THIS IS, OF COURSE, AN ELECTION YEAR, AND CAPITOL POLITICS WILL ONCE AGAIN IMPEDE SUBSTANTIAL STATE PROGRESS

Unless one believes in the tooth fairy and the Loch Ness monster, there isn't a large group of Missourians who believe this year's session of the General Assembly will produce much in the way of enlightened legislation, progressive reform or even needed correction. The session which has just started is occurring in the same year Missourians will select their next governor, most statewide officials, a U.S. senator, our congressional delegation and most of the sheriffs in the state.

Now if you're up on your state political history you know that when Missouri elects a large number of county sheriffs, a new governor and a senator in Washington, the political agenda of the state has already been set. For some reason we Missourians become extremely interested in who's going to be the next law officer in our county, although there are other offices that have considerably greater impact on the lives of citizens than sheriff. Despite this, we pay a lot of attention to the person who fills the job, and the outcome goes a long way in determining our confidence or doubt in law and order.

The same is true of governor since most of us realize that this office will determine not only the current environment of our state but, in greater measure, will set the course of Missouri for years ahead. Governors do, indeed, set a tone for the state that is unmatched by any other public office, which understandably raises voter interest in the electoral process, if even for a brief period of time.

As for legislative sessions, we generally can take them or leave them, seemingly undisturbed when a session fiddles away its time over picayune, insignificant matters while blindly ignoring the needs of 5.5 million constituents. This year's session has as its excuse the fact that the men and women we have elected to represent us are much more concerned about the outcome of a contest nearly a year from now than in the present, everyday problems of our citizens.

Indeed, it is almost traditional for election-year sessions to tackle only a few major issues of the day, leaving the bulk of the agenda to the next session and the next governor. It's really not a good excuse but it will have to do until a valid one is concocted.

In fact the excuse has already been proffered from most of the tents in the Capitol camp and it will become the official mantra from now until mid-May, when lawmakers can return home and begin their political prospecting in earnest.

In the meantime we will watch helplessly as our lawmakers create more special license plates, grant numerous tax credits in the name of industrial development and take up the cause of special groups seeking exemption from taxes that go to support our schools and provide essential services for local communities.

We can expect an occasional burst of energy that will seem to promise tax relief for the least affluent, improved services for those of our children in greatest need and even demands that our elected officials get serious about creating significant rainy-day reserves for the time the state's cash registers are not ringing at their present decibels.

As worthy as these goals might be, and despite their repeated enunciation by those throughout the Capitol, you will shorten your lifetime if you hold your breath. These goals won't happen and many of them will not even be seriously considered for the next four and a half months.

What will unfortunately occur will be something substantially no, even greater than substantially different. You know what it is, for you have lived through it in the past, although you can be forgiven for poor memory. This consistent, repetitive indifference to the public welfare has long kept Missouri buried in petty, parochial politics, serving no collective or worthwhile benefit.

Many of the members of this year's legislative session will spend more time discussing politics and forecasting the outcome of the November elections than in plans for programs to help disabled, disadvantaged children, despite the fact our kids comprise one-fourth of the state's population.

The odds are pretty good that this session will get around to improving lawmakers' pensions, or at least their expense allowances if not their salaries.

When our outgoing governor delivers his annual State of the State speech in a few days, we will be assured that our state is in great shape, with plans under way to make things even better. This will be verified by the applause of those in the seats in front of him and the lobbyists in the gallery. No one will even notice the silence beyond.

~Jack Stapleton of Kennett is the editor of Missouri News and Editorial Service.