Kraus: Legislative Session Begins

We are now into our second week of the 2011 session and it has been a great start. The first few days of any session are always filled with reacquainting ourselves to the Capitol, getting into our offices and such, but after the dust settles, my colleagues and I are ready to get down to business.

Our swearing-in ceremony last week was a solemn occasion, giving me opportunity to reflect on the responsibility you have entrusted to me. I appreciated the many friends who came to Jefferson City to witness the event.

In the Missouri Constitution, it states that every senator or representative, before taking on the duties of office, must take the following oath: “I do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and faithfully perform the duties of my office, and that I will not knowingly receive, directly or indirectly, any money or valuable thing for the performance of nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office, other than the compensation allowed by the law.” That is my promise to you.

Committee Assignments

Committee assignments have been made, and I’m excited that I have been given key committees that will be instrumental in making Missouri’s budget accountable. Foremost of these is the Appropriations Committee, which has responsibility for the budget.

With a projected $500 million revenue shortfall, I know this will be a tough year to balance the state’s budget. I welcome the challenge to put my philosophy of fiscal conservatism to work, and doing it without raising taxes.

I’ve also been named as vice-chair of the Ways and Means and Fiscal Oversight Committee, member of the Government Accountability Committee, and member of the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.

Two additional fiscal oversight committees, the Ways and Means and the Government Accountability, offer further opportunity to look at government spending for ways to cut waste and be more efficient. I am indeed fortunate to be given these assignments.

We will begin work on the legislative committees as early as next week.

District 8 Day

I would like you to be my guest for District 8 Day at the Capitol on either March 30 or April 5. Each day will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end around 3:15 p.m. During the course of the day, you will be able to tour the Capitol Building, the Governor’s Mansion and the Supreme Court. You will also have the chance to visit the floor of the Missouri Senate, and I will be available at that time for a question and answer session.

Spots are limited, so please RSVP by Wednesday, March 9. You can simply e-mail with your name, physical address, and number attending. You will be responsible for your own transportation to Jefferson City and lunch. Please consider coming – it is a great opportunity to learn more about your Missouri state government.

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.

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