Legislative Column for the Week of Jan. 11, 2021
The First Regular Session of the 101st General Assembly began on Jan. 6, 2021. On the opening day of the 2021 legislative session, I took the oath of office to become the state senator for Missouri’s 9th Senatorial District, which includes a portion of Jackson County. I am honored to join the General Assembly’s upper chamber after three years in the Missouri House of Representatives and to continue working to move our state forward in a time when we are facing a pandemic that is responsible for over 385,000 deaths in the United States alone.
This week, members of both chambers of the General Assembly came together to observe the inauguration of the governor and other statewide officials. It also served to kick-off Missouri’s bicentennial year. Over the past 200 years of statehood, Missouri has seen its ups and downs, but I believe we’ve always seized the moment and found the strength and perseverance to overcome even the most troubling of times.
Committee assignments were also announced this week, and as such, I will serve on the following Senate committees:
- Appropriations, which drafts the Senate’s version of the state’s operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year;
- Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources, which oversees bills dealing with both urban and rural agricultural policies and the great outdoors;
- Health and Pensions, which considers legislation covering public health and MO HealthNet, our state’s Medicaid program;
- Professional Registration, which reviews legislation regarding professional licensing and certification; and
- Small Business and Industry, which considers legislation regarding the ownership and operation of small businesses and a range of labor and employment policies.
I look forward to embarking upon my newly elected position as Senator to continue the work I began in the House, advocating for a platform that will serve the people of the 9th District as well as the state of Missouri.
Thank you for your vote of confidence to serve the people of the 9th District in the Missouri Senate. In an effort to keep you up-to-date with my legislation or other proposed legislation, please feel free to visit my website at senate.mo.gov/Washington. I appreciate your active interest in your community and encourage your participation in the legislative process. Should you need assistance with state matters, please feel free to contact my office (573) 751-3158.
Senator Washington’s Sponsored Legislation for 2021
| Bill Number | Description | Status |
| Senate Bill 82 | Authorizes a tax credit for urban farms located in a food desert | Second read and referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee |
| Senate Bill 83 | Designates the third week of September as “Historically Black College and University Week” in Missouri | Second read and referred to Senate Education Committee |
| Senate Bill 84 | Authorizes a tax credit for the purchase of certain homes | Second read and referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee |
| Senate Bill 145 | Creates new provisions of law relating to discriminatory practices | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Bill 146 | Modifies provisions relating to landlord- tenant actions | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Bill 147 | Modifies provisions relating to tax increment financing | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Bill 189 | Creates a Negro Leagues Baseball Museum special license plate | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Bill 190 | Creates provisions relating to expungement for certain marijuana offenses | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Bill 191 | Creates new provisions relating to the counting of inmates for the purpose of redistricting | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Bill 357 | Modifies provisions relating to medical marijuana program participants in family court matters | First read in the Senate |
| Senate Joint Resolution 17 | Places limits on increases of the assessment of certain properties | First read in the Senate |