The Buck Stops Here
On May 8, Missourians celebrate the birthday of its native son and past president of the United States, Harry S Truman. During his time in the Oval Office, he had a plaque on his desk that stated, “The Buck Stops Here.” This motto encompassed his leadership philosophy and belief that he was responsible for his administration’s actions. Although southeastern Missourians grew up in the opposite side of the state, I think we all have a little Truman inside us and prefer a responsible, no nonsense approach to life.
The only constitutional responsibility of the Missouri Legislature is to balance a state operating budget for the coming fiscal year. Due this year on May 9, multiple discussions and conference committee hearings were conducted to crunch numbers and finalize the budget, totaling just under $50 billion.
Another responsibility my colleagues and I share is as champions for Missouri children. Last week we sent House Bill 737 to the governor, which allows foster children to keep survivor’s benefits, bans childhood marriage and creates the Child and Family Legal Representation Coordinating Commission to ensure uniform, high quality representation for children under the duress of legal proceedings.
The Legislature can also support children through increasing the “Champion for Children” tax credit to 70% for all contributions made to CASA, a child advocacy center or a crisis care center. In addition to these credits, House Bill 326 which was passed by the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee on May 7, contains language similar to a proposal I filed, Senate Bill 83. I am optimistic one of these bills will be sent the governor in the remaining week of session.
I am equally optimistic that my water preservation legislation, Senate Bill 82, will cross the finish line before adjournment. Currently in fiscal review before being third read in the Missouri House of Representatives, SB 82 requires those who want to export water from the state get a permit from the Department of Natural Resources.
Farmers in our community will benefit from the provisions in House Bill 169 and its companion, Senate Bill 28. Sent to the governor for consideration on May 1 and 7 respectively, the legislation increases the maximum speed cotton trailers can travel from 40 to 70 miles per hour and permits them to be used to transport other crops.
The Second Amendment Preservation Act, House Bill 1175, was approved by the Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee on May 5 and debated on the floor on May 6 before being laid over. A reboot of a law passed several years ago that was subsequently struck down by the courts, the bill declares that the Missouri General Assembly promotes responsible gun ownership and the enforcement of all state gun laws, and condemns unlawful transfers of firearms.
Welcoming Folks from Back Home to the Dome
As always, the highlight of my week is welcoming members of our community to the State Capitol. Below are some of the folks who took the time to stop by and say hi!
