Missouri’s budget crisis has triggered a call for restructuring state government that could lead to the most significant change in structure and financing the 1970s.

Senate President Pro tem Charlie Shields of St. Joseph is pushing an effort he calls “Rebooting Government.” He outlined the efforts shortly before the Senate recessed this morning.

Charlie Shields speaks to Senate 5:46 mp3

Missourians going to the Senate web page can click on the Rebooting Government icon and submit ideas about ways to make government more effieicnt and more affordable. Senators will break into a series of four-member committees next Tuesday after morning adjournment and spend the afternoon reviewing citizen recommendations in these areas:

Agriculture/Outdoors/Department of Natural Resources

Courts/Legal/Department of Public Service

Education

General Government/Office of Adminsitraiton

Retirement

Social Programs

Tax Structure

Transportation

Shields says he wants each committee to have five ideas at the end of their discussions that will provide a sustainable government for years to come. The meetings will be public but they will not take testimony. Locations of the meetings will be posted on the Senate website under “committee meetings.