Ready for a new session
Mo. Sen. Dan Hegeman
The First Regular Session of the 99th General Assembly officially convenes at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Even with a new class of elected officials being sworn in — and all the exciting pomp and circumstance that goes with it — I fully expect the Legislature to swiftly start tackling the important issues facing our state and citizenry. With just a few days remaining in 2016, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on where the last year has taken us and what is in store for the upcoming 2017 legislative session.
The 2016 session was a busy and, at times, tense one for members on both sides of the aisle.
Through it all, however, we were able to find common ground on several important initiatives. We passed a trio of ethics reform bills to help restore some of the public’s trust in the public policy process. We were also successful in continuing to push back against the Department of Revenue and their use of new interpretations to tax certain goods and services without passing an administrative rule or asking the legislature to pass a law.
Unfortunately, there remain a number of major issues that continue to hold Missouri back from achieving the type of economic success our state and citizens are capable of and deserve. This is why legislation addressing our unbalanced civil judicial system and lackluster business climate are likely to be among the first items we take up. Of course, fiscal issues will also dominate many of the Legislature’s discussions in the coming months as we once again set about crafting a responsible budget our taxpayers can afford.
A new session means new opportunities to make Missouri an ever better place to live, work and raise a family, but real success cannot be achieved unless we first acknowledge the challenges we face. Like most Missourians, I am looking forward to the New Year as an opportunity to move forward and begin addressing those challenges.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is [email protected] and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
