JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri General Assembly recently wrapped up work on the annual legislative session. Out of 484 Senate Bills and 1033 House Bills introduced by legislators, 164 Senate and House Bills passed. With so many different issues, it is essential legislators hear from those they are elected to represent to know how they feel about the various bills they will be voting on. I know firsthand that Missourians and the people of the 29th Senatorial District have a variety of opinions on a variety of issues. I have always looked at my job as your senator as though I am working for each and every one of you, and hearing from you will allow me to do my job better. To stay informed of the work of the Legislature, it is important Missourians have a simple and convenient way to keep track of the issues they care about and to know how they can be involved or communicate their views with their elected officials. While most cannot make the trek to the State Capitol to witness their government in action and share their concerns with their elected officials directly, there are a number of tools available that allow citizens to stay informed and up to date on issues of interest to them.

The first step to getting or staying informed is to visit the Missouri Senate’s website, www.senate.mo.gov. Once there, you have options available to search legislation. On the Senate home page, on the left hand side, you will see “Search for a Bill.” You can enter the House or Senate bill number, and you will be sent to a page with the link to that bill. Keep in mind that entering the bill number with no spaces (i.e. “SB126” instead of “SB 126”) will be the fastest route to the correct link.

If you don’t know the bill number, but do know the sponsor or handler of the bill, you can move your mouse over the “Senators” tab at the top of page, bringing up a drop down list. The “List of Senators” link will direct you to a page where you can select the senator you are looking for. By clicking on the name, you will be directed to that senator’s website. Hovering over the “Legislation” tab will open a drop down list that will take you to a list of that senator’s bills.

If you don’t know the bill number or the sponsor, the “Legislation” tab on the home page has other options for finding measures. Again, by moving your mouse over the tab, a drop down list will appear. Click on “List of 2013 Senate Bills” for a numerical list. If you know what the bill is about, the “Topical Index” can help you find the legislation for which you are looking. There is also a link detailing the daily action of Senate floor debate and committees in the upper chamber. Other links under the “Legislation” tab include bills that have been passed by both chambers and bill status reports.

For general information, the “Newsroom” offers a weekly recap of Senate work, as well as audio and video links relating to Senate floor debate and bills in committee. The links on the right of the Senate home page include “Live Debate” so you can listen to both the House and Senate when they are in session. Since the current session has ended, this will be something to remember for next year’s legislative session. The “Calendars” link lets you see what is scheduled for floor debate; and to find out what the various Senate committees considered or what bills have been referred to a particular committee, look under the “Committees” link.

If you are interested in visiting Jefferson City, you can find information on your State Capitol, including maps and tour information. I encourage everyone, if possible, to take the opportunity to visit the Capitol, meet their elected officials, see the Legislature in action, and learn some of the great history of our state.