Perryville's Rep. Francis asks governor for special session

State Rep. Rick Francis (R-145) of Perryville, Missouri, has joined three of his colleagues in sending a letter Wednesday to Gov. Mike Parson decrying what the quartet of GOP lawmakers called "trivial tactics" at the end of the General Assembly's legislative session May 14 and calling on the governor to call both houses back to Jefferson City because of unresolved agricultural issues.

The letter did not elaborate on what the "trivial tactics" were but said they "overshadowed" the importance of bills related to agriculture, which the four men called "the number one industry in Missouri."

Francis, a farmer and retired teacher, is vice chairman of the House Agriculture Policy Committee, and has represented Perryville in the Missouri House since his 2016 election.

Two other lawmakers from Southeast Missouri also were signatories to the missive to Parson: Rep. Don Rone (R-149) of Portageville and Sen. Jason Bean (R-25) of Holcomb.

A fourth signer of the letter, Sen. Mike Bernskoetter (R-6), is from Missouri's capital city.

In a communication sent on Rone's letterhead, the lawmakers pointed to House Bill 527, which stalled in the Senate, seeking to require companies wishing to establish merchant lines to provide proof of support from each county commission that potentially would be impacted when applying for approval from the state's Public Service Commission (PSC).

"This is an issue of great concern to agriculturalists and all Missouri landowners and we have a duty to provide them with certainty moving forward," the letter stated.

Bean, Bernskoetter, Francis and Rone also called Parson's attention to Senate Bill 37, which also did not make it to the legislative finish line, dealing with regulation changes to anhydrous ammonia.

"This is a critical update to our current laws that will keep Missouri in line with federal standards and prevent possible intervention from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)," the lawmakers said.