KINDER DISCUSSES EDUCATION FORMULA, WORKERS' COMP DURING CHAMBER COFFEE

A new funding formula for elementary and secondary education and a workers' compensation bill are major issues facing the Missouri General Assembly this session.

An update on these and other legislative activities by newly-elected state Sen. Peter Kinder (R-27th District), drew a capacity crowd to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee Friday at Drury Lodge.

"Education and workers' comp are the major two topics facing legislators," said Kinder. "We'll be spending a lot of time on these issues."

Kinder discussed the education crisis and workers' comp, and touched on tourism funding, gambling casinos and the appointment of Southeast Missouri Hospital nurse Karen Hendrickson to the Missouri Board of Nursing during the coffee Friday morning.

"The Senate is an interesting place," said Kinder. "Mary Kasten and David Schwab (representatives) and I will be working as a team to represent our area in the education funding disparity and other issues."

Cole County Circuit Judge Byron Kinder has ruled that the state's educational spending is inequitable, inadequate and "does not meet constitutional muster," he said.

The judge's decision threw out the entire school financing formula, said Kinder. "The judge ruled that the entire manner in which the state finances public education must be revamped."

The ruling also ruled out "tinkering" with the present funding scheme as an adequate cure.

"This funding issue could be a lit stick of dynamite," said the senator, adding that education might need another $800 to $900 million, which could mean increases in taxes to fund the expenditures.

One of the big issues in the workers' compensation bill could hinge on the definition of "accident," the senator told the gathering.

"We're giving the workers' comp bill early attention," said Kinder, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We had first hearings on the bill last week."

Kinder said workers' compensation costs in Missouri were increasing dramatically.

"We've had several years of double-digit increases," he said. Other states have had these same problems and solved them, and we know how to solve them."

Kinder said Oregon had watched its workers' compensation costs experience double-digit decreases. Oregon has since solved its problems and is seeing some double-digit decreases now.

Kinder said one of the key elements for Oregon was defining an accident. "We'll be discussing the definition of an accident next week," he said.

Kinder said the Workers' Compensation Labor-Employers Advisory Committee has studied the issue and has offered some recommendations for reform.

"Chris Wrigley, vice president of Associated Industries of Missouri, and Duke McVey, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, headed the special committee," said Kinder. "They have made some recommendations for workable solutions to the crisis."

Kinder said he personally supports a new tourism bill that has been proposed. The bill would increase the tourism budget without raising taxes.

"Tourism is big-time business," he said. "It's the second leading industry in the state, and could move into the No. 1 position. Tourism is getting a lot of attention."

Kinder cited an example:

"Tourism at one of the new music theaters in Branson will increase more than tenfold this year," he said. "In 1992 a total of 350 tour buses stopped at one particular theater. More than 4,000 tour buses have already been booked for the same theater for 1993.

Kinder said gambling casinos are also on a fast track.

"The people voted for riverboat gambling casinos, and we have to make rules to control it," said Kinder. One of the latest additions to the proposal was keeping the $500 limit intact."

In another announcement during the First Friday Coffee, Harry Rediger, chairman of the Chamber Board of directors, announced that a group would visit the capital Feb. 16 to discuss issues concerning the Southeast Missouri area.