Cape Girardeau County Commission revises resolution on courthouse statute

Cape Girardeau County Commissioners passed a revised resolution Thursday that encourages legislators to change the wording of two statutes that currently require the county to have courthouses in Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

Commissioners passed a resolution requesting state legislators to change language in Missouri revised statute 483.420 from "shall hold court in the courthouses in Jackson and at Cape Girardeau" to "may hold court in the courthouses in Jackson and Cape Girardeau." A similar resolution was passed Monday affecting statute 478.711.

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy would not discuss any current plans for acquiring the old federal building in Cape Girardeau to replace the Common Pleas Courthouse or any plans to move all county operations to Jackson, but said revising statute language would give commissioners more flexibility.

"I think what it does is it maximizes our options and that's just what we're looking at. We want to be able to run the county the most efficient way we can," he said.

State Sen. Jason Crowell was at Monday's meeting and said he would work in Jefferson City to change the language.

Other business:

* Weldon Macke was appointed to the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

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