Last week, the House came together for the first time since session’s wrap in May to conduct Veto Session. Since the Governor vetoed several bills that the General Assembly passed, the state constitution required the legislature to reconvene. This gave the House and Senate the opportunity to override any of the bills vetoed by the Governor. In order to override a veto, two-thirds of the members of both chambers must vote in favor of the override.

Historically, vetoes are not usually overridden and last week’s Session was no exception. (The last time a vetoed bill was overridden was in 2003. That particular legislation made it legal for Missourians to carry concealed weapons.) Despite the fact that several legislators moved to override the Governor’s veto on certain bills, none of the motions were successful. Particularly interesting was the motion made by my good friend and colleague, Rep. Jason Smith (R-Dent) to override the veto of his bill that would have required more accountability and oversight on the Governor’s office as to various budgetary items including the spending of federal stimulus dollars pursuant to the stimulus plan sent to the States by Washington D.C. Despite the fact that Rep. Smith’s bill passed the House in May by a vote of 143-10, NONE of the Democrats who voted for this accountability bill voted for it again this time. It is unfortunate when party politics trumps good public policy and accountability for your tax dollars.

In 2005, the current Foundation Formula was installed in our state budget. This formula allows for a designated amount of funding to flow to Elementary and Secondary education, giving our children the tools necessary to reach their full learning capabilities.

In just four years, we have appropriated nearly 12 billion dollars to Elementary and Secondary education. Education funding now exceeds 30% of our overall budget. This number surpasses any amount designated in Missouri history, and was accomplished without a tax increase. We live in a highly competitive global economy, and Missouri children must be prepared to excel in this environment. We will continue to work towards improving the education system and providing our students with the learning tools they require. The futures of our children and of our great State demand it.

As we face one of the worst economies our nation has seen since the Great Depression, job creation remains a top priority in the House. Thousands of Missourians wake up each morning unemployed and unable to provide for their families. In fact, this week we learned that Missouri’s unemployment rate is the highest it’s been since 1983 and only ten points away from being at an all time high.

As legislators, it is our job to turn this trend around and work to build our economy and put our citizens back to work and that is exactly what we have done.

Last February, the House passed House Bill 191, expanding the Quality Jobs Act, which has proven past success in Missouri. One of the main purposes of the Quality Jobs Act is to provide incentive programs that seek to attract business to Missouri, and in turn, boost the job market. After passing through the Senate in May, HB191 was signed into law and became the top accomplishment by the General Assembly in 2009.

This week, the Director of Economic Development stepped down, leaving one of the most vital cabinet positions with an interim Director until the position is filled. This concerns me, especially when considering our current economic state. Right now, job creation is crucial and not something we should leave in limbo. It is my sincere hope that the Governor acts quickly to fill the position so that we may continue on the fast-track to economic prosperity.

As we approach the 2010 session, economic development will remain one of our top priorities. We look forward to seeing a strong head at the Department of Economic Development so that we may work with the Director to improve Missouri business and create jobs for our citizens. I realize many of you are without a job or know someone close to you who is without work. You can be certain that we are working diligently to remedy this problem.