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May 12, 2000 2000 SESSION ENDS IN A FLURRY Dear Citizens: Despite an unprecedented amount of stall tactics and partisanship, the 2000 session of the Missouri General Assembly was very productive. Our biggest accomplishment was fully funding the education foundation formula for the fourth year in a row—an unprecedented level of support for our children. In addition to the full state funding for education, we added $23 million of new dollars for gifted and special education, $6.7 million for the Read to Be Ready Program, and $3.1 million increase for Parents as Teachers. Education is the smartest investment we can make in our future and I am proud of these accomplishments. In addition to the budget improvements for education, we also appropriated more money to cover the rising cost of prescription drugs as well as $2 million to fund four Aging in Place projects—a program that helps keeps seniors in their homes. We also passed legislation that creates the crime of financial exploitation of the elderly. This important legislation will harshly punish those who would take advantage of our seniors for financial gain. We also moved one step closer to providing a solution for our state’s transportation woes. This session we passed a $2 Billion bonding bill, without a tax increase, that will infuse several hundred million dollars a year toward highway maintenance and new construction. On the local level, we were able to include $180,000 for planning a south campus in Christian County for Ozark Technical College. We were also able to pass a Wilson Creek Battlefield license plate, which will give some much-needed funds for the largest battlefield west of the Mississippi. In the end, there were some disappointments. The stall tactics, especially in the Senate, were responsible for killing important legislation on Kudzu, the Farmland Protection Act, and asset forfeitures. However, despite these setbacks, there was much to be proud of, and I will continue to fight for these important issues as long as I am in office. I look forward to visiting with all of in the upcoming weeks. Please feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions or be of any service to you or your families. Sincerely, Rep. Jim Kreider Speaker Pro Tem | |||||
Paid for by Kreider for Senator.
Bobby Neal Jr., Treasurer. Not at taxpayer's expense.
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