Lawmakers Return for the Start of the 2020 Legislative Session
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, my colleagues and I returned to Jefferson City to begin the legislative session. As I walked the quiet halls before the crowds of press and staff arrived, I couldn’t help but feel proud of the incredible accomplishments we’ve made together.
In the past three years, my colleagues and I have kept taxes low by balancing the budget, paying down debts and enacting smart, commonsense reforms across state government. We fully funded our public school foundation formula for the first time in history. We cleared a backlog of critical bridge repairs and expedited nearly $1 billion in transportation improvements without raising taxes. We overhauled our economic incentives to focus on building up Missouri workers and their families. And we championed some of the strongest pro-life protections in America.
In this new year, we will continue to fight to keep Missouri moving in the right direction. Tackling critical issues like public safety, transportation, workforce development and redistricting are among our top priorities.
Personally, I’ll be carrying several bills relating to public safety and illegal gaming. The first, Senate Bill 558, would expand the pool of qualified police applicants for St. Louis by lifting city residency requirements. Those requirements may have been well-intentioned when enacted, but today they serve only as a roadblock to putting more cops on the streets. This year alone, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) is short 150 officers, which is why the attorney general, the mayor of St. Louis and the SLMPD chief have all asked me to help address this serious shortfall.
The second bill, Senate Bill 557, would definitively outlaw the unregulated video gambling machines (VLTs) proliferating across the state at many gas stations and truck stops. Missouri voters have clearly and consistently said at the ballot box that they want strict regulations on gambling—and they want the proceeds to go to education. The Missouri Gaming Commission has ruled these VLTs are illegal under state law and, since they are not a part of the legal gambling landscape, are not delivering dollars to education. Additionally, the Missouri Lottery has testified that when these unregulated machines show up, lottery revenues for our local schools go down. I believe we cannot allow these greedy VLT operators to continue to flout the law and siphon precious resources away from our kids.
As we begin a new decade, I’m excited for the future of this great state. It’s fitting that the phrase “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” appears on our Great Seal—we’ve accomplished so much and we will continue to do so because we stand together.
It is an honor to serve you in the Missouri Senate. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (573) 751-3678 or by email at dave.schatz@senate.mo.gov if you have any questions or concerns — we are honored to serve you.