With bills swiftly being referred to committees and public hearings held on the Senate’s priority measures, the legislative process is officially in full swing. I’m pleased to report that one of my sponsored bills, Senate Bill 585, has already been heard by the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and is now headed to the floor for debate.
Currently, Missouri’s 38th Judicial Circuit is comprised of both Christian and Taney counties. At the time it was created, Taney County heard very few court cases; this is no longer the case. In fact, Taney County now handles more court cases than Christian County. Additionally, Christian and Taney counties are the only first-class counties in the state that are not separated into single-county judicial circuits. In short, the 38th Judicial Circuit is an extremely overworked system and has been for some time.
If signed into law, SB 585 will split the 38th Judicial Circuit: the 38th Circuit would only include Christian County, while Taney County would move under a new single-county 46th Judicial Circuit. Although it will likely be very difficult, it is my goal to get SB 585 to the governor’s desk before candidate filing for the 2016 election cycle opens in February.
Shifting gears, I’m sure by now many of you are aware the NFL has approved a plan to move the St. Louis Rams from their current home at the Edward Jones Dome to a new stadium in Los Angeles. While the decision is hardly a surprise, I know there are thousands of fans out there who are disappointed to see the Rams leave. There are also a number of other interested parties who poured a lot of time and energy into designing a brand new $1.1 billion riverfront stadium in an attempt to keep the Rams in St. Louis.
Regardless of whether you supported this effort, it’s very telling that Mr. Kroenke not only rejected the ambitious riverfront stadium plan, but also chose to walk away from St. Louis, knowing full well its citizens are still paying $24 million a year on the existing Edward Jones Dome and will be doing so through 2021.
If there is a lesson to take away from this unfortunate situation, it’s that we need to be much more prudent when it comes to negotiating deals of this magnitude in the future. Despite a decision having been made, it is likely the Legislature will continue reviewing the issue to help ensure this doesn’t happen again.
On Tuesday, I was honored to be inducted into the 2015 Nixa Hall of Fame. I have called Nixa home my entire life. Everything I know has been learned in this great part of the Show-Me State, from the wonderful citizens in this community. From my education to my career in public service, countless individuals have encouraged and inspired me throughout my life and continue to do so. I would also like to add that this particular recognition is made even more special by the fact that I am now following in the footsteps of my mother, Edna Wasson, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2013.
If you have any questions or comments about this or any other matter regarding your state government, please feel free to contact me at (573) 751-1503; you are also welcome to e-mail me at jay.wasson@senate.mo.gov.