In the coming weeks, the State Capitol will become a busy place as lawmakers gear up for the start of the 2018 legislative session. While session officially begins on January 3, lawmakers began filing legislative proposals on December 1 for the upcoming legislative session.
In advance of the legislative session, I pre-filed several pieces of legislation for the upcoming year. In last week’s column, I discussed several of my priorities for the 2018 legislative session. Senate Bill 567 modifies the Senior Citizens Property Tax Credit; and Senate Bill 568 provides an avenue for our sheriffs and our county commissioners to receive a pay increase. Senate Bill 644 will protect the trustee of a directed trust from being held responsible for any financial losses, specifically when they have no direct role in the investment of funds from the trust. I also pre-filed legislation that makes it a crime for any person who is not registered with the treasurer’s office to charge a fee for their help in claiming another person’s property, which is being held by the treasurer.
Once a senator has written and developed a legislative proposal, they submit it to the Secretary of the Senate’s office to be numbered. The proposal then moves to the Missouri Senate’s Enrolling and Engrossing office where it is formatted and proofread before it is printed. Each pre-filed bill is currently available for the public to view on the Missouri Senate Website at www.senate.mo.gov.
Just one week after pre-filing started, 34 Missouri Senators had filed 245 bills and 14 joint resolutions. During the pre-filing period for the 2017 legislative session, 244 bills and 10 joint resolutions were filed. Before the start of the 2016 legislative session, senators pre-filed 209 pieces of legislation.
On the other side of the State Capitol, our fellow lawmakers in the Missouri House have filed 331 proposals and 14 House Joint Resolutions.
As always, I appreciate it when groups from around Missouri and from our community back home come to visit me at the Capitol. If you would like to arrange a time to come and visit me in Jefferson City, or if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-1882.