For the second time in a month, Missouri senators have sent the House a bill that includes canceling election days in February and June.
On Thursday, the Senate voted 19-14 - just one more vote than the minimum needed for passage - to approve Sen. Will Kraus' original bill.
On March 31, the Senate passed Sen. Kevin Engler's bill changing the date of Missouri's presidential primary election, with Kraus' language added to it during the March 16 debate.
"It's a very simple bill," Kraus, R-Lee's Summit, told Sen. Kiki Curls, D-Kansas City, before Thursday's vote. "There are five election days on the calendar, and we're removing two of them."
Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan, D-Independence, wanted to be sure the new language didn't prevent special elections in emergency situations - "where a tornado destroys your school or one of your elementary schools, or a fire district goes through some natural disaster."
Kraus noted there only are about 60 days between the scheduled February and April elections, and between June and August.
"Currently, there's only one or two issues that come up during February, and, consequently, it's going to cost the taxpayers to have that election," he said.
However, charter cities like Jefferson City, Kansas City or Independence are not affected, Kraus said.