Boone County lawmakers had much to be thankful for from 2023 legislative session

As legislators prepare to return to the Capitol in January, those representing Boone County reflect upon what they were thankful for during the previous legislative session, while also looking ahead to their hopes for the 2024 legislative session.

For Reps. Adrian Plank, Kathy Steinhoff and Doug Mann, the 2023 session marked their first year in the Missouri House of Representatives. Many are thankful for the tutelage they received from senior legislators during this time.

“There were a lot of people in the House that were willing to work with us freshmen and help us get our feet underneath us so that we can hit the ground running in this upcoming session,” Mann said.

Mann, who represents the 50th District, has decided not to seek reelection next year, but he is thankful for the help he has been able to provide his constituents while in office, who he may not have met had he not been elected to the role.

“One of the things that I prided myself on was people coming to me and saying that my office was a very welcoming place that allowed them to feel heard,” Mann said. “The ability to provide that to people was something that I was very thankful for.”

Steinhoff, who represents District 45, is thankful first for her constituents who put their faith in her to represent their interests in the Missouri House. As far as the work done during the session, she is glad that legislation granting pay bumps to state workers was successful.

“I'm very thankful that we were able to give our state employees and many other people affiliated with state work raises that they were long overdue,” Steinhoff said.

In the upcoming session, Steinhoff, who previously worked as teacher at Columbia Public Schools, is hopeful to see successful legislation aimed at aiding student and educators.

“Education is kind of the thing that propelled me to even go to Jeff City, so I am optimistic that we will do some work that will either relieve some of the pressures of our educators or help our students have better opportunities with learning,” Steinhoff said.

Representing District 47, Plank was glad that some legislation he felt would not have benefited the people of the state was unsuccessful.

“We see a lot of different bills. Some of them are good. Some of them aren't any good,” Plank said. “It's good to be able to stop bad ones that don't move Missourians forward and benefit the well being of our constituents.”

Beyond issues of legislation, Plank is also thankful for the help he was able to provide his constituents who sought him out while he’s been in office.

“Now that I'm in this spot, I’ve had the opportunity to help out folks in my district, in small municipalities, in rural Missouri, to help them with water treatment plants, getting grants, and all I can do to have our rural communities start to grow,” Plank said.

Rep. David Tyson Smith, District 46, expressed thankfulness for a handful of successful bills, especially one extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to new mothers for a year after they’ve given birth. Previous coverage only lasted 60 days after delivery.

“There's also disparities in the African American community for health care, so that's kind of a win for everybody across the table,” Smith said. “This helps those mothers get the care that they need to reduce the mother's mortality and other serious health issues.”

In Missouri, the average pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 32 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2018-2020, but among Black mothers, it was three times higher, at 71 out of 100,000, than among white mothers, at 23 out of 100,000.

For those on Medicaid, the ratio of pregnancy-related deaths was 2.5 times higher than those with other health care coverage. Medicaid is health care coverage provided by the state to low-income Missouri residents.

Smith is also thankful that work done in the 2023 legislative session resulted in the creation of Women’s Veterans Appreciation Day, which will now be celebrated on June 12. This has personal significance to Smith, whose grandmother served in the Navy in World War II.

“It was hard work, but we got it done,” Smith said. Elizabeth Herrera, who works for Stephens College in Columbia, helped Smith in this effort, seeing the initiative through to the finish line.

Sen. Caleb Rowden is thankful for the successful legislation that guarantees Interstate 70 will be widened, in a move that state leaders hope will bolster the economy and attract new businesses to the state with promises of less highway congestion and improved roads for trucking goods.

“I-70 is something that we've been talking about ever since I got elected in 2012,” Rowden said. “It was one of my stated goals when I was running for the Senate in 2016. Now, almost being termed out and moving on, to be able to tie a bow on that is something I’m pretty proud of.”

Rep. Cheri Toalson-Reisch, District 44, is thankful for the legislation passed by the House, including a bill that she sponsored that helped members of Missouri Task Force One with reemployment following calls to active duty. It will be her final term in the house, as the 2024 session is the last that term-limits allow her to serve.

“I thought that we've got several good pieces of legislation passed, and I thought it was a good year,” Reisch said. “I got one of my own bills done, but I thought overall, considering the meltdown that the Senate had, we at least did get a few things passed.”

She is referring to the fact that progress in the Senate was mired by disagreements over legislation and filibusters halting progress, leading to the fewest bills being approved in a full session in the past two decades. Only 43 pieces of legislation were agreed upon between the two chambers.

More: New state reps from Boone County describe their first days at the Capitol

As legislators look towards the 2024 legislative session, increased productivity and the ability to compromise with lawmakers of either party seems a common hope shared by many Boone County legislators.

“I'm optimistic that we're gonna be able to come to the table and get things done and we're gonna be able to get along,” Smith said. “It's not going to be perfect, but we're going to work together.”

“I'm term limited out, and so I'm looking forward to hopefully getting more good legislation passed,” Reisch said. “I’m looking forward to my final year, but it's bittersweet.”

“I'm hopeful for a productive session, and hopeful that we are able to get some stuff done to help the people of Missouri,” Mann said.

With the 2024 elections close on the horizon, some legislators expect disruptions to the legislative process.

“Next year's session will be during election year, and I feel like there's gonna be a lot of grandstanding,” Plank said. “It's usually not a good thing, because it usually attacks minorities or marginalized people. My hope is that we can move forward on things that help us.”

Although many think that the election will be disruptive to getting things accomplished in the General Assembly, other legislators hold high hopes that these assumptions are unfounded.

“I'm an eternal optimist, glass half full kind of guy,” Rowden said. “I do think we have a chance to get some really significant things done, and to try to find a way to kind of push back against the narrative. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, nor maybe even likely, but I do think it's absolutely possible.”

Smith shares these hopes, which are founded in a belief that legislators and their constituents are ready to find a better, less divisive way to settle ideological differences.

“We can solve problems without being nasty with each other and just being ugly and taking extreme positions,” Smith said. “I think we can negotiate and work together and I think people are ready for that. They're ready for it in Columbia, Missouri, and they're ready for it in our country.”

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Boone County lawmakers give thanks, share hopes for legislative action