No More Rubber Stamps

Floor activity, a full committee schedule, and a lot of citizen engagement at the Capitol made the building feel as though session was truly in full swing this week.

My Minority Caucus colleagues and I sent a strong message last week to any legislator who assumed this session would return to business as usual. When a report was sent forward from the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee, many in the chamber likely expected a quick “aye” vote to approve the governor’s list of interim appointments so everyone could head home for the weekend. However, our caucus is tired of speed being prioritized over process and have come to the conclusion that the era of the rubber stamp must end. Every decision made in the Senate chamber should be thoroughly discussed and debated. 

We saw how dangerous unvetted legislation can be during the second extraordinary session last fall, when new congressional maps were passed by the majority that included one precinct in Kansas City mistakenly split into two U.S. Congressional districts. It seemed obvious to me the focus of the majority was to rubber stamp the maps without any review instead of getting them right.

We will take the floor, for as long as it takes until we believe every argument has been heard and every member with questions has had the opportunity to ask and receive answers. That has been the case both last week and this week as we continue deliberating the long list of board and commission appointments.

Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who came to the Capitol this week to protest, rally and make their voices heard. Your commitment to civic engagement and willingness to show up means the world to us and is the fuel that keeps us going.

Contact Me

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at 573-751-6607. You may write me at Patty Lewis, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Rm 425, Jefferson City, MO 65101, send an email to Patty.Lewis@senate.mo.gov or visit www.senate.mo.gov/Lewis.