Happy New Year, everyone! This will be an exciting year and it is a privilege for me to serve you here at the Capitol.
Entering the New Year, I will continue to work for you and to support good government in our state. Together we can make Missouri the best place to raise our families and support a thriving economy. As always, I will keep you updated on the happenings at the Capitol through my weekly Capitol Report. Please feel free to contact me personally at Bob.Onder@senate.mo.gov
A New Republican State
Last Monday morning I joined my family and hundreds of Missourians to witness the swearing in of our new Republican Governor, Eric Greitens. It was a cold morning but the sun came out just as Governor Greitens took the oath of office as our 56th Governor. It reminded me that it is the dawn of a new day for Missouri.
As one of his first official actions as Governor, Gov. Greitens signed an executive order to freeze all new regulations on businesses and mandated all state agencies to review “every regulation they have on the books.” He also banned his staff from accepting gifts from lobbyists to ensure that his office cannot be bought.
It was an inspirational day and I am excited for the opportunity to work with our new Governor. In case you missed it, you can watch Governor Greitens’ inauguration speech by clicking here .
Senate General Laws Committee To Pass “Right to Work”
As Chairman of the Senate General Laws Committee I made sure the first bill we heard last week was Senate Bill 19. This bill grants to workers the freedom to choose whether or not to be part of a union.
By allowing workers’ choice, we are cultivating a free and fair environment in our state. Not only is it fair for workers to be allowed the choice of whether or not to be part of a union, studies show that right-to-work states have higher levels of economic growth, attract more new businesses, and create more jobs. The number of new manufacturing jobs is also higher in Right-to-Work states. In order for Missourians to be competitive with our surrounding states, we need measures like Right-to-Work to foster an environment of growth.
It’s time for us to come to the table and compete for more and better jobs and economic growth in the Show Me State. I’m proud that we were able to pass this bill out of our committee and move it on to the next step in the legislative process.
Missouri State of the State
Tuesday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m., Gov. Greitens will deliver the State of the State address. You can view it by clicking here
I expect to hear the Governor’s ideas for balancing the budget, creating jobs, and ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. Labor reform, judicial reform, regulatory reform, and education choice are likely to be subjects the Governor emphasizes.
“Uber Bill” to be Heard this Week
Those of you who attended the inauguration in Jefferson City last week may have taken advantage of the free Uber rides that were offered all day.
For those unfamiliar with Uber, it is a Transportation Network Company (TNC) that offer ridesharing services, which give you a lower-cost ride option. My bill SB 185 would make it possible to break the taxi cab monopoly and allow people the option to take an “Uber” or “Lyft” ride in places such as our Capitol city and St. Charles County.
This bill will be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee this Thursday at 8:00 a.m.
2017 Committee Assignments
Last week I received my committee assignments for the 2017-18 legislative session. I will be the Chair of the General Laws Committee and Vice-Chairman of Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence. I am also a member of the Senate Committees on Education, Health and Pensions, and Ways and Means.
I am honored to serve on these committees that cover important issues that affect the lives of all Missourians. I commit to working hard to achieve success and make Missouri the best place to work and raise a family.
2017 Legislation
Below is a list of bills I have introduced for the 2017 legislative session. I’ll keep you posted on their progress:
Senate Bill 67 – Women’s Health and Clinic Safety Act Requires abortion clinic accountability.
Senate Bill 68 – Human Trafficking Provides resources for victims of human trafficking to find help.
Senate Bill 182 – Ban on Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) Opens government projects up for private sector bidding.
Senate Bill 2010 – Government Union Reform Act
Senate Bill 185 – Transportation Network Companies (”Uber bill”) creates a framework for transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate.
Senate Bill 201 – Joint Employer/Franchise Bill
Senate Bill 238 – Twentieth Century Course Access Act. Allows high school students the option to take classes their high school may not be able to offer through the State’s on-line high school (MoVIP).
For more information or to read the bill text you can click here