JEFFERSON CITY — The first day of the 96th General Assembly, First Regular Session began with the swearing in of 17 members to the Missouri Senate, 12 of which are new to the upper chamber.
Senator Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City (6th District); Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit (8th District); Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-St. Louis (14th District); Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla (16th District); Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown (18th District); Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa (20th District); Sen. John Lamping, R-St. Louis (24th District); Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington (26th District); Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar (28th District); Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield (30th District); Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin (32nd District); and Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph (34th District) were all elected to the Senate during the November 2010 general election.
Members re-elected to the Missouri Senate include Sen. Scott T. Rupp, R-Wentzville (District 2); Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis (District 4); Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City (District 10); Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah (District 12); and Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City (District 22).
The Missouri Senate also unanimously elected Sen. Robert N. Mayer to serve as Senate President Pro Tem. In this role, Sen. Mayer is responsible for appointing committee members, assigning legislation to committees, and ruling on points of order raised during debate in the Senate Chamber, among other powers.
It is also tradition on the first day of session for the Senate President Pro Tem to announce before the full Senate his legislative agenda for the new session. Among Sen. Mayer’s priorities included three solutions to address Missouri’s budget status — putting Missourians back to work, continuing the state’s commitment to education, and “rebooting government” through more control, alterations or deletions.
Senator Mayer also outlined a four-tiered approach to spur job creation in the state: enable employers to invest in working families; improve employers’ ability to hire and retain quality workers; make sure employees can’t be personally sued for honest accidents at work; and ensure an employee’s liberty when it comes to joining or leaving a union.
Throughout the 2011 legislative session, the Missouri Senate will also focus on students’ access to accredited schools, completing its duty to redraw Congressional district lines, and examining voter ID reform.
Before the Senate adjourned, more than 80 prefiled bills were first read in the Senate, preparing these measures for their next stop in the legislative process: assignment to a Senate committee. Senators used this time to introduce several pieces of legislation. To see a complete list of bills filed for the 2011 legislative session, visit www.senate.mo.gov and click on the “List of 2011 Senate Bills ” link under the Legislation tab.
For more information about the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov . To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or e-mail newsroom@senate.mo.gov .
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