Legislation That Matters

Even though it seems to have just started, session is nearly half over and there is still much work to be done.

Now that Senate Bill 460 has been second read, it was referred to the Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee which I chair.

Senate Bill 460, sponsored by Sen. Ryan Slivey, R-Kansas City, would bar the executive branch from issuing any new or existing bonds without approval of the Missouri Legislature or voters. Senate Bill 460 is aimed at reinforcing an important check on the executive branch’s funding authority.
This legislation was created for one main reason. The governor’s office put together a $1 billion stadium project in a bid to keep the St. Louis Rams from leaving the city; taxpayers would be responsible for about $400 million. When lawmakers voiced their concerns about the proposal, the executive branch announced it does not need legislative or public approval to issue bonds, based on an interpretation of a more than 20-year-old statute.

In the troubling economic times our state and the entire nation is facing, I am dismayed at the governor’s remarks and look forward to hearing this bill in committee and getting it moved farther along in the legislative process. This legislation is vital in ensuring our executive branch cannot and will not be able to make large financial decisions without the input from or consideration for the entire state.
This is not about professional sports teams and whether they should reside or remain in our state. Senator Silvey has impressed upon me that this legislation is about firmly establishing in law that the executive branch does not have the authority to put our state in debt without legislative or public approval. I agree with him. It is critical we immediately stop what could set a very dangerous precedent in this state.
Senate Bill 460 would confirm, by law, that the executive branch does not have the authority to extend existing bonds or issue new bonds, including bonds for the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, without legislative or voter approval.

I am also interested in watching the progression of Senate Bill 110, which prohibits any member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators from voting to appoint, to hire, or employ in any way in any position in the university, any person who appointed him or her to the board.  Any such vote taken by a curator will be null and void. Any curator who violates this prohibition will immediately forfeit their position. This legislation has already been heard in the House, and I am confident it will be passed this session.

As the weather begins to warm and you make your way to Jefferson City, be sure to stop by and say hello.