HB131--COMPENSATIONFORJURORS
SPONSOR: Veit
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
Judiciarybyavoteof9to0.
Thisbillspecifiesthateachgrandandpetitjurorwillreceiveat
least$6perdayforeverydaythejuroractuallyservesanda
mileagereimbursementrateasprovidedbylawforstateemployees.
EachcountyandtheCityofSt.Louismayauthorizeadditional
compensationforitsjurors.Alternatively, agoverningbody,as
specifiedinthebill,may,byamajorityvote,votetorestructure
jurorcompensationsothatgrandandpetitjurorsdonotgetpaid
forthefirsttwodaysofservicebutthereafterwillreceive$50
perday,aswellasmileagereimbursementattherateprovidedby
lawforstateemployeesfornecessarytravelfromthejuror's
residencetothecourthouseandback,tobepaidbythecounty.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillhasbeenheardfor
severalyears,butitstallseveryyear.Thisbillallowsthe
countycommissiontochooseanalternativepaymentschemefor
jurors.Underthealternative,jurorswouldgetpaid$50adayfor
thethirdorsubsequentdaybuttheywouldnotgetpaidforthe
firsttwodaysofservice. ThishasbeentriedinGreeneCounty
andithasworkedoutreallywellforthebetterpartoftenyears.
ThebilltooktheamountusedinGreeneCountyandmadeit
applicablestatewide. Itismeanttoaccommodatethelengthy
trials.ItisalsoaSupremeCourtprioritybill.Thisalsomakes
themileagereimbursementdynamicandinlinewithwhatis
reimbursedforstateemployees.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Veit;Eric
Jennings,JudicialConferenceofMissouri;JonBeetem;TheMissouri
Bar;ArnieDienoff.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.