By Rob Mayer
At the beginning of this legislative session, we set three specific priorities we would work tirelessly to accomplish. As we approach the later stages of the session, there is still much work to be done to fulfill those goals for Missourians, but we continue to press forward.
This past week, the Senate Appropriations Committee began the process of editing the state’s $24 billion budget. As it carefully goes though the budget line by line, we remain committed to passing a balanced budget without a tax increase.
Because of the stagnant economy, the state has seen slow revenue growth, along with federally required increased expenditures in areas like Medicaid. Yet, just as so many Missourians who have been affected by the economy are examining how they spend money, we too are working to scrutinize how every tax dollar is spent. And we are prepared to make the tough decisions to reshape state government to rid it of waste and ensure your tax dollars are used effectively and efficiently.
Improving Missouri’s budget situation though is directly related to improving Missouri’s economic situation. In order to create a budget that is sustainable for Missouri taxpayers, we must work to spur job creation. That is why the Senate has been focused on returning Missourians to work in good-paying jobs with benefits. To do this, we quickly passed both Senate Bill 572 and House Bill 1219 to remove the barriers that are preventing businesses from investing in new workers.
SB 572 would have restored protections for co-employees from personal lawsuits for their role in honest accidents at work and ended lawsuit abuses, while HB 1219 would have restored balance to Missouri’s employment law. Both pieces of legislation would have fixed the current failed policies, created certainty for businesses, and cut the costs businesses incur on expansive legal fees. All of which would have allowed employers to invest in new jobs.
It is disappointing the governor does not share our priority of helping businesses put Missourians to work and vetoed both bills. There are far too many Missourians out of work and the governor’s vetoes do not change our determination to put Missourians back in good-paying jobs. To demonstrate this, the Senate voted 24 to 9 to override his veto of SB 572.
We also know the education of our children is the biggest investment we can make, as well as a huge driver in Missouri’s economic stability for years to come. Our third major goal has been to address key education reforms so every student has the opportunity to a world-class education.
Last week, we began debate on a number of reforms to Missouri schools, specifically addressing students trapped in a failing school district. This discussion is only the beginning of making the needed changes in improving our students’ educational opportunities. We also plan to look closely at how Missouri is funding our schools.
I will keep you informed as we continue our work to pass these important changes for Missouri.
Rob Mayer of Dexter represents the 25th Senatorial District in the Missouri State Senate and is the Senate President Pro Tem.
