After serving in the Missouri House of Representatives for four years (2000-2004), Sen. Jason Crowell was elected to serve Southeast Missouri's 27th Senate District in November of 2004. During his first year in the Senate, Sen. Crowell earned the Chairmanship of the Committee on Pensions, Veterans' Affairs and General Laws.
In addition, Sen. Crowell supports Southeast Missouri's interests on three other key committees: the Financial, Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee (vice-chair); the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee; and the Economic Development, Tourism and Local Government Committees.
Sen. Crowell also serves on the board of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System, is a member of the Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, the State Retirement Consolidation Commission, Joint Committee on Legislative Research and the Joint Interim Committee on Missouri Health Care Stabilization Fund. Senator Crowell was recently appointed to the Missouri Arts Council Trust Fund Board of Trustees.
As chair of the Pensions, Veterans' Affairs and General Laws Committee, Senator Crowell championed legislation in the Senate this past session that included the phase out of the state income tax on social security benefits and public pensions benefits for over 200,000 Missouri seniors, an additional $250,000 to go towards the Veterans' Service Officer Program that assists veterans in receiving federal benefits they have earned and a $2.8 million increase in state funding to fill to capacity our seven veterans homes in the state. Other successes included making Missouri's colleges more accessible, affordable and accountable and increasing K-12 education funding by $132.6 million. Since Senator Crowell took office in January of 2005 total increases for education have risen to nearly half a billion dollars.
Another major accomplishment for Senator Crowell in the 2007 legislative session was for the continued success in autism funding. $200,000 in funds was awarded to the Tailor Institute in Cape Girardeau that specializes in working with those with high functioning autism and $2.6 million was secured for the construction of the Southeast Missouri Autism Center. This center, the first of its kind in Southeast Missouri, will help families that once had to travel as far as Columbia, St. Louis, or Kansas City for treatment. The Southeast Missouri Autism Center will be a destination where young children with autism can go to receive high-quality diagnostic and treatment services from a multi-disciplinary team, and where today's and tomorrow's professionals can go to receive the best training available in the region, and where state-of-the art intervention research is conducted.
For his work during the 2007 session Sen. Crowell received the Missouri Legislator of the year award from the VFW, the American Legion Legislative Award, the Missouri Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA), the Missouri Academy of Audiology (MAA) Award, the Missouri Firefighters and EMS Providers Award and the St. Louis Business Journal Legislative Award.
Senator Crowell played a critical role in the 93rd General Assembly by advancing several significant pieces of legislation. He helped strengthen Missouri schools, a longstanding priority, by helping to pass the largest school budget in state history and crafting a new, more equitable school funding formula. For his efforts in representing the best interests of students and educators, the Missouri State Teachers Association recognized Sen. Crowell in March of 2006.
The Missouri Association of Probate & Associate Circuit Judges presented Sen. Crowell with an award for his outstanding contributions to the administration of justice. During the 2005 session, Crowell was instrumental in reforming Missouri's system of civil liability to prevent outrageous jury awards from unfairly tipping the scales of justice.
Sen. Crowell also worked to improve Missouri's economy and bring more jobs to the state by co-sponsoring workers' compensation reform and handling in the Senate the legislation reforming Missouri's "tort" or civil liability system. For this effort and his work to establish a Sales Tax Holiday, which provides an annual three-day sales tax exemption during the back-to-school shopping season, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognized Sen. Crowell with the 2005 Spirit of Enterprise Award The award is given to individuals who excel in their support of Missouri employers. Additionally, the Missouri State Medical Association awarded Sen. Crowell with their 2006 Legislative Award for his work reforming Missouri's tort system and his continued commitment to doctors, patients and other health-care providers.
In 2005, Sen. Crowell sponsored legislation that reformed the Administrative Law Judge and Legal Advisors Retirement Plan. The plan was previously open to abuse and corruption as administrative law judges and legal advisors vested into a more lucrative retirement plan immediately. Sen. Crowell ended the abuse and corruption by eliminating the special retirement system.
For his legislative efforts to combat methamphetamine production and his support of law enforcement officers across the state, the Missouri Sheriff's Association recognized Sen. Crowell as the 2005 Missouri Senator of the Year. The Missouri Bar Foundation also awarded Sen. Crowell for his efforts in 2005.
In his second session in the Missouri Senate, Senator Crowell is continuing to advance legislative initiatives designed to create jobs, improve schools and increase public health and safety.
The Missouri House of Representatives
In November of 2000, Crowell was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives by the people of Cape Girardeau County living in the 158th House District. During his first term in the statehouse, Sen. Crowell secured an additional $250,000 in annual funding for the Network Against Sexual Violence in Cape Girardeau. The network is a child-advocacy center that provides forensic interviews and medical care to alleged victims of physical and sexual abuse.
After winning re-election to the House in 2002, Sen. Crowell was elected to serve the chamber as majority floor leader, the leadership position responsible for setting the agenda and bill order for floor debate. In addition to his duties as majority floor leader, Sen. Crowell chaired the Ethics Committee, the Rules Committee and the Subcommittee on Legislative Research Personnel.
Sen. Crowell received numerous awards of appreciation for his dedication and service when he served in the House. These include the Missouri Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award (2002 and 2004); the Missouri Bar's Legislative Award (2002 and 2003); the St. Louis Business Journal Award (2003); the Missouri Association of Counties Legislative Award (2004); the Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education Legislative Recognition Award; and the Missouri Supreme Court Legislative Award.
Personal Information
Jason Glennon Crowell was born on Feb. 3, 1972, in Cape Girardeau where he continues to reside today. He graduated from Cape Central High School in 1990; he graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a B.S.B.A. in economics in 1995. Sen. Crowell served in 1994 as Student Government President at Southeast, and in 1993, worked in Washington D.C. as a legislative intern for the late Congressman Bill Emerson. Sen. Crowell went on to the University of Missouri-Columbia where he earned his juris doctorate in 1998. In 1996, while in law school, Sen. Crowell served as a judicial intern to Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White, and in 1997, served as a law clerk to Attorney General Jeremiah (Jay) Nixon. Along with his current service in the legislature, Sen. Crowell is an attorney with the Cape Girardeau firm of Osburn, Hine, Kuntze, Yates and Murphy, LLC and is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois.
