Sen. Lamping and Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, during the Senate Opening Day Ceremony held on
Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.

Sen. Lamping and family enjoy the 2013 Inaugural Ball held on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, in the Capitol Rotunda.

Sen. Lamping, his wife Caryn and daughters Emma and Shelby.

Sen. Lamping meets with Dawn Kennedy, Marc Levinson, Evren Senol and Tom Kennedy from the Missouri Association of REALTORS (MAR) and the St. Louis Association of REALTORS (SLAR).

Click on images above for a full resolution photograph.

Greetings from Jefferson City!

I am happy to announce that the 2013 legislative session is underway.  Last Wednesday, the Senate gathered for the swearing-in of our newly elected senators as well as those that were re-elected to the body.  During that gathering, the Senate also confirmed its leadership team for the session.  Senator Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, was sworn in as the Pro Tem of the Senate.  I look forward to Sen. Dempsey’s leadership this session and am hopeful that we will be able to accomplish a great deal.

On Monday, legislators took part in the inaugural ceremonies for our statewide elected officials.  Those festivities included an inaugural ball. I had the opportunity to welcome my wife and some of our children to the Capitol.  It was nice to see so many friends in the building that evening.

Bright and early Tuesday morning, several senators gathered for a meeting of the Senate Seniors, Families and Pensions Committee, of which I will serve as chair for the 2013-2014 sessions.  I am very honored to lead such an important committee and to work with the great team of senators who will serve on the committee.

During the hearing we had an opportunity to hear several pieces of legislation I filed this session.  Those of you who followed the 2012 session may remember a bill I filed at that time that would prohibit the race or ethnicity of the adoptive child, the child's biological parents or the prospective adoptive parents to be used as a consideration when determining the best interests of the child, the welfare of the child, the suitability or assessment of prospective adoptive parents or the home of the prospective adoptive parents in adoptive placements.  As an adoptive parent myself, I believe it is very important that we remove limitations on the adoption process that might unnecessarily delay an adoption.  I feel the legislation I refiled this session (SB 48) does just that.

The committee also heard a second bill I sponsored pertaining to adoption.  That bill, Senate Bill 47, modifies the definition of "relative" as it relates to the placement of children in foster care to mean any grandparent or any other person related to another by blood, affinity or any other non-related person whose life is so intermingled with the child that the relationship is similar to a family relationship. This idea of subsidized guardianship has developed, in large part, as a permanency option for the growing number of children currently raised by grandparents and other relatives, some of whom already may be caring for the children as foster parents.  It can provide permanence to children in otherwise informal kin arrangements and avoid the unnecessary use of agency and court resources.

The final bill the committee heard was a measure pertaining to service dogs (SB 33).  Many of you may remember this bill from the 2012 legislative session.  This legislation was brought to my attention by a fellow member of a church I attended in St. Louis.  The bill would allow individuals with mental disabilities to be accompanied by a guide, hearing, or service dog in public places.  Committee members had an opportunity to hear from several individuals, including one living with P.T.S.D. and one on the autism spectrum. These citizens' lives have greatly improved by having service dogs available to assist them in their daily activities. This bill was amended on to other legislation last session, which carried it through the Senate and to the House where it unfortunately was not brought up for discussion.  I am hopeful that we can get this bill to the House Chamber early this session to ensure its passage.  I believe the passage of this legislation would greatly improve the lives of many Missourians.

Aside from our work in committee this week, I also had the pleasure of meeting with several constituents from the St. Louis area.  On Tuesday, members of the Missouri Association of REALTORS and the St. Louis Association of REALTORS visited my office for their lobby day.  I enjoyed the opportunity to sit and chat with them about their priorities for the 2013 legislative session.  I also had the pleasure of visiting with a constituent from the Maryland Heights Parks Department and another individual who visited with me to further discuss our interim work on the Senate Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigration.  

This Immigration Panel was one of my major projects during the interim. Last session I asked the Pro Tem of the Senate to create this panel to give the Senate an opportunity to survey the environment for immigration issues in Missouri.  The panel consists of five senators and met three times during the interim in St. Louis, Kansas City and Jefferson City. I am very grateful for the commitment of those senators to travel across the state for meetings and believe each gained a better sense of the immigrant population in Missouri, how that population views the state, and finally, the potential economic and cultural impact that immigrants bring to our communities.  The committee intends to release a summary of its findings later this month.

Next week will be a short week in the Missouri Senate as we will observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Monday.  As a result, the Senate will not reconvene until Tuesday afternoon.  Though it will be a short week, I will make a big announcement about how you can stay up-to-date with the happenings of the Senate and in particular my work on behalf of the citizens of the 24th District this session.  Please remember to read my column next week for more information.  Until then, best wishes for a great weekend.