Sen. Caleb Rowden’s Column – April 20, 2018

April 20, 2018

Senator Caleb Rowden’s Column for the Week of April 20, 2018

As a member of the Missouri Senate’s Appropriations Committee, I have the opportunity to participate in the budget process throughout the legislative session. My colleagues and I have been working hard to ensure we pass a balanced and responsible budget. Our responsibility as senators is to ensure state funds are being used efficiently and serve the people of Missouri. Below are a few funding priorities that I would like to highlight as we work toward finalizing the budget for next year.

Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

Missouri’s backlog of untested rape kits has reached crisis levels. An estimated 19 percent of women experience sexual assault in their lifetime, yet less than 1 percent of rapists serve jail time for their actions. According to law enforcement officials, 38 percent of all offenses and 90 percent of sexual offenses are found by using sexual assault kit tests. With this in mind, I advocated for a $3 million spending increase to the attorney general’s office as long as they apply for and receive the Federal Department of Justice’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant.

The goal of this program is to address the growing number of submitted sexual assault kits in law enforcement custody, as well as to help provide resolution for victims when possible. Since its launch in 2015, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has been decreasing the number of unsolved sexual assault cases by addressing the problem of unsubmitted sexual assault kits. Survivors of sexual assault crimes have a right to know the status of their case while it is being investigated. According to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lifetime cost of rape on survivors is $122,461.

This issue affects people throughout our state, and we must take concrete actions to prevent and prosecute sexual assault crimes. The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative seeks to reduce the number of unsubmitted kits by promoting training, evidence tracking and other best used practices. This federal program helps local jurisdictions establish effective and sustainable practices for collecting and processing forensic evidence, investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases and supporting survivors of sexual assault. I look forward to working with the attorney general and law enforcement personnel to prosecute serial offenders and create more transparency and relief for survivors.

Higher Education

The University of Missouri system does invaluable work in our state, and I am happy to report the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to fully fund higher education and its cooperative programs. The total approved budget comes to $417,111,875, and includes funding for the Greenley Research Center, a Coop Pharmacy Program, the UM-S&T Project Lead the Way Program, expansion of the UM-Columbia Medical School to Springfield, a Coop Dental Program and a Coop Engineering Program.

These projects are all important components of the university’s role in innovative education and research. Now that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its version of the budget, it will move to the Missouri Senate floor for debate next week. I believe we have created a financially responsible budget that provides for the needs of higher education and other services provided by state government, and I look forward to discussing this financial plan with my colleagues in the Senate.

Future Farmers of America

I always enjoy visiting with people from my district when they visit the Capitol. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet several students from FFA programs throughout Boone County. It was a pleasure meeting these young people who are leaders in their communities.

I am here to serve you, and my office door is always open to your questions, concerns and suggestions. You can reach my staff at 573-751-3931, and you can visit www.senate.mo.gov/rowden for an array of legislative and constituent resources.