accusing leadership of silencing absent senator

The Missouri Senate on March 9 rejected a motion to amend the chamber27s journal that accused leadership of withdrawing a senator27s pending amendment while that senator was on active military duty. The clerk read the proposed journal insertion attributing the text to Senator Roberts; the Senate declined to adopt it by a roll-call vote of 12 ayes to 15 nays.

The clerk read "Senate amendment number 1 offered by Senator Roberts," a passage that said the senator had been called to active duty and that leadership had denied a request to postpone consideration of SB888 so the senator could participate. The text also said a substitute for the bill was perfected after 3:30 a.m. and that the senator27s amendment had been withdrawn when the sponsor withdrew the substitute.

Senator Platt, who had moved that the reading of the journal be dispensed with, told colleagues he wanted "the body to be aware" of what happened while the senator was overseas. The senator who requested the roll-call said five members standing required that a recorded vote be taken; the clerk then read the roll and the presiding officer announced the outcome.

The journal amendment failed by a recorded vote: 12 ayes and 15 nays, after which the Senate approved the motion to dispense with the reading and accepted the journal as presented.

The clerk27s reading is entered in the journal as a matter of record; the transcript contains the text of the amendment and the roll-call tally. The record does not show additional debate or a formal response from Senate leadership to the allegation in the amendment.