The Missouri Senate is turning its attention to economic development. More specifically, the focus is on keeping existing businesses in the state and showing how attractive the Show-Me State can be to those business owners who are considering relocating.

Among the issues we are discussing this session is the Second Injury Fund. This fund dates back to World War II, and pays claims when a work-related injury combines with an employee’s prior disability to create an increased disability. Unfortunately, the Second Injury Fund has become insolvent over the past several years. The fund has approximately $3 million in cash on-hand, but also has $28 million in unpaid obligations.

A proposal in the Missouri Senate (Senate Bill 1) would raise the surcharge employers pay to the fund, from 3 to 4.5 percent. Getting the Second Injury Fund back on track would give employers and employees alike piece of mind.

In other news, I was busy this week presenting bills in committee. The bill that garnered the most attention was:

• Senate Bill 150, which would declare certain federal firearm laws unenforceable and makes it a crime for public officers, agents, employees and licensed firearms dealers to enforce such laws (Senate General Laws Committee).

Committee hearings will continue throughout the session, and we have started debating bills on the Missouri Senate floor. I will keep you apprised of progress in my weekly columns.

We are about a month into the 2013 legislative session, and we are happy to see more people at our Jefferson City office. In fact, we have a couple of groups who have planned visits in the near future. I would remind you, if you would like to come by Jefferson City at some point, to please remember to call our office in advance. You can make an appointment, or just let us know when events are happening in your hometown or county that you would like to share with others in our community. I always enjoy visiting with people from the district, especially those who are new to the 18th Senatorial District.

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