Nodler: A New Legislative Session Begins

On January 6^th, the Second Regular Session of the 95^th General Assembly officially began.  Due to term limits, this will be my final session serving the 32^nd District in the Missouri Senate.  It has truly been an honor to serve the citizens of Dade, Newton, and Jasper counties, and I am looking forward to the progress I can make in my final year in the Senate.

Preparation for the 2010 legislative session has been going on for quite some time and many of my colleagues chose to prefile bills, a process that began on Dec. 1^st.  This year, 155 Senate Bills were prefiled.  These bills provide a glimpse at some of the legislative priorities that are sure to be debated this year.  I prefiled several pieces of legislation including bills:

Protecting States’ Rights— this year, I filed Senate Bill 587, an important piece of legislation to ensure that the federal government does not violate the rights of our state.  Voters would be able to approve the creation of “The Tenth Amendment Commission,” a panel that would alert the attorney general in any case when the federal government takes steps that require the state to enact or enforce a provision of federal law that lies outside Congress’s power.  The rights of the states are a fundamental part of the foundation of our country, and Missouri needs to make sure that we protect this freedom.

The commission would be made up of four lawmakers appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem and Speaker of the House and two citizens appointed by the governor.  The seventh member would be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  These seven members would refer any cases of 10^th Amendment violations to the attorney general, who would then be authorized to seek appropriate action to preserve our state’s sovereignty.

Barring All Felons from Public Office— I filed a bill this year to fix a loophole in Missouri’s election law.  Current regulations state that any person who commits a felony in this state is ineligible to run for public office. However, the law does not specify that such a crime committed in another state would also disqualify a candidate.  Under Senate Bill 589, this stipulation would be clarified by specifically stating that those who commit a felony in Missouri or commit a crime in another jurisdiction that would be considered a felony in Missouri, would be barred from qualifying as candidates for holding public office. It is important that we close this loophole that now allows felons onto the ballot—a place reserved for law-abiding citizens in our state.

This year is sure to be a challenging one, with economic factors making the budget process particularly complicated.  Much of the discussion on the floor is sure to focus on Missouri’s financial situation and finding ways to fund vital services while keeping within our fiscal constraints.  I will continue to keep you posted on these and other issues throughout the legislative session.