Barnes files for second term in Missouri legislature

Freshman Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, wants to be a sophomore - and filed Tuesday morning as a candidate for the new 60th state House District, even though the legal challenge to final House districts map, released Nov. 30, was argued before the state Supreme Court Monday and still has not won the court's approval.

"I think the map will be upheld," said Barnes, a lawyer who intervened in the case to defend the new districts.

"There are valid complaints about how the map works in practice," he added. "But they're not legal complaints.

"From what I know, I don't think there are valid legal complaints about the map."

Even if the Supreme Court overturned the map, requiring Gov. Jay Nixon to form a new citizen's commission from lists of names supplied by the Republican and Democratic parties, Barnes said he will run for re-election.

He ran two years ago on a promise to work for improvements to state employees' pay, and said Tuesday that work is far from finished.

"State employees remain a top priority," Barnes said. "Prison redevelopment remains a top priority."

Barnes recalled winning colleagues' support last year for adding $800,000 for the prison site, but said that bill failed to pass.

He also continues to support giving AmerenMissouri and its consortium of other electric power producers the approval need to begin designing and planning a second reactor at Ameren's Callaway Nuclear Plant site, at Reform.

"New nuclear development would be a tremendous jobs boost for Mid-Missouri," Barnes said.