|
Columbia Sees Positive Legislative Session
"It was a good year for policy," said Missouri State Sen. Kurt Schaefer during the Central Missouri Development Council's June 3 membership meeting. "Columbia and Boone County had a successful year compared to some of the other areas in the state, which are smarting after this past legislative session."
Schaefer, along with Missouri State Rep. Chris Kelly, were on hand at the meeting to discuss and answer questions about the 2009 session of the Missouri General Assembly as well as upcoming issues affecting mid-Missouri.
This past session saw $31.2 million in funding for Ellis Fischel Cancer Center (which has since been frozen); $40 million for Caring for Missouri, an important state-wide program that could help more than 900 additional Missouri students participate in training programs for healthcare careers in the state's two- and four-year institutions; and $13 million for Mid-Missouri Mental Health Care.
According to Schaefer, the biggest contributing factor to this year's triumph was the consistent teamwork demonstrated between key players including Kelly, Rep. Steve Hobbs and himself.
"While we may have separate political ideologies, we share a common goal," said Schaefer. "When you have a common enemy, which we have right now in the economy, it makes all other issues secondary. Chris and I agree that is the biggest issue."
In addition to teamwork, Kelly and Schaefer have another thing in common which may have contributed to their success: they each hold key spots in their respective parties. Kelly is on the House budget committee and Schaefer is on the Senate appropriations committee.
While the session was deemed largely a success for Columbia, there were disappointments, chief among them being the $800 million bond issue and the Ameren debacle, which cost many jobs in mid-Missouri.
"From a financial view and putting the ponies in the barn for Columbia," said Kelly, "It was quite a successful session."
|
