Mayer: Legislative Committees Announced and Lawmakers Take Further Action to Streamline State Government

Last week was a busy one in the Missouri Senate as I announced the appointments of members and chairs to 18 Senate standing committees. Work also began on the seven “Rebooting Government” panels, which considered areas of state government regarding: education, general government and the Office of Administration, retirement and employee structure, social programs, tax structure and economic development, courts and public safety, agriculture, outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources and transportation.

Eighteen committees mean 18 committee chairs, and I’m proud to appoint several of my colleagues to these leadership positions. Among the many responsibilities I hold as Senate leader, I also chair the Senate’s Administration Committee, which oversees the day-to-day operations of the Missouri Senate, and the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee, which considers the appointments of various Missourians who have been named to serve on a governor’s board or commission. Now that these important standing committees have been established, I look forward to moving measures through the legislative process in order for my colleagues and I to take them up for debate on the Senate floor.

In other Senate action, all seven Rebooting Government panels met to consider ways to further control, alter or delete state departments and programs in order to save taxpayer dollars and maximize resources. Various members from each working group will present their panel’s findings and recommendations to their colleagues in the Senate, and we’ll make those reports available to you on the Senate’s Rebooting Government website (www.senate.mo.gov/RebootMO). On this same site, I urge you to continue to submit your ideas on how we can best streamline state government. Some of the best suggestions come from our state’s citizens, and it’s important we hear from you on how to efficiently run departments and programs here in Jefferson City, as well as throughout our state.

I eagerly await the governor’s State of the State address tomorrow, when he will detail how he believes your hard-earned taxpayer dollars should be distributed for the upcoming year’s fiscal budget. It is my hope that his proposal outlines a budget that only spends what the government takes in, and does not depend on special legislation to pass in order to be balanced and accountable. As the former chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a continued advocate of fiscally responsible distribution of funds to support our state’s departments and programs, I know we will be able to come together and find the best solutions for the Fiscal Year 2012 state budget.

This is the third fiscal year in a row where we will begin the budget process with a shortfall. However, the good news is that over the last two years, we have made tough decisions in the Legislature that puts our state in better financial standing than most. Our state’s revenue is showing signs of growth, but not enough to avoid further budget reductions. We are still facing a $300-$500 million shortfall, leaving us with little flexibility in where to cut back in state spending. As lawmakers work on crafting our state’s spending plan, I will keep you informed on how the General Assembly stretches every tax dollar for the programs that mean the most to you.

Please feel free to contact me throughout the year with any comments, questions, or issues on my website at www.senate.mo.gov/mayer.