LOCAL LAWMAKERS NOT SHORT ON ISSUES

Area lawmakers have no shortage of issues and ideas on their legislative agenda next year.

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, will renew his efforts to get the state to ban partial-birth abortion.

Kinder once again has filed a bill to outlaw the late-term abortion procedure.

"It is tougher than the one I succeeded in passing two years ago, which the governor vetoed," he said.

Under Kinder's new bill, a doctor could be charged with second-degree murder for performing such an abortion.

Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, wants insurance companies to provide better coverage of treatment and care for those suffering from mental illness.

Howard co-chairs a committee that has been studying the issue for the past 18 months.

"Most families go through some type of mental illness problem during their lifetime," he said.

Howard also wants to phase out the certificate of need program that requires nursing homes to get approval from the state before building new facilities.

Howard wants to replace that regulatory process with one that would license nursing homes on the basis of the services they provide.

Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville, favors tax credits for Missourians who send their children to private or parochial school.

Many families in Naeger's legislative district of Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties send their children to parochial schools.

Naeger said vouchers or tax credits would be good for education. "I think it brings about competitiveness in our schools," he said.

Economic development remains a major concern to Rep. Denny Merideth of Caruthersville, the Legislature's only independent.

Merideth said the Bootheel counties of Pemiscot, Dunklin, New Madrid and Mississippi have high levels of poverty and unemployment.

"The counties are all in dire need of good, solid economic development," said Merideth.

Economic development is also a concern of Rep. Lanie Black, a freshman Republican from Charleston.

A farmer, Black also worries about the state of agriculture, a key industry in Southeast Missouri.

"The agriculture industry across this nation right now is a very sick industry," said Black.

The financial problems in Southeast Asia led to a decline in U.S. farm exports, he said.

But farm policy largely is directed by the federal government. State lawmakers can do little but speak to their U.S. congressman or senator, Black said.

Rep. Phillip Britt, D-Kennett, wants to see an end to state funding of the court-ordered desegregation program in St. Louis.

Britt said that would allow for a more equitable distribution of state education money to school districts in the Bootheel and the rest of the state.

Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, said she hopes to secure state funding for Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus project.

Statewide education testing standards likely will also be an issue, she said.

Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, has authored a bill to require telemarketers to identify themselves on caller identification devices.

Currently, such calls typically are shown as anonymous.

Rep. Peter Myers, R-Sikeston, said lawmakers pass too many bills and regulations.

Myers said freshmen lawmakers in both parties hope to get five old laws off the books.

"I think we would be better off not passing so many laws," he said.

Myers, who was elected to the House in November, said he has been impressed with lawmakers from both parties.

Said Myers, "I am hoping we will rise above partisan politics and do some constructive things."