Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer’s Legislative Column for Feb. 15, 2019

Building Bridges and Moving Legislation

It’s been a busy week in the Missouri Senate, both inside and out of the State Capitol. Wednesday, I traveled with the governor to Platte County to see firsthand the dire need for infrastructure investment in Missouri.

Together with the governor and Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna, I visited a distressed bridge along Interstate 29. The structure, which carries traffic over Waukomis Drive, is one of four bridges in the 34th Senatorial District that will be replaced as a part of the governor’s “Focus on Bridges” program.  The plan calls for replacing four bridges in the district over the next four years. These projects will bring around $16 million of state investment back to our community.

In his State of the State address, the governor proposed $351 million in bond financing to pay for improvements to 250 bridges throughout the state. Bonding for these projects allows MoDOT to prioritize work on deficient bridges and move ahead with the state’s five-year road maintenance plan, which is paid for with funds from existing fuel taxes.

The governor’s plan provides a way to address critical transportation infrastructure needs, without raising taxes.  The governor’s funding proposal requires approval from the legislature. I serve on the Senate Rules Committee, which took up a resolution authorizing the bonds earlier this week. That measure passed unanimously.

Other legislative action this past week included committee approval of three bills I discussed in my column last week.

Senate Bill 154, which clarifies rules for arbitration procedures, was passed out of the Small Business and Industry Committee. This commonsense legislation will lessen the cost of settling disputes between employers and employees and allow all parties to reach mutually agreeable outcomes sooner. It’s a pro-growth, pro-business measure that will also relieve stress on our courts.

The Judiciary Committee, which I chair, moved two measures onto the full Senate this week. Senate Bill 9 and the companion Senate Joint Resolution 2 reform impeachment procedures in Missouri. The bill changes Missouri statutes, while the resolution amends the constitution and requires a vote of the people. I offered amendments to clarify the language of these two measures and both proposals were accepted. Under the proposed new rules, most impeachments would be tried by the Senate, rather than by the courts, as current law specifies.

The Judiciary Committee also approved legislation to boost the Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund. This non-controversial measure closes a loophole in existing law and will help bring county law enforcement officers closer to receiving the compensation they deserve.

This week also brought a number of visitors to my Capitol office. I especially enjoyed meeting with two groups of young people from our area. Representing the southern end of the 34th Senatorial District, high school students from Northland Career Center in Platte City visited the Capitol this past week. From the northern part of the district, students from Hillyard Technical Center in St. Joseph were in town. Both of these facilities do a great job providing practical skills and preparing young people for jobs in today’s high-tech workforce.

It is my great honor to represent the citizens of Platte and Buchanan counties in the Missouri Senate. Please contact my office at 573-751-2183, or visit www.senate.mo.gov/luetkemeyer.