MRPC News Release
Dec. 19, 2005
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Richard Cavender or Bonnie J. Prigge, (573) 265-2993
LOCAL LEGISLATORS SAY EMINENT DOMAIN, STEM CELL RESEARCH,
EDUCATION AND BUDGET WILL BE TOPICS TO WATCH THIS SESSION
ST. JAMES—Eminent domain, stem cell research and education will dominate discussions during the upcoming legislation session, Sen. Frank Barnitz told members of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission during the group's regular monthly meeting Dec. 8.
This meeting was a part of MRPC's annual process of establishing legislative priorities for the region, which includes the development of a State of the Region Report that is hand-delivered to legislators in Jefferson City.
Also participating in the discussion were Rep. Bob May and Rep.-Elect Jason Smith.
May agreed with Barnitz that the state's budget will also present some problems. Barnitz said that increases in revenues are not keeping pace with growth in government.
"We're not going to be flush with money," May said.
Smith, recently elected to fill the 150th representative seat vacated by Barnitz, hopes to work on higher penalties for sex offenders and drug dealers and increasing the minimum 120-day sentence that must be served before offenders can be released.
The group also discussed the need for additional transportation funding, the benefits of entrepreneurship, the need to draw some attention to the Highway 63 corridor, and the positive impact that later school start dates could have on tourism.
The MRPC board also sought public comment on a grant request to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Staff is developing a proposal that, if funded, would allow for the identification of potential brownfield sites in the region. Brownfields are places that potentially could be contaminated because of the former use of the property. More and more grant funds are becoming available for Brownfields, but these sites must be identified in order to be eligible for funding, explained Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC's environmental programs manager.
The board also learned that the Congressional leadership had changed regulations of the Economic Development Administration that would have been detrimental to the local economic development district. MRPC Executive Director Richard Cavender thanked the region's Congressional delegation—especially Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. JoAnn Emerson— for their work on behalf of local economic development groups, like MRPC.
The MRPC board also approved an application for funding to complete a transit study at Fort Leonard Wood, a cooperative effort of MRPC, Fort Leonard Wood and the Missouri Transportation Institute.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Officers are Chairman Gary Brown of Salem, Vice Chairman Bob Reed of Washington County, Secretary Mary Heywood of Bourbon and Treasurer Laura Cyr of Rolla.
A professional staff, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities upon request.
The public is invited to attend the Jan. 12 meeting where board members will discuss federal legislative issues. Congressional leaders and their district staff members have been invited to that meeting.
Cutline: Senator Frank Barnitz discusses upcoming legislative issues with the MRPC board during their December monthly meeting.