The Second Regular Session of the 97th General Assembly began on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and is now well underway. Much of the work this early in session takes place in committee, where members consider various bills and hear public testimony on the proposals.

I currently serve on a handful of committees, one of the most high-prolife being the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for crafting the Senate’s version of the state’s annual budget. It’s a privilege to serve on this committee. Approving the state budget is one of the most important tasks the Legislature undertakes each year.

Shown above, Sen. Gina Walsh discusses legislation on the floor of the Missouri Senate during the 2014 session.

As we make decisions regarding taxpayer dollars, it's critical we maintain funding for the departments and programs that help those in our state who need it most. As the senator for the 13th District, one of my top priorities will be securing funding for the Bellefontaine Habilitation Center and the St. Louis Veterans Home, two facilities that provide quality care to Missourians in our area and from all over the state.

I also serve on the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee, which reviews matters relating to ethics and the conduct of public officials and employees, among other duties. I’m looking forward to working with the members on the committee as we consider legislation that will re-establish ethics laws to protect the public.

Additionally, I serve on the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee, which reports on bills relating to the development of state commerce, protecting Missouri’s consumers, the development and conservation of energy resources, and other matters relating to environmental preservation; the Progress and Development Committee, which examines bills concerning the changing or maintenance of issues relating to human welfare; and the Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee, which considers legislation relating to the ownership and operation of small businesses, different forms of insurance, and labor management, among other duties.

This year, I was selected to serve on two additional committees: the Missouri Humanities Council Trust Fund Board, and the Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force. I look forward to working with my colleagues in these two new committees.

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the governor gave his annual State of the State address, which coincided with the release of his budget recommendations for the coming fiscal year. The governor laid out an impressive agenda. Most notable are the significant funding increases for education in Missouri, including an increase of $278 million into the state’s education foundation formula. He also recommended increasing funding for early childhood education, and $42.1 million for performance-based funding for colleges and universities.

Education should be one of our highest priorities, and I was grateful to see this reflected in the governor’s budget. We have a duty to prepare future generations for the challenges ahead, and providing a world-class education is the single most effective thing we can do to accomplish that.

The governor also called again on the Legislature to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Under the proposal, Missouri would increase the eligibility for Medicaid, a move that would expand coverage to an estimated 300,000 uninsured Missourians. The federal government would pick up the total costs of the expansion for the first three years, with Missouri eventually paying for 10 percent. According to the most recent studies, expansion would create 24,000 jobs in our state. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce estimates not expanding the program could cause a potential $2.2 billion loss to our state’s economy.

We can’t afford to wait any longer. Increasing access to healthcare needs to be our highest priority, and the best way to do that is through Medicaid expansion. If elected officials in the Capitol are serious about bettering the lives of their constituents, then they need to look past the partisan politics associated with this proposal and weigh it on its own merits, which are numerous. This is truly an opportunity to change lives.  

The Legislature has already started to craft the Fiscal Year 2015 budget. In the Senate Appropriations Committee, hearings are already underway considering departments' and programs' budgetary needs for the next fiscal year.The budget is always a lengthy process, and I expect extensive debate as we work to create our state’s spending plan for the next fiscal year.

One in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, more than 41,000 incidents of domestic violence were reported in 2012. Those are our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. And, children often bear witness to these horrific acts. It’s not just a women’s issue.

These incidents have a way of repeating themselves. Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to commit the same acts when they’re older. It creates an endless, generational cycle of violence that eats away at the foundations of our neighborhoods and communities. For too long, these kinds of acts were kept in the dark, hidden behind locked doors. No longer.

We have to do everything in our power to stop it. As a state, we need to send a clear message that we will not tolerate domestic violence, and we will offer our full support to those who seek to escape it.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, more than 41,000 incidents of domestic violence were reported in 2012 alone.

This year, I’m partnering with Secretary of State Jason Kander to strengthen Missouri’s domestic violence laws and protect survivors who seek the state’s protection. Senate Bill 710 would expand the set of aggravating factors in existing stalking laws to include accessing or attempting to access the address of a participant in the Safe at Home program. Violators would be subject to a Class D felony, resulting in up to four years imprisonment.

Safe at Home was established in 2007 to provide survivors of violence a substitute mailing address through the Secretary of State’s office, which then forwards all mail and maintains the confidentiality of the participant’s location.According to the Secretary of State’s office, the program has protected more than 2,000 Missourians to date. 

I’m also sponsoring legislation this year that would create unpaid leave for employees affected by domestic violence. Senate Bill 712 lays out certain provisions regarding businesses that employ individuals who are or have a family or household member that is being assaulted, battered, coerced, harassed, sexually assaulted, unlawfully imprisoned, and stalked.  Permission to take leave would be granted to seek medical attention, recover from an injury, obtain victim services or counseling, participate in safety planning, and pursue legal assistance.  If passed, the attorney general would enforce provisions of this act.

During the committee hearing on the bill, a witness from the Center for Family law testified that fear of losing their job is often one of survivors’ biggest worries. Losing their job could possibly derail any attempts at leaving a violent and potentially deadly situation.

The National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section was also present at the hearing. A representative discussed how domestic violence affects employers as well as employees. According to the group, the loss of earnings for victims of domestic violence totals around $18 million a year. The cost to employers, from absenteeism, reduced productivity and increased medical costs, is approximately $5 billion a year.

If we want to help end domestic violence, we have to give survivors some degree of certainty that seeking assistance won’t cost them their job. The last thing these individuals need are more barriers between them and safety. We need to help these citizens escape their attackers, and ensure they have employment after seeking help. My legislation would do that.

I hope my fellow legislators in both the Senate and House recognize the immediate need of both of these measures and move quickly to pass them.

Missouri currently has some of the loosest ethics laws in the country. For too long, lawmakers in Jefferson City have been given free rein to collude and work with lobbyists and special interests groups to craft public policy that best serves those who can afford it. This isn’t how a democracy is supposed to run. It tarnishes every action we take. The public is quickly losing trust in their government. We can’t let this continue.

Since my time in the House, I’ve consistently fought for strong ethics reform. I believe it’s one of the most immediate things we could do to better our state. We can’t let money corrode our state government anymore. If we’re truly serious about improving Missouri, this is one of the best places to start.

Shown above, Sen. Walsh debates legislative proposals with fellow senators during the 2014 session.

This year, I’ve filed two bills aimed at reinstating strong ethics laws in Missouri, which has been named as a priority by most lawmakers.

Senate Bill 737 creates the Class A misdemeanor crime of obstruction of an ethics investigation if one knowingly bribes a person for withholding information, accepts a bribe for withholding information, or makes a false statement to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Senate Bill 738 would stop the current practice of money laundering donations through political committees. Under current law, political funds can be transferred from one committee to another, obscuring the identity of the original donor.

In addition, the legislation updates Missouri’s ethics laws, which hasn’t been done since the 1990s. The measure would redefine “electronic” as it relates to credit and debit cards and change the definition of “printed matter” to include online ads, something that hardly existed when the statutes were originally created. The act also streamlines reporting requirements by eliminating duplicate filings, among other provisions.

Senate Bill 738 is the nuts-and-bolts legislation that will create the framework for implementing and enforcing stronger ethics laws in Missouri. Senate Bill 737 makes it a crime to obstruct or interfere with ethics investigations. Both measures are critical to creating a transparent environment in the Capitol so that the public has no doubts that the actions we take are always in their best interest.  

Meningitis is a terrible disease that affects the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It starts with flu-like symptoms and escalates rapidly, sometimes leaving survivors with permanent damage to their nervous system, including hearing loss, epilepsy, limb loss and cognitive impairment.

Because of communal living arrangements, such as dorms, college students have an increased risk of contracting meningitis, a contagious and potentially fatal disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1,000 to 2,600 Americans contract meningitis every year. One in 10 dies. Anyone can get the disease, but it’s most common in infants less than one year of age and young adults, around 16 to 21 years old. College students are particularly susceptible to it because of communal living.

Thankfully, modern medicine has provided us with a vaccine. Last year, I sponsored legislation that required colleges and universities to hand out informational brochures on meningitis to explain the risk associated with the disease. However, we can do more to prevent the spread of what is a preventable illness.

This year, I filed Senate Bill 748, which requires college students living on campus, who are the highest risk of contracting meningitis, to receive the vaccine before attending college. Elementary schools already require immunization shots before attendance. My legislation is no different. It’s about protecting the public and the students in our state.

Earlier this year, I added a new link on my official Senate website to help Missourians register to vote. Voting is our most important right, because it allows us to truly implement change in our communities, our state, and our country.

Click the link above to visit the Sec. of State's online voter registration program.

Unfortunately, many people don’t exercise this liberty. Voter turnout has steadily declined in recent years. I think one of the biggest reasons is a lack of easily accessible information on how to vote, especially registering.

The link on my site takes you to the Secretary of State’s new online voter registration program. For the first time, eligible Missourians can file their registration form or change their address online. Once the voter completes and signs the form on a computer, tablet or smartphone, the Secretary of State’s office will print and mail the form to the voter’s local election authority.

The site also answers general questions regarding the voting process, lists upcoming elections, and details how members of the military and Missourians living abroad can cast their ballot.

We must make every effort as a state to modernize our government, especially as new generations come of age. The new online voter registration program is a great example of how we can use technology to improve public services and reach more segments of the population.

On Wednesday, Jan. 22, I was happy to welcome more than 50 members of the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce for its annual legislative day at the Capitol. The event gives members of this critical organization a chance to discuss their priorities with elected officials. Legislators were also given the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and ideas on how to improve economic opportunities in the state. I was honored to meet with various members, and always welcome the input of individuals, businesses and organizations from our area.

The American Heart Association’s annual Go Red Day was held at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Go Red Day raises awareness on the causes of heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association has worked for almost 100 years in promoting healthy living in communities across the nation. It is a voluntary organization dedicated to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular disease and stroke.

I was proud to participate in this year’s Go Red Day. Along with sporting red, I offered a resolution on the Senate floor and joined the American Heart Association in educating and spreading awareness to help people live longer and stronger lives.

I’ve been honored to support the gubernatorial appointments of a number of 13th District residents this year. In January, I sponsored the appointment of Michelle Martin to the Missouri State Foster and Adoption Board. On Wednesday, March 5, I also sponsored the appointment of Bruce Darrough to the Linn State Technical College Board of Regents.

Throughout Missouri, hundreds of dedicated men and women are helping move our state forward through their service on one of the more than 200 public boards and commissions in the Show-Me State.  Whether it’s ensuring the proper licensure of health professionals, advocating for vulnerable children and seniors, or supporting a specific sector of the economy, these citizens are continuing to make sure that the Show-Me State is a great place to live, work and do business. Engaging talented and experienced individuals in public service is a key part of our strategy to continue Missouri’s economic turnaround and improve the quality of life for everyone.

For more information on Missouri’s boards and commissions, please visit www.boards.mo.gov.

Shown above, Sen. Walsh sponsors the appointment of Michelle Martin to the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board during the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee Hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014.	Shown above, Sen. Walsh sponsors the appointment of Bruce Darrough to the Linn State Technical College Board of Regents during the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee Hearing on Wednesday, March 5, 2014.