Although the calendar rolled to March, the weather was reminiscent of January - in Minneapolis. Fortunately, Central Missouri avoided some of the dire predictions of substantial snow. Claudia had me shoveling sleet and scraping ice early and often. In doing so, I was mindful of law enforcement officials, city, county, and MoDOT crews who logged a bunch of hours clearing and cleaning up roads across the state. While just thinking of shoveling my driveway almost gives me a heart attack, these men and women tend to hundreds of miles to take care of all of us. I suspect that they have grown as weary of winter as we have, yet still they press on. I tip my hat to each of them.
As a result of the winter weather, the Senate did not go into session until Tuesday afternoon. I did have a number of people comment that this Monday was the most productive day of session so far - because in not being in session we did not pass any laws. I understand that perception. I cringe at the thought that I may have contributed to that mindset, but I understand it. Missourians want government at all levels to represent their values, to be as effective and efficient as possible, to be as small as possible, and to get out of their way. You tell me this at every flap-jack stop, every fish-fry and every coffee stop.
Though it was a short week, the Senate began discussions on one of Missouri's greatest values: protecting the lives of unborn children. Senate Bill 519 proposes to extend the waiting period for a woman wanting to receive an abortion from 24 to 72 hours. It does not impose any restrictions to access, nor does it in any way infringe upon a woman's right to have an abortion. It simply provides an additional 48 hours for women to contemplate the significance of their decision. I believe that in those additional 48 hours, some women will ultimately decide not to have an abortion. A decision of this significance, which ultimately comes down to killing or not killing an unborn child, is worthy of an additional 48 hours of contemplation to comprehend the tremendous long-term consequences. SB519 was ultimately laid over as a result of a multi-senator filibuster. I look forward to this bill, or the companion house bill that passed this week, being discussed in the Senate in the coming days and am hopeful that we can get it to the governor's desk.
The Senate also continued discussions of how to make responsible changes to Missouri's antiquated tax policies. It is possible for the government to perform its necessary functions and to return some of your money to you. It is good and right that the Senate is looking at ways to do so. People often ask me how I can support tax cuts and reforming Missouri's tax policies even as I promote a temporary 1 cent sales tax for transportation. To many, these positions seem contradictory. In reality, they are not.
I believe government has a few core functions that it must perform. Once we expand beyond those core functions, funded by your taxes, we succeed mostly at wasting those same tax dollars. I believe transportation infrastructure is one of those key functions of government, but I also know politicians love to get their hands on money and divert it from an intended beneficial use. You deserve the opportunity to determine how you want your tax dollars to be invested in transportation infrastructure. You also deserve the assurance that any taxes you agree to cannot be diverted for other uses at the whim of politicians in Jefferson City. We have the ability to responsibly return some of your tax dollars to you so that you can invest it and spend it as you see fit. Similarly, also have the ability to give you the opportunity to decide how you want to invest in transportation infrastructure. We can and we should do both.
In observation of Lent and as we move toward Easter, I look forward to seeing many of you at fish fries in the next few weeks. I received a number of recommendations about how to combat the expanding effects of Friday fish fries on my waistline, almost all of which involved skipping a meal or two or at least eating less. While this advice is sound and right, it fails to take into account the degree to which I enjoy fried fish of all sorts. If you see me only eating one plate instead of my normal two or three (maybe four) in the coming weeks, please do not be offended.
My purpose and my intent is to serve the constituents of the 6th Senatorial District. If you are in the Capitol during the coming weeks and months, please stop by your office in Room 220.
State Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, represents Missouri's 6th District.