Weekly Column for Jan. 24, 2019
Now that senators have their committee assignments, the real work can begin here in Jefferson City. This week has been full of meetings. Often, these have been with constituents who bring their ideas and concerns regarding upcoming pieces of legislation. If you are ever in the State Capitol, feel free to swing by my office and say “hi!”
One of my roles this session is serving as chairman of the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee. This committee is responsible for the confirmation of appointments made by the governor to the more than 200 boards and commissions in our state. These boards include the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole, boards that oversee our colleges and universities and numerous other regulatory and licensing boards.
Currently, the committee is considering the confirmation of appointments that were made while the Missouri Senate was not convened. By law, these interim appointees are allowed to serve until the next session. At that point, they must be confirmed within 30 days. There are about 60 of these interim appointees making their way through the confirmation process right now. However, when a person is appointed while the Senate is in session, they must be confirmed prior to taking their post on the board or commission to which they were appointed.
All of these appointees go through a thorough vetting process. First, the governor’s team studies the candidate’s background and once they’re appointed, one of my staff members, with assistance from non-partisan staff, conducts an investigation into the appointee. This investigation ensures that the appointee doesn’t owe any back taxes and that they don’t have a criminal record.
An important part of this process is that each appointee must have a sponsoring senator. Typically, this senator represents the district where the appointee is from. Once the appointee is brought before the committee, members have the opportunity to ask questions of the appointee and eventually vote on whether or not to send them before the entire Senate for full confirmation.
With so many boards and commissions, there is ample opportunity to serve our state. I would encourage each of you to consider applying for appointment to one of the open positions. There are boards for every interest, and the state could use more voices from our district. You can find additional information about these openings, here.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (573) 751-3678 or by email at dave.schatz@senate.mo.gov if you have any questions.