Kraus: Comments on the State of the State Address

Each year I have been in the General Assembly, we have had to make tough decisions on the state’s budget. This year, as a member of the Senate Appropriations committee, I will be heavily involved in the budget process, which will include looking for as much as $500 million in cuts. Finding the right cuts and protecting critical programs will be a challenge that requires leadership and determination.

This week, Governor Jay Nixon delivered his State of the State speech and presented his budget to the General Assembly. Based on the Governor’s speech and his submitted budget, it looks like the House and Senate will need to be the ones to look more closely at this year’s budget as the Governor continues to rely on one time federal funds and phantom savings to balance his budget.

Most of the families in the 8^th District have had to tighten their belts over the last few years. Your state government needs to do the same. Many of the easy choices were made in the last few years, so tough choices now have to be made. Hiding behind using federal funds as “overdraft protection” is not the way to get there. It wouldn’t work in your house and it won’t work in Jefferson City.

I do agree with the Governor on one point, we cannot ask taxpayers to shoulder any more of the burden. Any tax increase would fall heavily on those who can least afford to pay and would negatively impact the small businesses we need to help drive us out of these tough economic times.

The Governor also talked about job creation in his address. Missouri’s unemployment rate has not significantly improved over the last year. More than 280,000 Missourians have been out of work for a year and a half. And while the Governor hops around the state taking credit for new jobs, Missouri has actually lost 103,948 jobs since June of 2008. It is time we focus on a jobs program that works for all of Missouri.

Of course, while we protect taxpayers today, we must also focus on the future of Missouri. Funding K-12 education will be a top priority for me and for many others in the General Assembly this year. Using education funds as a political hammer is unacceptable - our children matter too much. We must fund the school formula to the greatest extent possible, protect critical programs like Parents as Teachers, and continue to fund innovative programs like Missouri’s virtual school.

In the first week of session the Senate looked at ways to Reboot Missouri Government and find short- and long-term cost savings across the board. We need to implement many of those ideas this year. Some ideas will bring small savings, but small savings add up. Ideas such as eliminating the front license plate, cutting back on state funded advertising and sponsorships, and continuing to consolidate functions that cross state agencies will save taxpayers money.

As always, my door is open if you have comments or suggestions on how Missouri can work better for you and how we can spend your tax dollars more wisely.

New Office Information

As your senator from the 8^th District, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or suggestions you might have. Please note that my new e-mail address is will{dot}kraus{at}senate{dot}mo{dot}gov. The District 8 telephone number is 573-751-1464.

Please feel free to visit my Senate web site, www.senate.mo.gov/kraus to view my legislation, committee assignments, and other information.

I look forward to hearing your comments or concerns and will be happy to help you find answers to any questions you might have.