Straight Talk

with Mike Deering

I’m More Than a Bill

The Governor’s desk is full of proposals from the 2023 legislative session. Governor Mike Parson has the daunting task of deciding what to do with those pieces of legislation and budget items. He has to review each one, and, from there, he really has three options. He can sign it. He can veto it. He can do nothing and let it go into law without his signed approval. It is certainly a process best outlined by the 1976 Schoolhouse Rock! segment, “I’m Just a Bill.” I personally believe every American needs to watch that segment to truly understand the legislative process.

Appropriation decisions must be made by June 30, and policy decisions will be made by July 14. If signed into law, the provisions of each signed bill will become effective August 28, unless the legislation contained an emergency clause or included a specific effective date. Every single bill is important to someone, so there is no shortage of lobbying going on with each provision having its own cheerleading squad. There needs to be a follow-up to the 1976 classic called, “I’m More Than a Bill,” describing how the lobbying and advocacy part of this process works.

While I outlined the bills (some of which do carry fiscal notes) important to this association in my column last month, I am going to dive into budget items we support and are encouraging the Governor to get behind.

While traditionally a problem in southern Missouri, black headed vultures are steadily working their way through all regions of the state and causing serious economic impact to livestock producers. Thanks largely to Rep. Scott Cupps (R158) and Sen. Lincoln Hough (R-30), $1.66 million was set aside to ramp up education and outreach efforts to producers dealing with these vultures that prey on livestock.

There are also significant funds proposed for the construction and renovation of the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Missouri. Missouri absolutely needs to be equipped to handle any and all animal disease

Executive Vice President

outbreaks in an efficient and effective manner that minimizes the economic devastation to farm and ranch families.

Also allocated for the University of Missouri is $25 million to build a meat laboratory to support education and training. We have been part of the choir advocating for a new processing facility for well over a decade. Elected leaders and industry groups often preach that we need more local processing, and that got louder during the COVID disaster, which demonstrated that our food supply chain is vulnerable. We need to get this facility built to have a training resource for meat processors as workforce development is seriously lacking in this space.

Those are the major proposals our association had a hand in securing, but there are other provisions we are monitoring, including $2.8 billion to widen I-70 and $100 million for maintenance and repair of low-volume routes. There is also $247 million allocated for broadband infrastructure, which is certainly important to many living in rural areas. There’s also a million dollars set aside for the National Center for Beef Excellence to develop a national cattle registry and database for smaller breed associations.

Your association is in the know and on top of the issues important to you and your family. It isn’t just about drafting a bill and passing a bill, it’s getting the measure across the finish line, which happens to be the Governor’s desk. Your priorities are our priorities, and I encourage you to get engaged by bringing issues important to you to your county affiliate and then to the state level.