The Session Begins

The 2023 legislative session continued into its second week with the announcement of committee assignments for all members of the Senate. I’m happy to report I’ve been selected to chair the Committee on General Laws. I will also serve as vice chair of the Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee and as a member of three other committees: the Committee on Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources; the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment; and the Committee on Administration.

Although the session just got underway, we’ve already had nearly 500 separate pieces of legislation introduced in the Senate. Many of these bills and resolutions were pre-filed in December and more are offered in the chamber each day. Now that committees are set, we can begin holding hearings and taking testimony from citizens and organizations affected by the legislation. That process could begin as early as next week.

Next week, we have a state holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and also the governor’s State of the State Address on Wednesday. This speech is delivered before a joint session of the House and Senate and is usually livestreamed on the internet. The governor will lay out his priorities for the coming year and give us a sense of his budget requests. In a press release issued his week, he announced he’ll ask for a sizable cost of living adjustment in state workers’ pay. With more than 7,000 open positions in state government, the governor said it’s time to do something to help recruit and retain employees. The Legislature will have to approve any pay raise, of course, so we’ll be looking at the governor’s plan carefully. I’ll be sure to update you on this proposal and the other news coming out of the governor’s speech in a future report.

As always, it is an honor to serve the 6th Senatorial District. If my office can be service to you, please feel free to contact us 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.