Ethical slip-up in Missouri

The Kansas City Star: An unsavory picture of Missouri government is presented by the Senate’s handling of a bill meant to protect the state from a meltdown in the medical malpractice insurance market.

Sen. Rob Schaaf, a St. Joseph Republican, rushed into the office of Senate leader Rob Mayer as soon as he learned of the bill’s existence, The Star reported recently.

Schaaf had good reason to be concerned. He owns a medical malpractice insurance firm that would be regulated under the bill’s provisions.

A good-government optimist could hope Schaaf was hurrying to inform his Senate leader of his direct financial interest in the bill and to make sure he wasn’t assigned to play a role in its progress.

But that’s not what happened. Mayer assigned the bill to a committee where the outspoken Schaaf is vice chairman. The malpractice insurance reforms never even got discussed.

It’s not unusual for first-year bills to get bottled up in committee. But Schaaf’s conflict of interest gives rise to legitimate suspicion that he was instrumental in holding up the legislation.