Brad Lager's Capitol Report -- Making Missouri Business Friendly

Since the summer of 2008, Missouri has lost more than 80,000 jobs. One of the main reasons many employers have given for cutting Missouri based jobs is the inequities found in Missouri's business climate. The impacts from these erroneous rules, regulations and laws are driving up the cost of doing business in Missouri, and as a result, businesses are closing their Missouri doors and moving to other states.

Unfortunately, our state is not competitive when it comes to job creation. Over the past decade, Missouri’s economy has grown at the third slowest rate in our nation. In 2010, Missouri ranked 48^th out of 50 in job creation. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Missouri’s net growth in employment (month to month) currently ranks 49^th out of the 50 states. This is unacceptable and this trend must change.

The agenda for the upcoming session is comprehensive but clear. We will work to grow our economy and foster good paying jobs in our state. We will work to reduce the excessive regulatory burdens placed upon our small business owners, and we will address the unfair rules and laws that are driving employers out of our state. By reducing the regulatory burdens, increasing the entrepreneurial opportunities, and demanding a fiscally responsible government, we will create an environment that fosters job creation and job expansion.

If Missouri is going to recover from these difficult times, we must stop driving jobs out of our state. We must have a business climate that embraces innovators and entrepreneurs. By growing jobs, we will grow our economy. By growing our economy, we will generate more tax revenue. By generating more revenue we will be able to support our state government’s fundamental responsibilities of educating Missouri’s children, building roads, providing public safety and taking care of our most vulnerable. As elected officials, we must find solutions to these problems, so we can expand Missouri’s business community, create more jobs, and put the Missouri economy on the road to recovery.

As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 422, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.