One of the most important functions of the Missouri Senate is to approve the governor’s appointments to our state’s more than 200 boards and commissions. Each session, I meet and speak to many qualified candidates who are interested and passionate about serving their state. They want to help others by sharing their time and expertise. The work these boards and commissions do is vital to moving Missouri forward and these groups have a major impact on protecting our citizens and growing our economy. However, over the years, myself and other Senators have noticed some boards were no longer meeting, and others did not have enough members to even function. Times have changed, which means an overhaul of all of our boards and commissions is long overdue.
To gain a better understanding of the needs of our state, the governor formed a task force designed to evaluate the purpose of each existing board and commission. In 2017, more than half of the members serving on boards and commissions were serving under expired terms. The Boards and Commissions Task Force recommended nearly 450 eliminations and consolidations to Missouri’s boards and commissions in order to better streamline state government and cut bureaucratic red tape.
The task force also identified the need to fill some of our state’s most important boards and commissions. At the beginning of the year, four of the six Child Abuse and Neglect Review Boards could not hear cases because they did not have a quorum, and all 14 members of the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board were serving on expired terms. This left our most vulnerable children in a broken system.
This week, the Senate confirmed nearly 20 appointees to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review boards, four appointees to the Children’s Trust Fund Board and two appointees to the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board. As senators, we came together to confirm these appointments because we realize the important work these dedicated men and women do to ensure that Missouri is a great state to live, work and grow. We also realize the importance of a smaller, more efficient state government. We are reducing the size of government while better protecting our most vulnerable citizens.
This past week, Kristen Tuohy Avila, Webster County, was appointed and confirmed to Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board. If you are interested in serving on for a board or commission, please visit the Missouri Boards and Commissions’ webpage to find available opportunities to serve our state.
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.