Jan. 7, 2016

A New Session Brings New Opportunities

State lawmakers returned to the Capitol this week as the 2016 legislative session officially convened at noon on Wednesday. Each new session presents countless new opportunities to positively impact the lives of Missouri citizens, and I’m eager to get the ball rolling. Some of the issues we’ll be addressing this year include tort reform, ethics reform and funding Missouri’s transportation infrastructure for the long-haul.

We primarily spent these first two days of session introducing bills and assigning them to committees. Much of the work we’ll do over the next few weeks will take place in committee hearings, where we’ll listen to witness testimony on proposed measures and decide whether a bill will advance to the Senate floor for debate.

One of the bills I filed this week deals with the property taxes mines are required to pay. As the senator of the largest mining district in the state, I believe this issue is important to my constituents. Both sides of the issue, county government and the mining industry, are important to the prosperity and well-being of our area, so bringing them together to resolve this issue was a no-brainer.

Consider the case of the Bunker School district in Reynolds County. I was told this week that Bunker was facing a budget shortfall because part of their property tax money was being held in escrow until a property tax appeal was settled. This prompted the district to go to court to ask that part of the money in escrow be released so they could continue to operate. We can do better than that.

My bill will alleviate the situation Bunker is facing by standardizing the process, resulting in fewer appeals. Fewer appeals mean that school districts will receive their money in a timely fashion.

The mining industry will benefit from this legislation as well. As a business owner, I understand how important it is to be able to plan an operation one, five, or even ten years out. My bill will help the mining industry plan for the future by providing certainty to the company on the property tax front. Standardization ensures that a mining company will not see huge increases in its property tax bills from year to year, unless they expand their operation. Giving the industry the ability to plan will keep these good paying jobs in our area for years to come.

It is a good bill that will benefit our area immensely, and I thank both sides for coming to the table to try to resolve this issue. We are only at the beginning of the process, but I am confident that we can find a compromise.

As a state senator, citizen and former high school teacher, the intersection of education and government has always been one of my main focus areas, which is why I consider serving as vice-chairman on both the Senate Education Committee and the Joint Committee on Education such an honor and responsibility. This year I will also work to continue moving the conversation forward in my role as chairman of the Missouri Lead Industry Task Force. Please visit the homepage of my new Senate website for a complete listing of my committee assignments.

I’m pleased to say both of my Senate staff, Dan Hutton and Karen Jacquin, have returned for the 2016 session. Also joining the office is our new legislative intern, Haley Tarvin. Haley attends Missouri State University and is majoring in political science and minoring in criminology, with an emphasis in pre-law.

It continues to be an honor serving the citizens of Missouri’s 3rd Senatorial District. I always aim to do what is best for folks back home, and I welcome your input as we progress through session. I also invite you to visit my Capitol office if you’re ever in Jefferson City.

On a personal note, my wife Kathy and I became grandparents for the 12th time this past summer, with the birth of our granddaughter, Harper Louise. She has been such a blessing to our family, and we couldn’t be more thankful for this beautiful gift from God. I hope you and your family had a safe and blessed holiday season, and I wish you a very happy new year!

Contact Me

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-4008. You may write me at Gary Romine, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101; or email me at gary.romine@senate.mo.gov; or www.senate.mo.gov/romine.