The summer heat is finally in full drive and August is just around the
corner! School is getting ready to start in a few weeks and last minute
vacation plans are being made! Everyone is very busy this time of
year. Even with all the hustle and bustle that is going on with summer
winding down, please remember to take a moment and check on your elderly
family, friends and neighbors. The heat can be very hard on the elderly
and many times adverse effects of the heat can come upon a person before they
realize what is happening.
I have been surprised as a freshman legislator at how busy I am even during
this interim period. We, in Missouri, are set up in a matter that is
considered a “part-time legislature”. I am very much enjoying this time
of being home in the district and the opportunities that are being afforded to
me from our being set up in this manner. I am getting to meet with
various state department leaders to learn more about how each state department
is structured and the duties that fall under each. I had developed quite
a list of questions regarding this during the legislative session and having
this time to use learning the answers to these questions will be very helpful
this next legislative session. During session we are called upon to make
decisions on funding, rules and regulations concerning each of the departments,
having a limited knowledge of these made it very difficult to make these
decisions with a great amount of confidence.
My office has been receiving quite a lot of calls regarding healthcare related
issues. We are working through these issues as well as looking at possible
legislative action for the upcoming session. We are hoping to resolve
these issues with the help of the various departments and will be prepared to
offer legislation that will allow these departments to conduct their work with
great efficiency while being aware of the duties to the taxpayers in spending
state money wisely.
