Columbia lawmakers look ahead on session

Higher education will be a main issue for the local legislators.

By Michael Sewall

Published Jan. 25, 2008

The Missouri General Assembly returned to session on Jan. 3, and the three representatives and one senator from Columbia have set their respective goals and priorities for 2008.

Baker said she plans to work on the House Democrat health care platform, which seeks to restore the cuts made in 2005 and provide access to all people living below the poverty level.

She discussed Gov. Matt Blunt's proposed health care plans, but said they will not be enough.

"That proposal would do nothing to restore the cuts," Baker said. "Children, senior citizens and the disabled are once again completely ignored by the governor's plan."

Baker said she also wants to create the Missouri Health Policy Authority, which would take part in health policy-making and create a health officer position and an office for health care technology.

"Health care has become a political football in Missouri," she said. "We need industry professionals."

Baker will also reintroduce some of her filed bills from last year, including the improvement of physical education and making drivers education part of the curriculum in public schools.

Baker is also running for the 9th U.S. District in Missouri this year.

Harris said the largest change he will face this year is the fact that, for the first time in six years, he will not be a part of the Democratic leadership, which he said will give him more time to focus on personal priorities.

Those priorities include legislation to address subprime mortgages, shaken-baby cases and cyber-crimes.

Harris also said the restoration of health care cuts and doing a better job of supporting higher education and public schools is important this session.

"I want to create opportunity for everybody to have a shot at the American dream and be a strong voice of the average Missourian," he said.

Harris is also running for attorney general this year.

Robb said securing funding for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia is his No. 1 priority. His wife, a cancer survivor, was once a patient there.

Blunt proposed $31 million for the hospital, which was cut from an umbrella higher education bill in April. Robb said he'd like to see even more money placed in the hospital.

"Simply, we need to make sure we put the money into higher education," Robb said.

Robb, the budget committee vice chairman, said he would work to cut down on the governor's large budget. He said the budget is over-inflated but there are lots of options to cut items.

"We have to be very careful about taking some of the one-time money we have in the reserve and putting it in these programs," Robb said. "Then we get ourselves in a position of making promises we can't keep, and that's terrible policy. We need to make sure we don't fall into that trap."

Robb is running for re-election in the Missouri House, 24th District.

Ted Farnen, Graham's chief of staff, said the senator would again be an advocate for higher education in Missouri.

Farnen said Graham wants to see the funding for Ellis Fischel to come to fruition, as well as funding for the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Columbia.

Once again, Graham will introduce legislation that would give a vote to a student representative on the governing boards for the UM system, Truman State University and Missouri State University.

Graham introduced similar bills over the past few years, but each has failed.

Graham's other priorities include working on a proposed law that would protect journalists from revealing confidential sources and barring state officeholders from working as lobbyists.

Graham will also run for re-election in the Missouri Senate, 19th District.