The Appropriations Committee continued hearings this week, receiving testimony from the Departments of Public Safety, Transportation, Corrections, Conservation, and Elementary & Secondary Education. It is the goal of the committee to hear from all of the agencies by the end of February.

I was happy to present two appointees to the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee this week: David Murphy and Brian Jamison. The governor suggested the appointment of Brian Jamison to the Missouri Gaming Commission and David Murphy to the Conservation Commission.

One of the pieces of Legislation I filed last week is Senate Bill 352 which creates the Missouri Criminal Enterprise Act. This act permits the attorney general to institute civil and criminal proceedings to combat criminal enterprises and racketeering. Missouri needs to join the other 33 states that maintain and enforce similar laws. Organized crime within Missouri has no place in this day in age and it is our duty to prevent it from gaining a further foothold.

I filed Senate Concurrent Resolution 14, which recognizes the benefits of motorcycle and scooter use for transportation and establishes the third Monday of June as Ride to Work Day in Missouri.

Senate Bill 110 will be reviewed by the Education Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. Last week the Senate discussed House Committee for Substitute House Concurrent Resolutions 3 & 4, which rejected the salary recommendations of the Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials. The Citizens' Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials reviews compensation for state elected officials every two years, and this year the Committee proposed an 8 percent increase in the yearly salary of all elected officials of the state of Missouri.

The increase suggested by the MCCCEO automatically goes into effect if they are not denied by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Assembly. As the deadline of Thursday, Jan. 29 to vote down the unnecessary pay raise drew nearer, certain members of the Missouri Senate stood to speak on the proposal – attempting to delay a vote on the matters. Senator Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joesph, however, proposed a measure to stop debate and immediately call for a vote called a P.Q., or a motion of Previous Question. This action requires five signatures to go into effect. To display my opposition to the pay increase. I signed the PQ, as it is unjustifiable for elected officials to consider a pay raise when other state employees have not received a significant pay raise in years. House Committee Substitute for House Concurrent Resolutions 3 & 4 were passed by the Missouri Senate on Thursday, Jan. 29, blocking the pay raise for state elected officials.

I had the honor of sitting down with recently retired United States Sen. Tom Coburn. Senator Coburn served in both the United States House of Representatives and Senate over the past 20 years.

I also had the opportunity to meet Miss Sonya Hu, a current student at Rock Bridge High School. Miss Hu received a state medal at National History Day in Missouri and served as a delegate to the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest where she earned a second-place finish.

Thank you for your interest in the issues that affect the citizens of Boone and Cooper counties.  If you have any questions or concerns throughout this session, or plan on coming by the Capitol, please contact my office at
(573) 751-3931.

Did you know...?
The chandelier hanging in center of the Capitol suspends from a chain approximately 90 feet long and weighs 9,000 pounds. It is lowered only once a year to change all 29 light bulbs and to clean and polish the fixtures.