JEFFERSON CITY — Today (8-29), Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, announced an organizational meeting of the new Joint Committee on the Justice System will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in the Senate Lounge of the State Capitol. At this meeting, the members of the Joint Committee on the Justice System will elect a chair and vice-chair and will discuss plans for the committee during the 2015 legislative session. Senator Dixon sponsored the legislation (Senate Bill 621) establishing the joint committee, which took effect as law on Aug. 28, 2014.    

“This joint committee will play a vital role in preserving the work done this year by the General Assembly with the passage of the new Revised Criminal Code,” stated Sen. Dixon.  “Improving judicial administration, providing greater access to justice, and promoting public safety have been top priorities for me as Senate Judiciary Committee chair. This committee will also serve as a statewide forum to discuss how we can better fulfill these core constitutional functions of state government.”

The thirteen-member committee was formed to review all aspects of the state’s justice system, including the courts, law enforcement, public safety, and correctional institutions, and make recommendations for legislative changes to the General Assembly. It is also charged with the responsibility to maintain the integrity of the recently-passed Revised Criminal Code through a permanent Subcommittee on the Missouri Criminal Code and an Advisory Committee on the Missouri Criminal Code, composed of a representative of the Missouri Supreme Court, the Office of the Attorney General, and other individuals known to be interested in the improvement of the state’s criminal laws.   

The Joint Committee on the Justice System will consist of 10 legislators from both chambers of the General Assembly and three ex officio members from the judicial and executive branches:  Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield; Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia; Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City; Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia; Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale; Rep. Dave Hinson, R-St. Clair; Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis; Rep. Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi; Rep. Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis; Betsy AuBuchon, Deputy Counsel to the Missouri Supreme Court; Assistant Attorney General Julie Tolle; and Darrell Moore, Chief Litigation Counsel to the State Auditor.

For more information on Sen. Dixon’s other committee memberships and legislative work, visit www.senate.mo.gov/dixon.