The upcoming session for the Missouri Legislature is almost upon us, but the off-season has been very eventful. The picnics, parades, veteran events, various public appearances, fairs, 4-H meetings, FFA meetings, and meetings with veteran officials, school board officials, county officials, city officials, state officials and various state agencies I have been able to attend have been enlightening experiences. I have met so many great people, reminding me of the important duty I have to represent you as my constituents. I have a duty to actively be involved as a state legislator with my community as well as in government, and I strive to do so.
Though there are many issues that will see some progress toward resolution this upcoming session, there are still some important issues that were brought to my attention that are still seeing pushback - i.e., when your doctor says you need eight weeks of physical therapy, and the insurance company only wants to pay for four. Or, when one industrial labor commissioner disqualifies himself, and there are only two left to vote and there's a tie vote, etc.
Some other issues I am continuing to work on is initiative petitions, infrastructure and economic development. We have to make amendments to our state Constitution a much more serious event. We also need to improve and repair our infrastructure, our roads and bridges, etc., and a sustained method of financing them a priority so that we are not passing poor roads and bad infrastructure to our children. Economic development is another important issue I continue to work on. I have met with several agencies in economic development, and this is an ongoing issue. We must continue to invest in our workforce development to ensure our businesses have the skilled labor they need to be successful so our workers are able to find good and stable employment to support themselves and their families.
The number of bills a representative introduces is not necessarily a measure of the quality of their work. What is important is the quality of the bills that are introduced and the logic behind them. I reintroduced the Port Authority bill, which both Gov. Mike Parson and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe have spoken about throughout the state and the need for an expansion of ports on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers for both economic development and transportation critical to the success of businesses and expansion and development of business in Missouri. This bill allows a tract of ground near Algoa to be transferred to the Heartland Port Authority of Central Missouri for the purpose of developing a port. It would connect with a terminal in New Orleans and would be a state-of-the-art development allowing for barges that move much more efficiently, faster and with less wake. This port will make river transportation a more viable force in our future and will ease much of the load put on our roads.
I introduced a bill to clarify a few matters with the Industrial Labor Commission and Second Injury Fund. It provides a method to electronically file appeals, and in the future, filings would be as directed by the Industrial Labor Commission so we do not need to go back to the Legislature every time technology changes. It also provides a mechanism to allow the Industrial Labor Commission to more efficiently handle insolvencies of self-insurers and a method for handling claims. Handling insurance claims is an area that requires expertise, and after this bill, the Industrial Labor Commission is better equipped to handle the day-to-day operations of claims adjusting partially by giving them the right to hire third party administrators. It also clarifies the language as to some payout of judgments and for worker's compensation claims that concluded before Jan. 1, 2014.
I also introduced a bill relating to capital murder cases where a change of venue is necessary to allow the counties providing their facilities and staff to capital murder cases from surrounding counties to get some of their costs reimbursed. Keep in mind a capital murder in a county with a population of 9,000-10,000 people is going to have to be moved out of the county just to obtain a jury that hasn't learned about the murder from other sources and also to have access to the facilities needed to try a capital murder case. When those cases are transferred to counties such as Cole, all of these expenses are incurred. The sequestration and security costs can exceed $100,000 on a capital murder case. When the case is resolved, counties such as Cole County may, should this new law pass, bill the original county for the amount. However, these counties often don't have $100,000 to pay back. This is not just a Cole County problem. It is a problem for many of the counties of our size that are surrounded by small counties. More importantly, the decision as to whether one is charged with capital murder rather than a lesser offense should not be influenced by whether or not it will bankrupt the county. This is something every county prosecutor in a small county has to consider. A crime in St. Louis City should not be treated any differently than a case in a small county in rural Missouri when deciding whether or not to file for the death sentence. This bill helps smaller counties to make their decisions based on the law and the crime rather than the cost by allowing the state a method for covering these extraordinary costs.
I introduced a bill relating to the ankle bracelets, used in many pre-trial release programs and other state programs now. The statute as drafted made it a crime to tamper with and destroy the ankle bracelet. Unfortunately, they forgot to address the issue of failing to keep it charged. This seems simple, but every time someone fails to keep their ankle bracelet charged, it requires additional work, additional surveillance, and is a security issue because we cannot keep tabs on what this person is doing. This is just a simple fix, not a complicated bill.
While I do try to solve as many of the issues that are brought to my attention as I can, not every problem can be solved with legislation. Regardless of whether an issue can be solved through legislation or not, your feedback and concerns are important to me. I cannot serve you properly if I am unaware of the things that need to be done to improve your lives. Please continue to reach out with your concerns, ideas and feedback.
State Rep. Rudy Veit, R-Jefferson City, represents Missouri's 59th House District, and shares his perspective on statehouse issues twice a month.