Lamping pre-files legislation to trim legislative session to three months

If the Missouri General Assembly can't get anything accomplished in five months, we might as well make it three months and save a ton of money.

That appears to be the thinking behind legislation prefiled this week by Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, which would bring the legislative session to a close at the end of March.

Lamping also pre-filed a bill that would require the governor and lieutenant governor to be elected on the same ticket.

His news release is printed below:

Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, prefiled legislation today asking the voters of Missouri to shorten the current legislative session from 18 weeks to 12 weeks. Upon voter approval, the proposed constitutional amendment would require the legislative session to end in late March rather than the middle of May. The veto session would also be moved from September to June.


“Citizens are always looking for positive outcomes from their government, and one way to achieve better outcomes is to reform the legislative process,” Sen. Lamping said. “If we reduce the legislative session by six weeks, it will not only save taxpayers money by lessening the per diem amount that is paid to legislators, but hopefully doing so will also encourage other individuals interested in state government to run for office and serve the public.”

The proposed constitutional amendment will be introduced in the Senate during the next legislative session, which begins the first week of January 2012. The proposed changes, if approved, would not take effect until 2015.

Sen. Lamping also prefiled legislation aimed at placing candidates for lieutenant governor and governor on the same ticket so citizens would vote for both offices at the same time, similar to the national elections for president and vice-president.

“By combining the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, it encourages the two positions to work in tandem and accomplish more while hopefully being more efficient and fiscally prudent for the state,” Sen. Lamping said.

Sen. Lamping is also co-sponsoring a prefiled bill and prefiling one of his own, both of which are aimed at reforming the payday lending industry.