JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Senators remained divided Wednesday morning as a hard-right splinter group of Republicans extended their blockade of a health care provider tax to a second day.
The group of Republicans held the floor into Tuesday evening and overnight, stalling a vote on the tax to force action on unrelated legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and make constitutional amendments harder to amend.
But fellow senators and Gov. Mike Parson hadn鈥檛 budged on their demands as the sun rose Wednesday.
The bill to defund Planned Parenthood was delivered to the governor on Thursday. Parson only has 15 days to sign legislation that is approved during the session.
Parson鈥檚 aides said Tuesday the bills on Parson鈥檚 desk are still under staff review.
In addition, the governor was on the road in Kansas City and 51黑料 into the evening hours.
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鈥淭his deliberate dysfunction in the Senate is unfortunate for the people of Missouri and senators trying to do good work for the people back home,鈥 Parson鈥檚 office said in a statement.
Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican and member of the hard-right faction, was holding the floor Wednesday morning.
He ate up time quizzing the sponsor of the health care provider tax, called the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, or FRA, Senate Appropriations Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, on line items in the over $50 billion state budget.
The group stalling the bill, who belong to the Freedom Caucus, include Sens. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican running for governor; Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican running for secretary of state; Andrew Koenig, a Manchester Republican running for treasurer; and Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican running for reelection in a competitive primary.
Sen. Nick Schroer, a Defiance Republican who also belongs to the Freedom Caucus, spoke for two hours Tuesday and then announced the blockade was lifted. But Eigel soon resumed the filibuster, saying 鈥渢his does not represent any breakthrough.鈥
Not participating in the filibuster was Sen. Jill Carter, the sixth member of the Freedom Caucus who rebuffed Eigel when he attempted to hold the floor with her on Tuesday afternoon.
The legislation is .
This story will be updated.
Missouri's Legislature reflects the federal structure in many ways. Video by Beth O'Malley
