Anticipations aside, no debate was held on the floor of the Missouri House this week over bill to establish a statewide prescription drug monitoring program.
Speaker Todd Richardson said last week that Rep. Holly Rehder's legislation would likely be heard, but debate was put off and Floor Leader Mike Cierpot told reporters Thursday he is not certain when the measure will be taken up for a vote.
Rehder told the News Tribune she's hopeful it will happen next week.
A prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) would establish a database, supervised by the Department of Health and Senior Services, containing the medication lists of every Missourian. Physicians and pharmacists could submit and view information, making them aware of "doctor shoppers" - people who go to multiple physicians for prescription drugs, commonly addictive opioid pain killers.
Rehder, R-Sikeston, said the system will catch people before they form addictions, or turn to cheaper, more accessible heroin. It's designed, she said, to save lives.
Missouri is the only state without a PDMP.
Opponents have expressed concern over privacy and the potential of hackers breaching the system. Last year, an identical bill passed in the House with 107 votes, but Rehder said "we had several members drop off," and now she's trying to earn those votes back from conservative Republicans.
The conservative Missouri Alliance for Freedom testified against the bill. Rehder said the group has sent emails to lawmakers urging them to vote against the bill - some stating that their vote on the issue will be weighted more heavily for its scorecard, which grades lawmakers on their conservativism.
She's also received opposition from Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, who has his own version of a PDMP bill. His legislation places Missourians on the system after they are caught abusing narcotics, when they land in jail or the emergency room. Drug abusers can put themselves on the registry, as well as a family member or loved one after an alleged abuser waves his or her right to a hearing.
"I understand the concern that they have, but there are better ways to do that. My bill creates a registry that is based on particular actions that people have taken. If a person shows that they have a drug problem, then they can be placed into the registry," Barnes has said.
He has filed an amendment to substitute his bill for Rehder's bill.
"His bill doesn't get us to the true heart of the problem," Rehder said, adding hers is proactive in tackling drug addiction.
Richardson said the House has consistently supported the legislation in the past couple years and that hasn't changed in 2016. Alternative ideas in both chambers have caused the Republican caucus, Richardson said, to evaluate all options.
"I think this bill has stirred strong emotion on both sides every year we brought it up, and this year's no different," he said, adding he intends to vote in favor.
Cierpot wouldn't predict when the House will debate the legislation because there are negotiations still being conducted.
"We just want to make sure that all the voices who are speaking have a chance to be heard," he said. "Rather than do that on the floor, our caucus will try and do it before."
Rehder said she's worked to quickly move the bill through the House, allowing the Senate ample time to debate it.
Sen. Robert Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, has been that chamber's source of opposition in the past. He remains against Rehder's PDMP version and, like Barnes, has another PDMP interpretation. Schaaf's bill wouldn't allow physicians and pharmacists to view medication lists, but would warn them when there's an issue.