Missouri's General Assembly convenes at noon today for its five-month work of debating and passing a state operating budget for the business year that begins July 1 - the only duty the state Constitution requires them to finish - as well as debating and passing or rejecting proposed new laws or changes to existing ones.
And, in the Senate, the work also includes confirming or rejecting Gov. Mike Parson's nominees for numerous boards and commissions.
Among the first orders of business in each chamber is swearing-in the lawmakers who were elected Nov. 6 - all of the House members and half the Senate - and the formal election of officers, including the House speaker and the Senate president pro tem.
Today marks the start of the 100th General Assembly since Missouri became a state in 1821.
Since elections occur every two years, General Assemblies also last for two years - which is why this is the 100th General Assembly for a state that will celebrate its 200th birthday in 2021.
Today also is the beginning of the 51st General Assembly to meet in the current Capitol, which was finished in 1917 and opened to lawmakers in 1918.
The first legislatures met in St. Charles, in space above a storefront (that still exists, and now is operated as a tourist spot by the state Natural Resources Department's Division of Parks and Historic Sites).
Among its early decisions was picking the site where Jefferson City now is located to be the permanent seat of state government, and the government moved to Mid-Missouri in 1826.
The first Capitol in Jefferson City was located on the south end (East Capitol) of the grounds where the Governor's Mansion is now located.
It was destroyed by a fire in 1836.
The second Capitol was built on the grounds where the current building sits, but faced east and west. It started out as a small building and, over the years, was added to several times - and primarily was made of wood.
The wood and the numerous additions proved to be a problem when lightning hit the top of the dome on Feb. 5, 1911, and the resulting fire (accompanied by a water main break that dashed firefighters' hopes of extinguishing the blaze) destroyed it.
After voters approved a bond issue to pay for a new Capitol, the current building was erected and opened in 1918.
The current building is undergoing a $28.7 million renovation/rehabilitation project that is to be finished by the end of 2020. And that construction has made it harder for visitors to find parking places and ways to get in and out of the building.
The Office of Administration said Tuesday there are no changes to the entrance rules that have been in place since the construction began last March.
The general public now can access the Capitol through these entrances, and will be given security checks before being allowed inside:
- South first floor door - Normal business hours, year-round. (This entrance is also known as the Carriage Tunnel Entrance and faces High Street).
- West first floor door - 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, only when the General Assembly is in session. (This entrance is on the floor above the Capitol Cafeteria.)
- East basement door (garage entrance) - This is the ADA access point to enter and exit the building and, when there is business of the state being conducted in the Capitol after 5:30 p.m. (when the Carriage Entrance is closed), the public will be allowed into the building through the east basement door.