It's halfway through the legislative session and there's still much work left to be done on behalf of the people of our state. My colleagues and I still have to pass the state's operating budget for Fiscal Year 2014 and numerous bills await the attention of lawmakers before they can be approved and sent to the governor for his signature. We're putting in some long days and working late hours to advance important measures through the legislative process in order to put them in action and benefit Missourians across the state.

There has been much discussion over the last several years about how Missouri should continue its funding of higher education institutions in order to continue the work of these schools and allow Missourians who attend these institutions to reach their full potential. A measure that would create a performance-based, comprehensive funding formula for our state's higher education institutions was recently voted out of committee, advancing to the full Senate for possible debate. Senate Bill 437 would change the way Missouri funds public higher education institutions by creating a new model for calculating our public schools' state funding.

The higher education funding model, which includes community colleges, would fund institutions based on both costs and outcomes, calculating their core operational expenditures that are divided into six categories: academic, support, institutional support, instruction, public service, research and student services. Performance measures incorporated into the model through the use of completed course hours in the calculation of instructional costs, as well as through the performance funding goals and metrics developed by the higher education institutions as members of a performance funding taskforce. The model acknowledges both the collective and mission-specific contributions that institutions make to the educational and economic well-being of Missouri. There is a "stop-loss provision" in the bill that would allocate 98 percent of the previous year's funding if an institution's funding through the new model is less than what the institution received under the previous method.

Another education bill considered by the committee this week includes legislation that would create the "Parent and Community School Information Act," requiring the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to produce a simplified annual school report card for each public school attendance center in a school district and each charter school. Letter grades — A, B, C, D and F — would be based on an individual attendance center's performance on the Missouri School Improvement Program standards, the school accountability system for reviewing and accrediting public school districts in Missouri. Senate Bill 344 would also require DESE to make an annual report to the Joint Committee on Education, with the first ready for distribution by Dec. 1, 2014.

Our commitment to K-12 education and a first-rate higher education system will further prepare our state for greater economic growth, allowing Missouri to truly compete on a national and global level.

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Capitol Visitors

Visitors from the MU Extension Program met with Sen. Libla at the State Capitol on April 7, 2013. From left to right: Phyllis Newton, Betty Schalk, Sen. Libla and Carolyn Malson.

Visitors from the MU Extension Program visited our State Capitol earlier this month. The MU Extension Program makes university education and information accessible for economic viability, empowered individuals, strong families and communities, and healthy environments. The extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri campuses, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through extension councils, and the National Institution for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Members of the extension program who visited with me include Phyllis Newton, Betty Schalk and Carolyn Malson.

Members from SADI (SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence) — who provide independent living services to Mississippi County, contract with the Department of Health and Senior Services to provide personal care services in New Madrid, Stoddard and Butler counties, and have Interpreter Referral Services that extend into Pemiscot and Dunklin counties, all located in the 25th Senate District — recently visited the State Capitol and spent some time sharing with me information about their organization. SADI is a community-based, non-profit, non-residential center that promotes independent living for Missourians who have disabilities. Organizations like these provide valuable services that allow many of our state's citizens to remain in their own homes and communities.

Malden Army Airfield Preservation Society members also stopped by my office on State Aviation Day (April 9) to bring attention to issues that affect the maintenance and development of our state's airport system and its more than 100 public airports throughout the state that play a large role in Missouri's economic activity. Airports provide a vital resource to our transportation infrastructure and our businesses. Maintaining this will keep southeast Missouri competitive with other parts of the state.

Representatives from the Boys & Girls Club, Chris Rushin, Robbie Toth, Breanna Davison and Sen. Libla, pose for a photo on the dais in the Senate chamber. Davison was the Poplar Bluff Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year.

I had the opportunity to speak with members of Leadership Missouri through the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry about my first year as a member of the Legislature, including how I get up-to-date information on issues before the state and the multitude of bills that pass through the Senate. The Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce Leadership Team also visited, led by Chamber President Steve Halter. The Missouri Pharmacy Association also held their annual Legislative Day at the State Capitol this week. I enjoyed seeing pharmacists Marty Michel and Jim Harlan from Poplar Bluff. We discussed some of the issues regarding their profession and how they relate to the work underway in the Legislature.

Boys & Girls Club members also made their way to Jefferson City to see their State Capitol during its National Club Week (April 7-13). I had the privilege of introducing Executive Director Chris Rushin, MSU Site Lead and Administrator Robbie Toth, and 8th grade Poplar Bluff Junior High School student and Youth of the Year Breanna Davison in the Senate chamber. The Boys & Girls Club enables all young people, especially those who need the most direction, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. I am extremely proud of this organization that helps youth of all nationalities, races, and creeds build character through everyday leadership and guidance in behavior and attitude.

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For more information on the topics included in this legislative column, please call our office at (573) 751-4843 or visit our website at www.senate.mo.gov/libla, where you will also be able to see a list of my Senate bills filed this session. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.