“The Constitution is government's stop sign. It says, you,
the three branches of government, can
go so far, and no farther.”
– Michele Bachmann, former Congresswoman.
As every
student is supposed to know, Missouri government has three branches: the
legislative, the executive and the judiciary. These three branches operate
independently, but each depends on the others. Together, they provide the
checks and balances of government. The Legislature crafts the budget and
writes the laws. The executive – the governor and the various state agencies
– administer the laws. The judiciary, or the courts, interpret the laws when
there are disputes over how the law should be applied.
Each
year, these three autonomous branches of Missouri’s state government converge
briefly during two speeches delivered to joint sessions of the Legislature. A
week ago, the governor appeared before the entire General Assembly to deliver
his annual State of the State Address. This week, Missouri’s top judge
briefed lawmakers on the State of the Judiciary. Since the Legislature holds
the purse strings, these two annual addresses allow members of the
Legislature to hear the vision and concerns of the other two branches of
government. It is also an opportunity for the executive and judiciary to
enlist the help of lawmakers.
The
governor’s 2020 State of the State Address varied little from 2019. Workforce
development and infrastructure investment continue to be his priorities. He
highlighted successes of those programs and spoke of historically low
unemployment, positive job growth and nearly $5 billion worth of corporate
investment in our state during the preceding year. On the topic of roads, he
touted the success of a $50 million transportation cost-share program. His
was an optimistic and sincere message. He concluded his remarks with an
emotional tribute to his wife that I am told brought tears to the eyes of
some.
The
governor did acknowledge some challenges including the crisis of violent
crime, especially in our large cities. He vowed to work with the mayors of
our state’s largest cities to seek solutions and promised increased resources
for law enforcement. He called for greater emphasis on social programs and
mental health services to address the underlying causes of crime. In what was
surely a disappointment to those who demand stricter gun control, the
governor instead reiterated his lifelong support of the Second Amendment.
Another issue Governor Parson declared emphatically was his commitment to
support life from conception.
Addressing
the largest segment of Missouri’s state budget, he claimed an $84 million
cost saving in the Mo HealthNet system. The governor defended efforts to
bring more accountability by enforcing eligibility requirements. Describing
the system as “broken for many years,” he promised to continue efforts to
ensure that taxpayer dollars are used wisely. Meanwhile, he expressed
concerns about efforts to force Medicaid expansion through the initiative
process, calling the proposal “a massive tax increase that Missourians cannot
afford.”
The
speech included some new programs and spending requests, as well; some of
which I may not be able to support. The governor called for money for early
childhood and pre-school education programs, and more than $100 million for
in-home care and services for Missourians with developmental and behavioral
disabilities. He asked for funding to repair flood-damaged levees, improve
river ports and expand broadband services in rural areas. He wants programs
to combat opioid addiction and homelessness among veterans. The governor’s
budget adds $10 million to the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education’s Foundation Formula, bringing total base spending on K-12 public
schools to more than $3.5 billion each year. I would have liked that request
to include a call for more parental involvement by giving them more choice in
the education of their children.
In
the State of the Judiciary address, delivered in this bicentennial year of
Missouri’s courts, Chief Justice George Draper III recalled his path to the
Supreme Court. The grandson of a North Carolina slave girl, he is only the
second black jurist to serve on Missouri’s highest court. The first, federal
Judge Ronnie White, was in attendance. Draper’s father came to Jefferson City
to teach at the then-segregated Lincoln University Law School and later
headed the criminal division of the attorney general’s office. Draper
recalled how his father could not eat at certain restaurants due to his skin
color. It was a sobering reminder of how far our society has come.
Judge
Draper praised the expansion and success of treatment courts, which divert
offenders away from incarceration and toward substance abuse treatment programs.
In 2019, the General Assembly approved legislation encouraging similar
treatment courts specifically to serve the needs of veterans. The judge also
updated lawmakers on efforts to realign Missouri’s judicial districts to
increase responsiveness and reduce drive times within circuits. He renewed a
call for increased spending on court automation, citing the need to update
Missouri’s once-groundbreaking, but now aging system of online access to
court records.
Finally,
this week was also the anniversary of the infamous Roe vs Wade Supreme Court
opinion that has been responsible for the deaths of millions of babies in the
womb. What a horrible mark that is upon the history of our nation, surpassing
the barbarism even of slavery. In fact, Centers for Disease Control
statistics confirm that it is the African race which has suffered the most
fatalities from abortion. It should not be a mystery that the same political
party that fought against slavery, today fights against abortion.
Thank
you for reading this legislative report. You can contact my office at (573)
751-2108 if you have any questions. Thank you and we welcome your prayers for
the proper application of state government.
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