Legislative Column - Feb. 28, 2013

Our legislative work was cut short last week due to a massive winter storm that affected all parts of our state, but we still accomplished a lot in this time.

I filed my first bill this session. Senate Bill 332 enhances the current teacher evaluation process operated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. My bill will make student academic growth account for half of a teacher and principal's evaluation, with the other half comprising measures determined by local school boards. From these evaluations, educators will be classified as highly effective, effective, minimally effective, or ineffective. These ratings will be used as criteria for an educator to be granted tenure status and when a school district makes reduction in force and staffing decisions. My bill will help identify and reward our effective teachers, in addition to empowering local school boards to assist ineffective teachers.

The future of our state lies in the hands of our youth, and we must be able to prepare them through all levels of education in order to compete with other states and countries around the world. I look forward to carrying this measure through the legislative process and working with my colleagues on this important piece of legislation.

As vice chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, my colleagues and I who serve on this panel consider legislation that affects one of our district's top industries. In mid-February, we voted out of this committee legislation that would allow farm work to be performed by children under the age of 16.

Senate Bill 16, sponsored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, would allow Missourians under the age of 16 to perform day-to-day tasks, such as operate power-driven machinery, climb ladders, run vehicles and perform other important jobs, on their family farms. In addition, these future farmers would be allowed to work on other family farms with the knowledge and consent of their parents.

We must support the hard work of our state's family farms and encourage our state's youth who want to follow in their family's footsteps -- farming has been and will continue to be the major backbone of our state's economy. The legislation is now in the House for similar consideration.

This week we advanced legislation to the House that would change provisions relating to taxation and economic incentives for various companies and organizations in Missouri. Senate Bill 120 deals mostly with tax credits (sums deducted from the total amount a taxpayer owes to our state). These credits are granted for various types of taxes and are used to encourage investments in our state.

This legislation also caps the amounts, or sets a maximum threshold, for various tax credits, including low-income housing and historic preservation programs. In addition, SB 120 sunsets, or eliminates, certain tax credit programs after a specific date, allowing future legislators an opportunity to review the impact of the program before renewing it.

It was also a pleasure to have senior Amanda Edgar of Portageville High School shadow me for a day. She was among 60 students from across Missouri to participate in a program operated by the Missouri Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) that allows young citizens to see the legislative process firsthand. She is a bright, energetic student with a promising future.

For more information, please call our office at 573-751-4843 or visit our website at www.senate.mo.gov/libla to see a list of Senate bills. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.