Senator John Cauthorn, R-Mexico, has introduced a series of innovative legislative measures for the year's legislative session, which began Jan. 8th and runs to May 16th.

"Five months is all we get to handle a year's worth of business," Cauthorn said. "There's no time to stand and watch the calendar go by - the time for action is right now."

A measure adjusting the pay of most state employees is one of the 11 bills already on Cauthorn's list. Senate Bill 181 requires state pay be automatically adjusted at the beginning of each fiscal year to an amount equal to the change in the regional Consumer Price Index.

"I know the budget is tight, but state workers' insurance premiums have taken double-digit leaps in a period of over two years without seeing even a cost-of-living increase," Cauthorn said.

Cauthorn is also bringing a drug eradication program to the Senate floor. Senate Bill 39 would establish the "Missouri Sheriff's Methamphetamine Relief Team" (MoSMART). Overseen by the Department of Public Safety, MoSMART would be comprised of five Missouri sheriffs who would work to secure and allocate funds and resources to help eliminate meth use and production. Narrowly defeated last year, Cauthorn feels the measure has stronger backing this time around.

"Meth is a scourge that destroys the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Missourians each and every year," Cauthorn said. "It's time we stood up, faced the facts and handle the problem - today."

Enabling the right to carry a concealed weapon is the intent of a another Cauthorn bill making a second appearance in the General Assembly (SB 83).

"I'd like to think that our nation's Constitution is fully recognized and embraced here in the Show-Me State," Cauthorn said referring to the Second Amendment. "This isn't about lawless desperados riding the range and shooting up the town. It's about responsible, trained, law abiding citizens making a personal choice on personal protection and family safety."

Cauthorn's Senate Bill 188 would allow seniors (age 65 and over) to subtract annuity, pension and retirement allowances from their adjusted gross income when figuring state income tax.

"Those who have put the best years of their lives into a career deserve every penny of the money due to them in retirement," Cauthorn said. "Missouri is in a temporary budget crunch, sure. But we don't have to dig our way out of the hole by over-taxing our retired senior citizens."

Other bills of Cauthorn's include a measure basing budget numbers on posted performance, rather than projected estimates (SB 40); a measure implementing signing bonuses for teachers in rural schools (SB 41); a bill allowing operators of "new generation" agribusiness cooperatives and processing facilities to take their tax credits quarterly tax instead of yearly (SB 84); and legislation making clear that sales of food, meals, drinks and tangible personal property at prison canteens are subject to state sales tax (SB 211).

Cauthorn is well aware of the many challenges facing the State Legislature this year and he's well prepared to meet them head on.

"This is a tough year, a tough budget, a tough session," Cauthorn said. "But we'll get through it, just as we have over the 180 or so years of our great state's history. In the meantime, I'm committed as ever to advancing measures that improve the quality of life and heighten the level of safety for Missourians."