Picking up the Pace
As a new senator coming to Jefferson City in January, I was initially frustrated by a seemingly slow start to the legislative session. My colleagues assured me that activities would pick up after spring recess. This past week proved them correct. The pace has definitely quickened following our break.
Legislative activity on the Senate Floor has increased dramatically and we’ve begun to pass quite a few bills. You can sense the sprint toward the finish line as we’ve entered the second half of the session. It’s an exciting time to be a legislator.
Calling the Corps to Task
One measure that we advanced this week was Senate Concurrent Resolution 24, which addresses the historic flooding that has impacted the lives of so many Missourians. I joined with the senator from the 12th Senatorial District in calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reexamine its priorities as it manages water flow from upstream dams along the Missouri River.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen businesses in the 34th Senatorial District forced to relocate and more than 1,500 residents in the St. Joseph area evacuated to escape rising waters. The flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries is evidence that the Corps of Engineers has neglected flood control and put the citizens of Missouri at risk. It’s time for the Corps to begin putting people ahead of fish and wildlife.
Increasing Efficiency in Courts
I worked on Senate Bill 224 on the floor of the Senate chamber this week. This measure streamlines “discovery” in civil court cases. Discovery is the process of gathering documents and other evidence, and preparing a case for trial. It’s a cumbersome and costly process and reforms are sorely needed.
This bill attempts to reduce the burdens of discovery and make lawsuits proceed more efficiently. We don’t want lawsuits to drag on for years and the provisions of this bill will help parties to lawsuits receive justice sooner, at lower costs. We made a lot of progress discussing this bill on the floor and I hope it’s a measure we can move across the finish line before the session ends.
Addressing Urban Blight
Also this week, the Local Government and Elections Committee heard testimony on my Senate Bill 424, which would allow the formation of a land bank agency in St. Joseph. Similar to a land bank currently in place in Kansas City, this public agency would acquire distressed real estate and return those properties to productive use.
Like many historic communities, St. Joseph has problems with abandoned buildings that sit empty and produce no tax revenue for the city. These derelict structures depress property values and contribute to criminal activity. The city of St. Joseph is determined to rehabilitate aging areas of the community and find new uses for historic structures. The land bank approach is a powerful tool the city can employ to address this challenge.
The land bank would take possession of these properties, either through delinquent tax sales or by acquiring them through donations from property owners. The agency would have two years to sell the property or otherwise put it to productive use. The land bank would have no eminent domain authority and could only acquire property when no private buyers come forward.
PDMP Measures Advance
The opioid epidemic has been one of the leading non-natural causes of death in Missouri. In fact, last year, more people lost their lives from opioid-related overdoses than died in car accidents.
This week, the Senate Committee on Seniors, Families and Children heard testimony on House Bill 188. Mirroring my Senate Bill 155, this legislation creates the Narcotics Control Act and establishes a statewide prescription drug monitoring program, or PDMP. Missouri is the only state in America that does not have a PDMP.
A statewide PDMP is a powerful tool that allows pharmacists and physicians to recognize patterns of behavior that reveal drug addiction. The hearing the Senate committee held this week on the House bill puts us one step closer to finally establishing this important system in Missouri. Negotiations are ongoing and I hope that by the end of the session, the last PDMP to be enacted in the United States will become law in Missouri.
Commuting at the Speed of Sound
This week, the lieutenant governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Hyperloop held its first meeting. As part of this study group, I will work with legislators, researchers and transportation experts to assess the feasibility of a cross-state, ultra-high-speed transit system using cutting-edge hyperloop technology.
A hyperloop is an enclosed tube that houses passenger pods that would levitate on a magnetic field and zip along at speeds up to 700 mph. The developer of the hyperloop has identified Missouri as one of a handful of locations worldwide that could serve either as a next-phase testing site or as the location of the first commercial application of the technology. Fully developed, the system could see travel time between Kansas City and St. Louis reduced to 30 minutes.
Like other Missourians on the panel, I am cautiously optimistic and hold firm to my “Show Me” inclinations. I have no appetite for a plan that pursues pie-in-the-sky technology on the backs of Missouri taxpayers. I was encouraged to see that during our first meeting, much of the discussion was focused on attracting private investment.
The hyperloop concept is exciting and I look forward to seeing the proposal develop. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.
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.