In January, Senate leadership outlined important issues for legislators to tackle during the legislative session. The Legislature looked to advance Missouri by strengthening our education system, growing our economy, and improving our infrastructure.

As we reached the last days of the session, bills from both the House and the Senate advanced through the process, with lawmakers looking for compromise and consolidation. Upon conclusion of the session, more than 80 Senate and 80 House bills were sent to the governor for his signature or veto.

Legislation benefitting education passed this session in the form of Senate Bill 125. Not only does this bill realign the roles of local boards of education, it also contains language from my original bill, Senate Bill 7, allowing the State Board of Education to take over the administration of an unaccredited school district and have the option to set up an alternate governing structure immediately rather than abiding by a two-year waiting period. This will provide the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education tools to help failing schools begin rebuilding, instead of the status quo.

In order to reach the goals for this session, we had to undertake some major pieces of legislation. Senate Bill 1 reforms Missouri’s Second Injury Fund by realigning payment priorities and creating a mechanism to increase funding when normal collections fall short. This reform will also assist in the fund’s future, protect injured workers and help protect employers looking to create jobs. Senate Bills 20, 15 & 19  renews or extends several benevolent tax credits for Missourians in need, including tax credits for pregnancy resource centers.

Agriculture is Missouri’s biggest industry, and in order to maintain and protect that, the General Assembly passed two measures that will support farmers and their livelihoods. It was my pleasure to sponsor Senate Bill 9, which contains a provision that gives the University of Missouri Extension Council the ability to create consolidated districts to better serve the surrounding areas, which in turn means more opportunity for agriculture-related education. The measure also creates the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council to advance the future of technical education in Missouri. House Joint Resolutions 11 & 7, also known as the “Right to Farm,” will appear on the November 2014 election ballot. Should Missouri voters choose to adopt this change to the constitution, a section will be added, stating “the right of farmers and ranchers to engage in farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state.” Missouri is a state proud of its agricultural heritage and the right to keep agriculture strong.

These are just some of the many measures that passed during the 2013 legislative session. For information on the rest of the bills that made it to the legislative finish line, please visit www.senate.mo.gov, and click on the “Truly Agreed” link under the “Legislation” tab.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.