The Legislature had a busy week as committees began meeting and bills continue to be drafted and filed. 

I filed two bills this week, one of which is sure to occupy much of my time this Session.  My bill will authorize the issuance of approximately $600 million in bonds to pay for maintenance and repairs to state buildings that has been deferred to the point of posing a danger.  Fulton State Hospital and the Capitol are two examples of our biggest problems.  Without quick action they will continue to deteriorate, resulting in higher utility costs, lost productivity, and more expensive repairs in the future.  We have an obligation to preserve public buildings of historic significance and also provide a safe workplace for essential functions of government.  Caring for the mentally ill is one of those essential functions.

Although they have risen slightly, interest rates are still very low and this would be a good time to take advantage of this opportunity.  In addition, our state has an excellent bond rating, and investors quickly purchase Missouri bonds when they are offered.  I want to only use this bonding authority to pay for deferred maintenance, not new construction.  I believe we first need to take care of what we already have before we spend tax dollars on any new buildings.  The challenge is going to be keeping this bill from being loaded up with everyone’s pet project as it makes its way through the process.

Another bill I filed this week will protect law enforcement and other public officials from being the victims of fraudulent liens.  The ability for citizens to file liens on property when they are owed a debt is important, but under current state law it is too easy for anyone to file a lien on someone out of spite even when no debt is owed.  Even though these types of liens are baseless, they are still legally filed and require significant time and effort to remove.  My legislation is similar to a federal law passed in 2008 in response to the Montana Freemen standoff.  In that situation, members of the organization filed multimillion dollar liens against homes and other property of federal judges.

I look forward to working for you and with you in the coming year.  Please do not hesitate to contact me on issues you think are important or if we can be of any assistance to you.