Senator Mike Bernskoetter

6th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: 

April 2, 2026

Capitol Building, Room 416

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Contact Kenny Ross: 

 573-751-2076

Governing Missouri Lands

It’s a beautiful time of year with trees budding and the Easter weekend before us. I am happy for the opportunity to focus on my faith as life returns to our beautiful Missouri landscape. We are past the halfway mark of session and entering some of the busiest weeks of the year. Bills are moving to and from the House of Representatives including a couple of my bills that deal with land in Missouri.

The first, Senate Bill 937, gives the governor the authority to sell several properties around the state. This includes small portions of land on either side of the High Street viaduct located just two blocks west of the Capitol the state will sell to Jefferson City. This would allow the city to redesign and rebuild the viaduct, with a plan to connect Missouri Boulevard to High Street and provide better routes for emergency vehicles and pedestrians.

Otherwise, the properties listed in the bill are ones the state government no longer need and are in many cases vacant. This is simply the process the state must go through to sell or transfer any property. The legislature must give permission, but it is the executive branch that ultimately sells the property. This bill simply authorizes them to make those negotiations. This bill was voted out of the House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee this past week.

Meanwhile, the House Agriculture Committee held their public hearing for my Senate Bill 938. This bill helps expand the Missouri Land Survey Fund, which provides reports, equipment and staff for land surveying in the state. It increases the fee collected by the recorder’s offices from $4 to $6, a small increase in order to allow for more proficient and accurate land surveys. This fee has not been increased since 1969, and I think we can all agree that costs have increased – drastically – since then. This gives a measure of stability to our land surveying programs and ensures their quality does not diminish.

Of course, you may reach out to my office or stop by the Capitol with any questions. Have a happy Easter!

Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.