The rest of the story

This past week brought the early process of the legislative session to a bit of a fork in the road. Do we, the lawmakers of this state, want to trust the process that has worked for generations, get to work, and pass laws that can make people's lives better? Or do we want to slide into chaos that could lead to one of the most unproductive sessions in the history of the Missouri Legislature?

Most of the elected lawmakers in Jefferson City chose to begin putting in the work to move their filed legislation through committees and onto the Senate and House floors. Last week I was proud to present Senate Bill 766 to the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee. This bill would hold private schools to the same standard as public schools in terms of sharing allegations of sexual misconduct against a former employee with that employee's potential future employers. I believe this bill will be one more step towards having adequate protection for our students from sexual predators. I am confident it will be passed out of committee soon and look forward to presenting this needed legislation to the entire Senate.

Meanwhile, what is more likely to make it into your newsfeed was the work of a small group of people who decided to subvert the normal legislative process in what I believe is simply another attempt to get their names in the media and attain the social media hits they so crave, regardless of the fallout, delays or damage it causes the process -- a process set up by our founding fathers and one that works across the nation.

Please don't misunderstand. I have had my frustrations with the pace of the legislative process and fair share of bills not make it across the finish line. There is no shortage of obstacles, and I believe it is intended to be that way to make sure the proper thought and vetting occurs for each piece of legislation being considered. Those frustrations and obstacles, however, should never lead to what we have had to endure the first three weeks of the 2024 legislative session.

From where I am sitting, it is almost unbelievable that senators, elected officials who serve the people of Missouri, are repeatedly derailing the daily sessions of the Senate as we attempt to do the people's business. Accusations against Senate leadership and members of their own party have been thrown around, nearly always taking things out of context or twisting the facts to alter history -- all seemingly to prove that they are more conservative than the rest of us.

The biggest disruption came with a motion to have a bill bypass the typical second-reading and committee hearing process. Attempting this little known and rarely used maneuver was supposedly because of the alleged mistakes of Senate leadership and inability to get initiative petition reform legislation passed in previous years. I feel it is necessary to correct these historical errors and make sure that Missourians are getting the full story about why certain bills have struggled to pass, even those that have been a priority for the majority. To view my full address to the Senate, please visit the Missouri Senate YouTube channel.

The reason a bill doesn't pass is never as simple as you may hear. As far as I know, it is not because one senator doesn't like another. It is not because of some lawmakers who claim one party is actually a member of another. And it is not because of a lack of conservative values. To boil down the complex matrix of debate, discussion and negotiation that it takes to pass legislation into these oversimplified, perceived slights is, in my opinion, simply juvenile.

Normally I want to spend my time in these updates focused on legislation and the topics that I believe are important to the people of the 27th District, but you will likely hear of the dysfunction of the Missouri General Assembly. And you also deserve to know the full story and where I stand as I continue to fight for you.

Allowing a few members to disrupt and put a halt to the work we have been tasked with is no longer a viable option. My hope remains that we can right this ship quickly and focus on what we have been elected to do.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about my proposed legislation or what is happening at your state Capitol.

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-2459. You may write to me at Holly Rehder, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Room 433, Jefferson City, MO 65101, send an email to Holly.Rehder@senate.mo.gov or visit www.senate.mo.gov/Rehder.

HOLLY REHDER represents Missouri's 27th Senatorial District. The district includes Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, Reynolds and Scott counties.