Limited Government?
“Freedom has ceased to be a birthright; it has come to mean whatever we are still permitted to do.” Joe Sobran, journalist/author
On Wednesday, Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, the Honorable Patricia Breckenridge, presented her first State of the Judiciary report to a joint session of the Legislature. Judge Breckenridge is from Nevada and is a constituent of mine, so I was particularly attentive to content and manner. In my opinion, she did extremely well. She acknowledged improvement opportunities for Missouri courts and was specific in how they are, or will be addressed.
My only contention with Chief Justice Breckenridge was her reference to “co-equal branches of government.” Neither historical context nor the writings of our nation’s founders would use
co-equal to describe the branches of government; that was not their design, nor their intention. The accurate description is co-sovereign, not co-equal.
Also this week, the Missouri Senate gave its advice and consent to numerous gubernatorial appointments. Serving on the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee gives a bird’s-eye view of the expansive nature of government. If you suspected that government was no longer as “limited” as you’d like, a review of this week’s 31 appointees would confirm your suspicions.
Next week we will consider another 40. Following is a partial list of the positions for which we confirmed appointments this week:
- State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors;
- Organ Donation Advisory Committee;
- Missouri Gaming Commission;
- Missouri State Committee of Interpreters;
- Committee for Professional Counselors;
- Interior Design Council;
- Advisory Commission for Dental Hygienists;
- State Committee of Dietitians;
- Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund Board of Trustees;
- Missouri Workforce Development Board;
- State Board of Pharmacy; and the
- State Committee for Social Workers.
Each of these groups is enshrined in statute and comprises members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. One of the groups has 44 members; most have fewer. The bulk of these committees – commissions, boards, and councils – are initiated by special interest groups who invite their oversight. They are evidence of an invited nanny-state more than an imposed one. There are dozens more oversight groups just like these, and it seems we are continually developing more. There was a time when a common philosophy was “let the buyer beware.” Not so much anymore, as the more common approach is to entrust government with every aspect of life.
You can contact my office at (573) 751-2108 if you have any questions. Thank you and we welcome your prayers for the proper application of state government.