During the fourth week of the legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly had the opportunity to hear the honorable Missouri Supreme Court Justice Zel M. Fischer address the legislature for the 45th annual State of the Judiciary address.
During his speech, he encouraged lawmakers to help expand the number of drug treatment centers throughout Missouri in order to help break the cycle of addiction and reduce the number of drug-related arrests. By increasing the number of drug treatment centers in Missouri, Justice Fischer believes we can help put more drug-users on the road to recovery.
In 2016, Missouri lost more than 1,300 people to drug overdoses. As a Missouri Senator, I recognize the need for additional support for individuals who fall victim to the vicious cycle of drug abuse and I encourage my fellow lawmakers to join Justice Fischer in his call for expanding treatment options. I believe incarcerating a person who has fallen victim to drug abuse does not help the individual or their communities.
With pride, Justice Fischer also acknowledged Missouri for encouraging innovation and technology initiatives in the court system. In 2010, Missouri was the first state to adopt the Uniform Bar Exam, which allows students to transfer their scores across state borders in order to be licensed to practice in other states. In the past eight years, there has been 22 other states who have followed suit. In addition, Missouri ranks third internationally for our statewide case management system called CASE.NET. Missouri’s dedication to its court system speaks volumes to the level of professionalism and commitment our public servants have for raising the bar for efficiency in state government. It is my honor to serve as a senator in this great state and I applaud all efforts to keep Missouri on track to be successful in these areas.
As bills and proposals move through the legislative process, you can track specific legislation by visiting the Senate Calendar. For information about committees or sponsored legislation for the 2018 session, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Cierpiot. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office in Jefferson City at (573)751-1464.
# # #