Putting People First
JEFFERSON CITY – While inclement weather, icy roads and stall tactics on the floor delayed our legislative activities, we still had a productive week in the Missouri Senate with multiple committee hearings and the governor’s annual State of the State Address.
Delivered to a joint session in the beautiful chamber of the House of Representatives on Jan. 24, the governor outlined his political and budgetary goals for Fiscal Year 2025, along with his desire to continue “putting people first.” I hope my colleagues will embody this theme as we debate legislation in the coming months.
As a retired teacher and advocate for education, I was pleased to hear the governor pledge to increase funding to the foundation formula for K-12 public schools, cover their transportation costs and authorize a Teacher Baseline Salary Grant program to increase teachers’ starting pay to $40,000. Our state’s top executive also proposed funding to reinforce the manufacturing sector, address Missouri’s shortage of child care providers and expand early childhood education initiatives. Additionally, he wants to close the broadband digital divide in our rural areas and establish the I-44 Improvement Fund to decrease congestion and enhance safety on this major thoroughfare.
In my last report, I summarized my key proposals to help homeless youth obtain free legal documentation and to require lifesaving AEDs in schools. Another piece of legislation I’m carrying, Senate Bill 1293, is similar in scope to a bill I sponsored last session.
The Uniform Public Expression Act would protect Missourians who are exercising their first amendment rights from meritless, punitive lawsuits. Strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPP, aim to censor and punish speakers with costly litigation.
Even if a person exercising their rights fights the suit and wins, they are still penalized with paying court costs and other fees, which does little to reduce the incentive to file SLAPPs. Missouri has an anti-SLAPP law in place, but SB 1293 would strengthen its efficacy.
If you stop by or call my office, you may see a new face or hear a different voice. Allow me introduce you to my newest part-time staffer, Marcie Michel. A homeschooled student, volleyball player and member of Bible Baptist Church in Jefferson City who plans on pursuing a degree in marketing from Pensacola Christian College, Marcie’s friendly face and demeanor are a welcomed addition to our team.