This past session, Missouri’s energy challenges and the public policy surrounding these challenges were once again at the forefront. The cost and availability of energy impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, therefore we must work to develop solutions today so that we are able to meet the growing demands of the future. If we fail to develop a comprehensive plan for affordable energy, emerging trends in both production and consumption may lead to detrimental impacts on our state’s economic health and prosperity.
The global demand for energy has exploded. As Asia and other parts of the world continue to become more industrialized, their energy consumption continues to increase dramatically. As this worldwide demand grows, the price of energy generation grows which underscores the need for Americans to achieve greater energy independence. Currently, we meet the majority of our energy needs through the burning of fossil fuels. This traditional source of power has been highly reliable at relatively affordable prices. As we move forward, these traditional methods are expected to become more costly, thereby motivating us to utilize a more balanced energy portfolio.
In northwest Missouri, these emerging technologies have become a new source of jobs and revenue to our local economies. While wind and solar-generated power are currently more expensive to produce than traditional sources of energy, continued development and innovation in these areas will allow them to meet a larger portion of our energy demand in the future. At the same time, we must continue working to be more efficient with our energy consumption thereby making it easier to meet our base load demand.
As we move forward, we must continue working to lessen our independence on outside sources while fully utilizing the production resources that maintain the lowest rates possible. There is no quick or easy solution to this complex problem. However, with careful planning and a firm commitment, we will develop a strategy that ensures reliable and affordable energy for Missouri’s homes, businesses and future.
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.
Showing posts with label Capitol Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capitol Report. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Capitol Report for February 16th, 2011
Improving Our Judicial System
Nations around the world admire the constitutional processes of the United States. At the cornerstone of our Constitution is the process by which the three branches of government work together to uphold the rule of law. This adherence to the rule of law combined with the appropriate checks and balances ensures a fair and balanced structure.
This past week, Chief Justice Ray Price of the Missouri Supreme Court addressed a joint session of the General Assembly during the annual State of the Judiciary Address. During his speech, Chief Justice Price addressed many troubling statistics from within our prison system which signal the need for reform. For example, nearly sixty percent of those released from our state prisons end up back in the system within five years. This high rate of recidivism underscores the need for improvements to our criminal justice system and the current way we manage offenders. It is time for the legislative branch and the judicial branch to work together to design a criminal justice system that produces better results for the people of our state.
Another area of Missouri law needing rebalanced is in the area of nuisance lawsuits. No industry can ensure long term sustainability in an unjust and unfair legal environment. When this imbalance occurs, it is imperative that a reasonable and responsible solution is found so that a fair and appropriate balance can be re-established. Last week, the senate ag committee had a hearing on Senate Bill 187. SB187 attempts to balance the rights of Missouri’s agricultural producers with those of neighboring landowners. As agriculture production has evolved in both size and scope, it has created real challenges in many of our rural communities. While everyone is entitled to their day in court and should be compensated if their property is negatively impacted, opportunistic out of state lawyers have built a business model on bringing unfair and unreasonable lawsuits against Missouri farmers. If left unchecked, we will continue to weaken Missouri agriculture and the economic prosperity that it supports. We must find a reasonable balance that affords affected landowners their day in court while enacting reasonable parameters to address their complaints.
As I listened to the State of the Judiciary address and watched the hearing of SB 187, I was reminded of the great gifts we have been given by our founding fathers, and the responsibility we have to ensure that future generations understand, respect, and carry on our nation’s self-governance. Although the solutions are not always easy and the degree of fairness is often in the eye of the beholder, we are blessed to have a governmental process that allows for a rebalance when the scale begins to lean. It is this process of rebalancing that ensures a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
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.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Brad Lager's Capitol Report for January 26th, 2011
State of the State - 2011
Pursuant to Missouri’s Constitution, Governor Jay Nixon addressed a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly last week as he delivered the 2011 State of the State Address. As is customary, Governor Nixon put forth his budget proposal for the upcoming year. As expected, there are many difficult days and tough decisions ahead as we work to formulate the fiscal year 2012 budget.
The current budget, FY2011, relies on approximately $900 million of one-time money to fund on-going programs, and although the Governor took steps to reduce this amount, he is still depending on approximately $300 million in one-time money to pay for ongoing programs. This practice simply postpones making the tough decisions necessary to truly balance government spending with current revenues. While this approach seems acceptable to many in Jefferson City, I feel this is an irresponsible budgeting practice. I believe that we must have a solid foundation in place if we are going to create long term sustainable growth, and this foundation begins with sound fiscal health. As long as we continue to limp along using these poor budgeting practices, we are prolonging unhealthy symptoms instead of curing the cold.
As a state, we have to start looking long-term and asking ourselves what fundamental changes we must make now in order to achieve long term economic growth. Without a plan or long term vision, we are simply stuck in neutral instead of moving forward. To escape this stagnation, we must reevaluate every aspect of our state government and determine our path for the future.
Although the State of the State marks the starting point of the annual budget process, the real work begins now as the House and Senate begin the legislative budget process. I will continue to fight for a budget that makes education our top priority, protects those citizens in our state with the greatest need, and spends taxpayer dollars in way that reflects the priorities of Missouri’s citizens. I will also work to promote a long-term approach to responsible public policy that puts Missouri back on a path to prosperity. This will not happen overnight, but with sound fiscal policy and a focus on long term growth, I firmly believe we can better our government, better our economy, better our state, and better our quality of life.
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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Capitol Report for April 21st, 2010
Keeping our Financial Commitments
by State Senator Brad Lager (R-12)
Last week, the Senate finalized its version of the fiscal year 2011 budget. I am proud to report that the Senate concurred with the House in making education funding our top budget priority. Through the end of March, the state of Missouri is experiencing a 12% decline in revenue, and although many difficult decisions were made to balance the budget, we were able to protect the funding for elementary and secondary education. We were also successful in funding the Career ladder program which compensates teachers for extra work that is above and beyond their normal duties. While funding for future years remains in question, we have kept our commitment to pay for the work that has already been completed. We were also successful in keeping the Parents as Teachers program alive. The monies allocated for this program will be focused on students that are at a higher risk of falling behind early in their educational achievement while allowing non-high risk students to participate for a nominal fee. Finally, we were able to maintain higher education funding at a level that ensures Missouri’s universities and colleges will not seek tuition increases this year. I firmly believe that a higher level of educational attainment by our students is vital to strengthening our economy and improving our quality of life. By working to ensure our higher educational institutions are affordable, we are providing a better opportunity for Missouri’s working families to help their children achieve this goal.
The task of determining how to spend the people’s money is a tremendous responsibility. It is the most important duty of state legislators, and I believe the manner in which we allocate public funds essentially defines our priorities as a state. In this difficult budget year, I am pleased that the Senate maintained its commitment to education. Missouri’s taxpayers work hard everyday and we must always use their money in a responsible manner. By bringing fiscal responsibility, accountability, and transparency to the budgeting process, we will be successful in funding our most essential services while maintaining our commitment to Missouri’s citizens and taxpayers.
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 429, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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