JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, Missouri Senate and House leaders called for public hearings to investigate the continued encroachment by the federal government by executive orders and regulations written by unelected Washington bureaucrats.

Senate Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, and House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, have called the Joint Committee on Government Accountability to investigate this federal overreach upon areas delegated to the states under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The committee, led by Chairman Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, and Vice Chairwoman Rep. Kathie Conway, R-St. Charles, will delve into the thousands of new regulations federal agencies have promulgated in recent months and report back to the General Assembly.

“Our forefathers created a system of checks and balances, giving certain responsibilities to the states and others to the federal government,” said Dempsey. “In recent years, we have seen many examples of the federal government overreaching into areas clearly within the states’ sphere of responsibility. We can either maintain a vibrant Republic where individual liberties flourish and sacred rights are preserved, or fall further into a more regulated form of government where every move is monitored.”

“A decision by officials in the state of Missouri to implement federal regulations that lack legal authority and violate Missouri law is a matter of particular concern,” said Richardson. “Private property rights and the right to bear arms are sacred in this nation. An extreme agenda pushed by federal bureaucrats under the guise of air and water regulations demands a response by the people’s elected representatives.”

 “Our freedoms and liberties are under assault from federal regulations, written by unelected bureaucrats in Washington who are pushing their own agenda without the participation of the American people or the approval of Congress,” said Schaefer. “Now we learn of a shocking plan for federal authorities to greatly infringe the right of vulnerable senior citizens.”

Senate Leader Dempsey and House Speaker Richardson said the committee will also examine whether any of Missouri’s executive departments or officials are working to implement any federal regulations without legal authority.

“We live in a society that is based on the right of the individual to participate in his or her own government,” said Conway. “There is a concern that many of these new regulations actually violate Missouri’s Constitution and statutes, greatly infringing on the liberties of Missouri citizens.”

The official call to the Joint Committee on Government Accountability is outlined in the attached letter. Senate Leader Dempsey and House Speaker Richardson said they expect the committee to hold its first hearing in the coming weeks with a report due by Dec. 15, 2015.

Attachment: Letter to Joint Committee on Government Accountability