The First Regular Session of the 97th General Assembly and recent annual veto session has come and gone. We made a great deal of progress during this year’s legislative session.

Personally, one of my most concerning and important issues was protecting families and businesses from unfair utility
surcharges that were overwhelmingly supported by many in the Legislature on both sides of the aisle. Electric, gas and
water companies spent a tremendous amount of money running advertisements and employed many lobbyists to push
their agenda.

A considerable amount of my time and energy was used in helping build a coalition in opposition to Senate Bill 207
(Electric ISRS - Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharge) and ultimately participating in a filibuster to prevent its
passage. Also, we were successful in stopping additional legislation that would have added charges to your gas and water bills. Not everyone in the 25th District receives their utility bills from these particular companies. However, it would
have eventually had an adverse affect on your utility costs.

Senate Bill 207 would have allowed investor-owned monopoly utilities to circumvent the Public Service Commission (PSC) and allow a new Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharge (ISRS). If passed, the bill would have undermined the oversight and general rate-making process that has worked for more than 100 years through our investor-owned monopoly utility consumer protection department, the PSC. It was disappointing to discover that in just the last six years, one big investor-owned electric utility had already cashed in on more than $607 million in general rate increases (a 43 percent increase) and more than $560 million in surcharges. Our hard-working families and businesses cannot tolerate a continuation of out-of-control electric cost. Automatic surcharges cause serious harm to folks who are already living under a tight budget. After all, consumers have no options in the marketplace to get these services elsewhere. These utility monopolies enjoy having no competitors, so we need to hold them accountable for their attempts to artificially raise rates to bolster their shareholders’ dividends.

After being elected to the Missouri Senate last November, my priority was to develop relationships with my colleagues
and invite them to visit Southeast Missouri. From our schools and colleges, farms to businesses, and ports and highways, including tourism with beautiful lakes, rivers and timberland, our district is very diverse and vital to the success of our local and state economies. By hosting three legislative tours with elected officials from Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield, we raised awareness, and highlighted and promoted the resources we have.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of hosting members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees. Agriculture is our state's largest industry, and it's vitally important to the 25th District. I enjoyed the opportunity to take my guests around Southeast Missouri and the Bootheel, and learning more about agriculture and its importance to the state's economy, as well as its impact on our families and communities. It is important to have legislators from other parts of the state visit our region, because it helps establish our message in Jeff City.

Thank you very much for your letters, phone calls, and e-mails of support. I appreciate your interest in the legislative process. If there is a bill that you are passionate about, the best way to make a difference is by visiting your State Capitol and testifying at the committee hearing. We enjoy hearing from you; it makes a big difference!

The Missouri Senate will reconvene in January, and I look forward to continuing my service to you and the whole 25th District. Until then, I will be traveling the district, meeting folks and building my knowledge about the issues that matter.

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. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.