Shakin' the Money Tree

This week Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R - St. Joe) created the "Senate Select Committee on Oversight of Federal Stimulus Plan."

Thirteen senators were appointed to the committee including three Democrats -- Victor Callahan (D - Independence), Rita Heard Days (D - St. Louis County) and me.

The committee is charged with studying and analyzing strategies for securing the maximum amount of federal dollars for Missouri from the anticipated federal economic stimulus plan of 2009.

Each Senator is assigned a substantive issue to study. For instance, Senator Callahan is labor and Senator Days is housing and urban development. I am charged with "science."

The first hearing is Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 in Senate Committee Room 1.

The stimulus package is anticipated to include nearly $1 trillion (with a "T") nationwide. How would you spend the money?

Fathering Court

The Senate Judiciary committee heard testimony tonight on a child support bill introduced by Senator Jeff Smith (D - St. Louis).

The bill would establish courts to handle some criminal non-support cases. Patterned after the extremely successful Jackson County Fathering Court, the law would provide an alternative to a jail sentence and felony record for the non-custodial parents who qualify for rehabilitation.

The program is holistic -- it looks at the education, substance abuse, employment and parenting skills of the participant. A case manager is involved, as well as peer support, counseling and treatment. The program's goal is to increase the number of fathers who participate in the lives of their children -- both financially and emotionally.

We heard some compelling testimony tonight from many fathers in the St. Louis area who have not had the benefit of the Fathering Court on their side of the state. These are men who are going through a similar fathering program, without the incarceration alternatives. At least one of the men served a year for non-support, a time when he could not work any job to provide assistance to his daughter. Faced with a felony on his criminal record, job prospects are slim. If a Fathering Court had been available to him in St. Louis, there is a chance he could have avoided jail, kept his record clean, found gainful employment and most importantly, provided support to his daughter. Luckily, he found out about a non-profit fathering program while he was in jail, and he is finally able to support his daughter financially, while learning what it means to be a dad.

As with anything, the devil is in the details. Some prosecutors were at the hearing tonight to testify against certain provisions of the bill, but it sounds as if some of the objectionable provisions will be taken out of future versions. I look forward to continuing the discussion as session moves forward.

The Race is On

Although it's been a little slow out of the gate, we finally had some movement in the Senate this week and the steady sprint toward May 15 has begun.

We started session this year on January 7, but with two inaugurations and a holiday, we haven't had much official progress. I've been keeping plenty busy with constituent duties, meetings with advocacy groups and legislation drafting. Yesterday things finally got going with the naming and appointments of the standing committees. There were a few changes to the committee structure this year. A few of the committees were combined and others were split. The most notable change was the addition of a committee chaired by a Democrat, with a Democratic majority (3-2) as members.

The Progress and Development Committee will be chaired by Minority Leader Victor Callahan and I will serve on the committee as vice-chair. If you take a look at the bills that are assigned to the committee so far, and then take a look at the membership of the committee, it's safe to say that this may be one of the more interesting committees to watch this session (some of the most liberal bills have been assigned to the committee which is made up of some of the most conservative Senators).

Overall I was very pleased with my committee assignments. The Democrats lost three seats in November and we are now outnumbered by Republicans 23-11. Consequently we lost seats on some of the committees. I will no longer serve on Rules, but I picked up Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy & the Environment.

Additionally, I will continue my service on Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections; Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families; and Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence.

Now that committee assignments are finalized, bills were able to be second-read and assigned to committees for hearings today. The hearing schedule for next week is slowly taking shape and it looks like I'll start Monday with at least three committee hearings on topics ranging from pre-need funeral contracts to domestic violence.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions about the committee process or other topics related to state government. You can join me every Friday morning at 9:00 AM for coffee and conversation at Coffee Break -- 5400 Troost Avenue. If you can't make it on a Friday, I'll hold events around the 10th District on one Saturday each month and you can always contact my office with your questions or concerns.

Hector in the House (and Senate)

This is Hector. He came to the capitol today to lobby us on animal welfare issues, including a bill that would strengthen penalties for scumbags who participate in dogfighting. Less than two years ago, Hector was one of roughly 50 pit bulls who were found on NFL star Michael Vick's property in rural Virginia.

Portrayed by the media as vicious monsters, Hector and 46 of his buddies were rescued and rehabilitated. Today Hector was socializing with other dogs, hanging out with little kids and posing for photos. He was a gentle, loving example of why we should "punish the deed and not the breed."

Thanks to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation for bringing Hector to the capitol today.

Coffee & Conversation

Have you ever wanted to learn more about what exactly legislators do in Jefferson City? Do you have a concern about this year's state budget? Did you ever say to yourself - there ought to be a law . . .?

Starting today and continuing every Friday morning, please join me for coffee and conversation from 9-10 AM at Coffee Break - 5400 Troost Avenue. This is an informal opportunity to exchange ideas and get questions answered.

I know that Fridays are often difficult for some folks to get away from work or other commitments, so I'll be holding similar gatherings at local coffee shops around the 10th District on one Saturday a month. Please stay tuned for future dates, times and locations.

Shame on You!

We had a really short session today. We introduced a few bills, made a few announcements, then hit the road.

I introduced four more bills and a resolution today. The most notable news, however, was a remonstrance filed by Senator Timmy Green (D - St. Louis County).

SRM1 is the first remonstrance I remember being filed since I have been in the senate. Senator Green blasted the Missouri Development Finance Board for issuing $25 million in tax credits to the Kansas City Chiefs, when the money could be better spent on health care, education or job creation. I have to say I agree with Senator Green.

The Boys (and Girls) are Back in Town

The first session of the 95th General Assembly started today at 11:00 AM. For those of you who followed us last season, you will be excited to see we have several returning cast members, but we've also added six new characters who should provide for some exciting new storylines.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll provide some profiles of the new players so we can all get to know them.

I pre-filed 8 bills before session started. My staff and I are in the process of finalizing the rest of my legislative package, so as soon as we get everything filed, I will highlight the different bills and keep you updated on their progress throughout the year.

Stay tuned . . . it should be a fun year!

Reading of the Bill of Rights

State law requires the reading of the Bill of Rights at the start of
each legialative session. I like this tradition. I hope my
colleagues are listening.

Opening Gavel

And so it begins ... we are back in session.