JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, is looking back at the First Regular Session of the 100th General Assembly, which concluded Friday in Jefferson City. This is Sen. Hough’s first year as a Missouri senator.
“This was an all-new adventure for me, after having served in the Missouri House of Representatives and then in the Greene County commissioners office,” Sen. Hough said. “We had an ambitious agenda for the year, and I believe we accomplished a lot, not only for the good people of Springfield, but for all Missourians.”
Chief among Sen. Hough’s successes this year is Senate Bill 68. The legislation is intended to spur economic development and recruitment across the state. Components of the legislation include advanced career training, assistance with upgrading manufacturing facilities, as well as stronger guidelines for state incentives in training the next generation of Missouri workers.
Education also remains a high priority for Sen. Hough. As vice-chairman of the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Hough worked hard to ensure K-12 and higher education received sufficient funding. A record $1.3 billion will go toward Missouri’s higher education efforts for Fiscal Year 2020, a 12.8 percent increase over the current fiscal year. Missouri State University will receive an additional $10 million in Fiscal Year 2020, which will start on July 1, 2019. As a part of the MOExcels Workforce Initiative, MSU and Ozarks Technical Community College’s (OTC’s) Ozark Region Nursing Collaboration will receive an additional $3.1 million in Fiscal Year 2020. These additional resources can go toward fulfilling the nursing shortage hospitals are experiencing all over the Show-Me State, especially in the rural areas.
In addition, OTC’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing will receive $4.75 million in funding for the upcoming fiscal year. With this funding, the center will offer short- and long-term training opportunities that cover a breadth of industry specializations, including fabrication, robotics and 3D printing.
Transportation is also of great concern to Sen. Hough. As the state looks for ways to not only improve, but upgrade existing infrastructure, Sen. Hough worked to add more transportation improvement dollars to the state budget for Fiscal Year 2020. In addition, he worked with other senators on Senate Concurrent Resolution 14, which creates a path for fixing more than 200 bridges throughout Missouri. This resolution also brings in federal dollars to repair these bridges, many of which are 50 to 100 years old.
“This has been an interesting and successful session for all of us in the Missouri Legislature,” Sen. Hough said. “As important and enjoyable as it is to spend time in Jefferson City, it will be even better to be back home with my family and back in the town I love. Thank you for trusting me to serve you in the Missouri Senate. I hope everybody has a great summer.”
Senator Hough speaks on the floor of
the Missouri Senate.