With only four total weeks left, bills are now moving quickly through the process, and the budget will soon hit the floor, which will take up a great deal of our time. The pace at the Capitol is going to pick up considerably.  

I’m proud to say that, thanks to my wonderful staff, we’ve been incredibly successful in getting a number of measures approved by the Senate to benefit our area and the rest of the state. On Thursday, we gave final approval to Senate Bill 642, which requires proposed surface mining operations to contact all landowners within a half-mile of the property that is either adjacent to the proposed mine plan area, adjacent to land where the mine is already located, and adjacent to land having a legal relationship with the mining company.

The bill closes a loophole in current state law so that all citizens in the area of a surface mining operation are aware of what’s taking place. The bill also requires the applicant to hold a public meeting if a citizen requests it, and standardizes the appeal process.

The Senate also gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 638, which increases the cap on the Pregnancy Resource Center, Food Pantry and Maternity Home tax credits by $500,000 each. It also expands the Youth Opportunities Tax Credit to allow donations to programs that provide food for school-age children to eat during non-school hours. The legislation empowers communities to support the organizations that work closely with local citizens to offer them the valuable services they need. I was proud to see it advance to the House.

A number of other measures I’ve filed have already made their way to the House. Senate Bill 729, which creates a tax credit for donations to Innovation Campuses, awaits committee referral in the House; the House Elementary and Second Education Committee conducted a hearing on legislation I’ve filed to allow an individual with certification from the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence to obtain teacher certification in the area of elementary education; and Senate Concurrent Resolution 19, which extended the Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force, has already been approved by both chambers.

I will keep you updated as my legislation continues to move through the General Assembly. To track my bills, or any others of interest to you, simply visit www.senate.mo.gov and use the bill tracking tool on the left hand side of the page.

I also participated in the debate on SB 655 this week. The bill gives a tenant 24 hours to vacate the property following a court order for immediate eviction and removes the claim of right defense for tenants who willfully damage rental property. The bill is a step in the right direction for rental property owners in our area and around the state.

On Monday, April 14, the Legislature held a Memorial Service to honor the members of the Senate who have passed away since May 1987. It was a way to show our appreciation to the men and women who dedicated their lives to bettering our state. It was also a chance to thank the families of these former members, who sacrificed a lot so their loved ones could be in Jefferson City working for the people of this state. From our area, we welcomed the family and friends of former Sen. Earl R. Blackwell, who served in the Senate from 1959 to 1974, and Sen. Marvin L. Dinger, who served from 1975 to 1982.

I welcomed a number of visitors to the Capitol this week, including Dr. Nathan Suter, DDS, with Comtrea; Lance Mayfield with Farmers Insurance; many of our county commissioners, who were up on behalf of the Missouri Association of Counties; and students from Sunrise School in DeSoto and St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Farmington. It was great to see so many young people visit our state Capitol.

Thank you to everyone for stopping by. It’s always a pleasure to meet with constituents and organizations from back home and hear their thoughts and concerns on state government.

I wish you all you a wonderful Easter holiday. Enjoy the time spent with family and friends.

Sen. Romine’s Sponsored Legislation for 2014

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