Now that the 2013 legislative session is underway, there are many issues that need to be addressed. Our new Senate President Pro Tem has outlined these needs through what he calls B.I.G. (Build our infrastructure, Invest in education, Grow our economy) solutions.

Missouri should dare to be great, and moving our state forward requires a plan. In order to be great, we must focus on BIG ideas and real-world solutions to the challenges we face. These challenging times demand bold and decisive action. The people we serve are full of desire to succeed and are clamoring for leadership. We must answer the call. We NEED to focus our attention on transformational policies, which will set Missouri apart and place us on a path, both short- and long-term, for large-scale investment and job growth across our entire economy and all its sectors. This will occur when we remove barriers and give people the tools they need to succeed.

Despite the fact we are seeing a slow recovery, Missouri continues to lag far behind where it needs to be in order to be competitive in the global market. Throughout this legislative session, the Missouri Senate will work on a roadmap that will put the Show-Me State on the right path to compete with our surrounding states and other areas of the country, as well as on a global level.

According to the latest data, Missouri ranks 50th in job growth, 31st for competitiveness and third in the number of non-farm job losses. These are not numbers of which to be proud; it is time to turn these statistics around.

For instance, we need to provide more attention to the area of transportation in the Show-Me State. As a result of the economy, we have had to shift focus away from transportation for the past three or four years. This will soon change; it has to.

We have a gas tax in Missouri that is based on consumption. With vehicles that get better mileage, we are seeing declines in revenues meant to go toward our roads. At the same time, Missouri has more miles of state-maintained roads than most other states. In order to help rein in state spending, MoDOT continues to cut its number of employees and equipment. Building infrastructure is one of the best economic tools a state can invest in. We can achieve this by partnering with private industry to keep costs low.

This is only one example of how we will Build, Grow and Invest in our state to make it a true competitor in today’s global market.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Thank you.