After a couple of weeks traveling out of state for both business and pleasure, it is nice to be back in Missouri. The wooded hills of the Northeast are beautiful this time of year. The leaves come alive in an array of bright colors and the picturesque view of the small fishing villages on the coast of Maine bring images of a time past. We saw beautiful scenery and different livelihoods as we visited another part of our diverse country but I am always glad to be home where Northwest Missouri offers a beauty of its own. Some of the brightest tree colors that I have seen are a couple of blocks from my home and the rolling hills with recently harvested crops have a serenity of their own. Most of you have heard me say that there is nowhere in the world that I would rather live than right here in Northwest Missouri and even though traveling is exciting there are no more comforting words than “Welcome to Kansas City” when your airplane touches down and you are almost home.
The “Special Session” that was called by the Governor to pass some economic development initiatives is officially over and even though the legislative body did not come to agreement on some of the proposed topics, the session was not a complete loss. Two bills were passed and signed by the Governor. One is a powerful economic development tool that will help Missouri attract high-tech and life sciences businesses to our state. The Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA) will create a funding source to fuel new growth in the fields of science and technology. MOSIRA was meant to supplement the primary jobs package but it does offer a significant economic development tool on its own.
The other bill passed during the session is what has commonly been referred to as the “Facebook Fix.” The fix will protect the ability of teachers to have appropriate online communications with students. This fixes the unintended consequences that resulted from a previous bill that was meant to prohibit improper communications but put all communications into question.
The lack of agreements did, however, stop some initiatives, leaving them unaddressed until our next regular session. The House had passed bills to move Missouri’s presidential primary, create a period of tax amnesty for Missourians who have fallen behind on their taxes, provide an avenue for disaster relief funding to areas of the state devastated by severe weather and flooding and return control of the St. Louis Police Department to the City of St. Louis. These are issues that impact our state and need serious consideration.
There will be continued speculation on the success and necessity of this “Special Session.” I was sometimes frustrated and disappointed, however, the process is difficult and disagreement often times means that further scrutiny and negotiation is needed to come up with the best solution. Maybe it is better to pass less legislation than to pass legislation that is not the “best” thing for our state.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 401B State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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