District Happenings
With the governor’s extraordinary session scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 9, and the annual veto session getting underway on Sept. 11, the entire General Assembly will soon convene for the first time since the end of the regular session in May. It will be great to be back at the Capitol and reconnect with my colleagues.
The past month has been a whirlwind of activity in the district, as I’ve met with community groups and attended various functions throughout Platte and Buchanan counties.
At the beginning of August I had the pleasure of welcoming the lieutenant governor to the campus of Missouri Western State University to watch the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for another winning season. While visiting training camp, we were honored to meet with retired Chiefs safety and 1987 NFL Man of the Year Deron Cherry. What a great thrill it is to have Missouri’s only NFL team so close to fans during their pre-season practice.
On Aug. 12, I attended a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony at Hopewell Elementary School, the newest addition to the Parkhill School District. It’s a beautiful facility. Congratulations to Hopewell Principal Dr. Melissa Hensley, Parkhill Superintendent Dr. Jeanette Cowherd and all the members of the Parkhill Board of Education.
The next day, the governors of Missouri and Kansas signed a truce in a long-running economic border war between the two states. I was proud to be a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 182, which puts an end to the destructive and costly use of taxpayer incentives to entice companies to cross the state line in a way that doesn’t add to the economic development of either state.
Later that same week, I traveled to Sedalia to attend the Missouri State Fair. It was a beautiful morning as agricultural leaders, legislators and citizens from all across the state gathered for the annual Governor’s Ham Breakfast on the grounds of the State Fair. It was fun catching up with many friends from back home and around the state. It was also great to tour the fairgrounds and see the best that Missouri agriculture has to offer.
It was a treat to join Northwest Health Services as it hosted a community cook-out at the Northwest Behavioral and Dental Clinic in St. Joseph. Northwest Health is a not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center serving 15 counties in northwest Missouri. I’m grateful for the hard work and sacrifice of their staff. They do important work — providing access to health care to underserved areas and vulnerable populations in my district. It was a pleasure speaking to the dedicated staff at their cookout.
It is my great honor to represent the citizens of Platte and Buchanan counties in the Missouri Senate. Please contact my office at 573-751-2183, or visit www.senate.mo.gov/luetkemeyer.