By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A local freshman state representative says he feels the legislature got a lot done during his first session in Jefferson City.
Representative Dean Van Schoiack of Savannah represents Andrew County and a portion of Buchanan County. He says he’s pleased how the session went.
“It was an interesting session, a learning experience for me as it would be for any freshman legislator,” Van Schoiack tells St. Joseph Post.
Van Schoiack says the work is important, but he’s been more impressed with his colleagues.
“I was very impressed by the quality of people who were there,” Van Schoiack says. “There are a lot of really good people in the legislature, there for the right reason to do the right things and to do the best they can for their people at home and I was very impressed with that.”
Even with the legislation passed this session, more can be done, according to Van Schoiack.
“I would like to see us go ahead and reform eminent domain. I would like to see us reform the initiative petition process, especially as it refers to constitutional amendments to the state of Missouri,” Van Schoiack says. “I’d like to see us get the soy diesel bill passed.”
Eminent domain reform has become the catch phrase for lawmakers opposed to the Grain Belt Express, a private electric transmission line planned to run through northern Missouri to deliver energy to the East Coast. Grain Belt proposes an 800-mile high-voltage electric transmission line through northern Missouri to Illinois. It will go through Buchanan, Clinton, Caldwell, and Carroll Counties in northwest Missouri.
Van Schoiack is no fan of the Grain Belt Express.
“It’s a private business, taking electricity across the state of Missouri from Kansas to the East Coast,” Van Schoiack says. “Originally, it was not selling any electricity at all in Missouri.”
The project has been given the green light by the Missouri Public Service Commission, even though it has become controversial in the legislature.
Reform of the initiative petition process has become a rallying cry for lawmakers opposed to expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, even though approved by Missouri voters. Opponents in the legislature charge the ballot language failed to include a funding mechanism, using that as a basis for refusing to fund expansion.
Election reform is another issue Van Schoiack would like the legislature to tackle. He was disappointed the Senate didn’t take up a House bill that attempted to address problems the courts had with the state voter photo ID law.