Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri has more than 200 public boards and commissions. From advocating on behalf of our children and seniors, to managing our universities, the citizens who serve on these boards and commissions are essential to the numerous functions of state government.
To gain a better understanding of the needs of our state, the governor formed a task force designed to evaluate the purpose of each existing board and commission. In 2017, more than half of the members serving on boards and commissions were serving under expired terms. The Boards and Commissions Task Force recommended nearly 450 eliminations and consolidations to Missouri’s boards and commissions in order to better streamline state government and cut bureaucratic red tape.
The task force also identified the need to fill some of our state’s most important boards and commissions. At the beginning of the year, four of the six Child Abuse and Neglect Review Boards could not hear cases because they did not have a quorum, and all 14 members of the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board were serving on expired terms. This left our most vulnerable children in a broken system.
During the 2018 legislative session, the Senate approved 116 of the governor’s appointees to serve on one of Missouri’s more than 200 public boards and commissions. The Senate has also approved five department directors, division directors or executive directors.
Once the governor has made an appointment to a board or commission, the appointee answers questions before the Senate’s 11-member Gubernatorial Appointments Committee. After the committee gives preliminary confirmation to the appointee, the matter goes before the Senate for final confirmation.
If you are interested in serving our state, go to the Missouri Boards and Commissions website at www.boards.mo.gov, find a board or position you are interested in, and submit an application to the governor’s office. Lending your knowledge and expertise helps boards function efficiently and produce results that benefit all Missourians.
For more information about the Missouri Capitol or the Missouri Senate, please visit the Missouri Senate’s website at www.senate.mo.gov.