Neighbor News
Rep. Chrissy Sommer's Weekly Capitol Connection - May 13, 2016
News From the Missouri State Capitol to the First State Capitol
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Productive 2016 Legislative Session Comes to a Close
After more than four months of hard work, late nights and lengthy discussions, the Missouri House of Representatives concluded the 2016 legislative session with a long list of accomplishments. The session began with a focus on substantive ethics reform, and the legislature pushed several measures across the legislative finish line that will help to improve the culture at the State Capitol. The House and Senate also worked together to approve a fiscally responsible spending plan that makes a record investment in K-12 education, significantly boosts funding for Missouri’s colleges and universities, and provides new spending to help improve and repair the state’s transportation infrastructure.
In addition to ethics reform and the state spending plan, the legislature moved to protect the integrity of the elections process by implementing a system of voter identification, and approved legislation to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the state’s welfare programs. Lawmakers also adopted several economic development measures to reduce bureaucratic red tape for Missouri’s small businesses, invest in Missouri’s system of ports, and attract conventions to the Show-Me State. Additionally, the legislature passed bills addressing issues ranging from suicide prevention to CPR instruction to tax relief for active duty members of the military.
With the completion of the regular session, the many bills passed by the General Assembly now head to the governor for his consideration. Legislators will next return to the State Capitol in September for the annual Veto Session when they will have the opportunity to consider overriding any vetoes made by the governor.
I am proud to have been part of many of these monumental steps forward that will make our great state even greater. Over the next few reports I will do my best to cover many of the most important bills approved this session. For this report I will touch on some of the key items that made it across the finish line in the final week.