Special session called after legislators fail to address jobs

Republican members of the Missouri House and Senate along with Governor Jay Nixon proved last week it isn't just the political divide between the parties that leads to an inability to accomplish some things; it's politicians themselves in general. Unable to pass any kind of legislation addressing the state’s economic situation with a jobs bill, also known as an economic development package, during the nearly five month period allotted to them by the Missouri Constitution, legislators must now convene a special session to meet what most Missourians agree is currently the state’s most pressing issue. Not only have our elected representatives wasted the resources and time given to them, they’ve asked for more to accomplish what they promised to voters was their top priority.

Partisan gridlock is something we’ve sadly become familiar with in Washington with Republicans and Democrats in a constant struggle for the upper-hand. In Jefferson City though, the situation is very different after the November 2010 elections gave Republicans historically wide majorities in both the House and Senate. To demonstrate, there are now as many freshmen Republicans in the House of Representatives as there are in the entire Democratic caucus. They could virtually run the mill on any issue they felt was a priority without Democrats being able to do much other than serve as an annoyance to stop it. The only thing standing between them in the legislative process is the Democratic Governor, Jay Nixon. To the dismay of many in his party, Nixon has made some very politically calculating decisions in his first term to avoid hot button issues that could be potentially harmful to his re-election. This includes being cautious when it comes to vetoing legislation sent to his desk from the Republican legislature.

With these factors in their favor, Republicans should have finally been able to put together their vision of a comprehensive agenda to strengthen a fragile economy, right? Wrong. Squabbles between the Senate and House are normal in the legislative process, but the Senate, which has traditionally leaned towards the more mature of the two as it usually holds more mild-mannered and veteran lawmakers, seems to have shifted away from that tendency recently to find itself just as likely to be an obstacle to pending legislation as the more populated House.

It may seem like forever ago, but the election of November 2010 was only nine months ago. One thing you won't forget is the message that rang true then and even truer now. Missouri and the United States need jobs. “Jobs, jobs, jobs” were the slogans repeated over and over again by candidates across the country. It’s now been seven months since many of those same candidates were sworn into office and the state of Missouri still has nothing to show for it.

Unlike members of Congress at the federal level, our state legislators serve part-time. January through May, for only a little over three days a week, they travel to Jefferson City to bring solutions to our state’s biggest problems. When the state constitution was established it wasn't thought there was a need for full-time legislators. It was thought they could easily meet their civic duties and have time to pursue other activities whether it was to establish a career, provide for a family, etc. At least that was the thought.

So with such limited time, most of us would feel compelled to dig in immediately and begin discussing, developing, and considering solutions to the state’s problems. In reality, what ends up happening is the first couple weeks of each session are mostly wasted. Any votes that do take place are procedural while much the rest are non-binding resolutions to serve as ideological benchmarks to cite in political mailers for the next election campaign. The majority of the rest of session centers on establishing a balanced state budget. Of course, there are other bills discussed and eventually passed, but many of the serious negotiations and time is spent on the budget. This is a problem as much attributed to the institution as it is the individual lawmakers.

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution and the principle of federalism are based in part on the ability for states to implement their own creative and unique ideas within their borders. This is the task state representatives and state senators are assigned. It is not to constantly grandstand and scold the federal government on issues in Washington D.C. of which they have no control, but to craft programs and policies on a state level that have the opportunity to succeed. This should be done even if it is, as they see it, in spite of obstacles presented by federal government; not to serve as an excuse for inaction. Elections have consequences most of which are rewarding, but with it also comes a burden of responsibility to do what voters were told you would do.

The Missouri legislature and state government in general don’t get the deserved coverage it needs to keep its citizens up to date on progress made on the state’s challenging issues. That’s why it’s easy for decisions made (or lack thereof) to go unnoticed by most taxpayers. One thing certain is while the opportunity to bring an economic development package forward was wasted earlier this year, unlike other issues that are continuously kicked down the road, Missouri will hopefully and finally have a jobs plan to carry out come September that both the wide Republican majority and Governor Nixon will praise. While politically slow and inconvenient for politicians, the wait is nothing compared to the people of Missouri and unemployed job seekers who need its contents the most.