JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri House Democrats Thursday continued to charge majority Republicans with political grandstanding as the House passed legislation that mandates drivers' license tests be given in English only and another bill that reaffirms citizens' right to pray in public.

Heated words flew in the early portions of Thursday's debate on the drivers' license bill. Republicans maintain the issue is about safety on the state's roads, but Minority Floor Leader Rep. Mike Talboy, D-Kansas City, says the bill is much more sinister.

"Make no mistake, this bill is xenophobic," Talboy said. "It's shameful that we're in this place in society where we're just going to continue to find groups to single out, to go after, to make examples of, for no other reason than the fact that they are different."

"This is not about safety, this really is about bigotry," said Rep. Jeannette Mott Oxford, D-St. Louis. "We are asking an unrealistic expectation for people to become proficient in reading written English to pass these driver's tests as quickly as they need to."

After the bill passed the House on a party-line vote of 102-56, House Majority Floor Leader, Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, maintained that the bill did not set an unrealistic standard for recent immigrants to Missouri and maintained the bill dealt more with safety on the roads.

"I think it's disappointing that people chose to make political points on that bill and say that Missouri is closed to people who are different," Jones said. "Our cities and our urban cores have all kinds of different ethnicities and races and creeds and colors, and I don't think that requiring people who come here and take a driver's license test in English is any great detriment."

Religious Freedom

Accusations of politics also swirled during debate on a proposed state constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right of religious expression in all public places. Democrats denounced the bill as superfluous to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"It's kind of hard to argue against the fact and reality that it's election season and this might be on the ballot, gonna get the [Republican] base out," said Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis. "This doesn't give us one iota of additional protection, it simply restates status quo."

But Republicans, like Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee's Summit, said religious freedoms are under assault in Missouri schools and other public places.

"This [legislation] is one of the most important pieces of legislation... that we will pass this year, because it is fundamental to protecting the rights of Missourians to pray and express their faith and at the same time, protect Missourians from being coerced or compelled in a way that would violate their faith," Grisamore said.

The legislation, House Joint Resolution 2, received final passage in the House by a 126-30 margin.

Sawmill Aid

In other action, the House passed legislation aimed at helping the state's struggling sawmill industry. House bills 112 and 285 would lead to sawmills being assessed for property tax purposes the same as agriculture operations, which would be a 12 percent rate. Currently, they are assessed at the 32 percent business rate. The House gave the legislation final passage by a 116-40 margin.

University Governance

The House also gave final passage to legislation sponsored by Rep. Mike Thomson, R-Maryville, that would keep the governing boards of the University of Missouri and Missouri State University at their current nine members. Current state statute reads that each board shall have one member from each congressional district. With Missouri losing a congressional district in 2013, university administrators expressed a desire to keep an uneven number of board members for voting purposes. The legislation reads that each congressional district shall have one, and not more than two, representatives on the board.

The bill, which stirred some debate about the role of student curators, passed on a 142-12 vote.

Big Ag Trucks

And large agricultural vehicles would be able to travel on more Missouri highways. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, increases the maximum load for trucks hauling livestock or agricultural equipment on Missouri highways, without having to get a special permit from MoDOT, to 85,500 pounds. Currently, trucks cannot be heavier than 80,000 pounds without special permits. The bill includes several exceptions, but agriculture interests in the state say it should help livestock farmers increase the size of their loads, allowing them to save about 10 percent on their transportation bottom line.