Week of January 22, 2024

Fighting for the Voice of the People

Greetings! Adversity comes before every great victory, and that is never truer than as someone working within the Missouri Senate.

This week I was met with bitter news. I was unexpectedly removed as the Chair for the Committee on Economic Development and Tax Policy during a press conference held on Jan. 23, 2024. I was also removed from the Appropriations Committee. From what I understand this was not due to a failure to fulfill my duties as a chair or committee member. Rather, it seems to relate to the use of certain strategies used on the Senate Floor to pass initiative petition (IP) reform. It also comes after I voted alone against Senate Bill 748, which extends Missouri’s law relating to the federal reimbursement allowance (FRA). 

Removing a senator from their position as chair hasn’t occurred during session in over a decade, and it is completely unheard of in our Senate’s history for a group of senators to lose their positions as committee chairs all at once. In a more comical development, they also moved my parking spot further away. I’ve heard leadership discussed removing my office furniture as well. Unfortunately, you can’t make this stuff up folks.

On top of that, these decisions were made without any attempts to compromise or discuss solutions directly with me, and I can’t help but feel it is a punitive action meant to try and silence me as I work to bring my conservative ideals, and the ideals of my constituents, to the forefront of the discussion on the Senate Floor. 

Despite this, I will remain steadfast in pushing for the immediate discussion and passing of IP reform on the Senate floor. IP reform is a priority of conservatives throughout the state and I will do everything in my power to make sure it is a priority here in the Senate Chamber. We cannot wait until the last day of session to pass IP reform like we have previously.

I hope to open negotiations with my colleagues to help us all move forward in our work.

In other news, the governor addressed both the House and Senate on Jan. 24 to deliver his final State of the State Address. He shared many of the different successes the state government has accomplished here in Missouri. One accomplishment which is particularly dear to me, is Missouri has gone from having 8,000 elective abortions annually to zero. Another is the creation of over 110,000 jobs and reduction of Missourians’ income tax burden by over 20 percent. I am proud of the work I have devoted both in the General Assembly and out of it to accomplish these milestones in Missouri’s history.

I will continue to work on pushing my bills through committee and will update you on the progress we make in the General Assembly.