Pre-Filing Begins for the 2018 Legislative Session
In one month, the Second Regular Session of the 99th General Assembly will begin. In addition to enjoying the holidays and the last few weeks at home in their districts, Missouri lawmakers are hard at work preparing for the upcoming session. Part of that preparation includes the pre-filing of legislation, which marks the session’s unofficial start.
Under Senate rules, pre-filed bills are assigned a number and made publicly available beginning Dec. 1. The pre-filing period lasts throughout the month of December, allowing senators to file legislation before the Missouri General Assembly officially convenes Jan. 3.
Accordingly, I have pre-filed several bills that I hope work through the legislative process next session. One bill would impose reasonable caps and reforms on tax credit programs to make sure the state is getting the most for its dollar. Another would increase the utilization of sheltered workshops when bidding for state contracts. A third would improve and streamline some of our election processes that are currently in need of an upgrade.
I have also filed a joint resolution that, if approved by the voters, would modify the non-partisan court plan to potentially expand the number of applicants the governor may consider for a judicial appointment, which I believe would increase the fairness of our state’s judge-picking process.
The Senate and House will make the full text of every bill filed during the 2018 Legislative Session publicly available on their respective websites, senate.mo.gov and house.mo.gov. Each site tracks the progress of legislation, telling you exactly where each proposal stands at any point in time. They’re both excellent resources for anyone interested in the workings of state government.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.