The Missouri Senate decides to listen to a speech tomorrow although several members think it is no longer necessary and is unfair. About five years ago, when confidence in the transportation deparatment was low, the legisalture passed a law requiring an annual State of Transportation address from the director of the transportation department. Things are better now and Senator Tim Green of Spanish Lake thinks the Senate should reject the invitation from the House for a joint session to hear this year’s speech. But Senator Matt Bartle of Lee’s Summit says things are not that good—that “slathering” a layer of asphalt on broken roads has not fixed things at all. He says Interstate 70 is a “disaster” and that 70 and I-44 and other roads are “profoundly broken.” For Senator Chuck Gross of St. Charles, the unfairness of the forum makes him a critic of the speech. He says he’s sure other department directors would love to give speeches to joint legislative sessions to plead for support for their programs. Senate leaders argue, however, that the law requires the preferential treatment and until the law is repealed, the Senate should be part of the joint session. The Senate has decided to show up tomorrow, but still hopes to pass a bill repealing the law requiring future state of the transportation speeches. The Senate passed such a bill last year but the House killed it. (The soundbite attached to this story as an mp3 file features the voices of Senators Bartle and Gross plus the voice of Senate leader Michael Gibbons of Kirkwood).
hispch.mp3 (727k)
