Senator Mike Bernskoetter

6th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: 

March 28, 2025

Capitol Building, Room 416

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Contact Kenny Ross: 

 573-751-2076

The Final Eight Weeks of Session

With Spring Break ending, the General Assembly is back in action doing the people’s work for the last half of session. With only eight weeks until adjournment in mid-May, there is still a lot of important work to get done, and I am excited to represent the people of the 6th Senatorial District.

The most important item left to do this session is pass the state budget. Every year the General Assembly must appropriate the funds for the state government to use in the following fiscal year. This is a monumental task entailing months of committee hearings and presentations to the Appropriations Committee before the full budget is even heard on the Senate floor for debate and passage.

Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars must be allocated in a fair and equitable way. The priorities and responsibilities of the state must be balanced against each other to ensure all vital functions of the government are funded. The one pledge I can make to you is we will pass a balanced budget as required by the Missouri Constitution. I am so proud of the fact that is a requirement we must hold to. The state can only spend the money that we have, and we cannot go into deficit spending like the federal government. 

Another priority in the second half of session is improving Missouri’s educational system. I support and believe in the many teachers across the state that work so hard for their students, but we must always push for greater outcomes in education. The future of our state relies on an excellent system, and I am hopeful we can continue to work on legislation this session to improve education.

In addition, the General Assembly must always work toward legislation that protects life in Missouri. In light of the passage of Amendment 3, Missouri has become an open state for abortions. The protections and regulations that have been put in place over the past 20 years no longer exist, and the important work of putting these safe guards back in place must be restarted.

Finally, I am supportive of continued efforts to reform the state’s tax system. I believe this is a delicate process that must be thought through in order to establish a well-balanced approach that will maintain funding for important state services while also putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking Missourians. I believe this will take a lot of hard-work and discussion to make a reality but I am excited to move toward a new tax system.

The final eight weeks will be busy as the Missouri Senate returns to do the people’s work, but I am excited to continue representing you in the General Assembly.

Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.