Noel Republican placed on Special Committee on Government Oversight

(From Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel)

This week the Speaker created the Special Committee on Government Oversight. I am honored to have been placed on this committee along with six of my fellow House members.

This new committee is charged with the reviewing and monitoring of policy implementation by the executive branch and its departments.

The Missouri House has a deep commitment to ensuring the government is a good steward of your tax dollars money and that it is transparent in its actions. The committee will thoroughly review and scrutinize our bureaucracy to ensure government is operating in a way that deserves your trust. 

Holding the bureaucracy accountable is one of the most important functions of the legislature and I look forward to serving on this committee to make sure we hold the all of state government accountable.

I filed two different pieces of legislation this week. The first is House Bill 857, and relates to homeschooling. The second, House Bill 856, places certain limitations on the activities of state government. 

In part, HB 856 would prohibit a state agency from directly competing with a private business. Certain traditional governmental services, such as trash service or utilities, would be exempt under this legislation. 

The State of Missouri should focus only on the core functions of government like education, public safety, and infrastructure. It should not be distracted from that mission by offering services already provided for by the market economy. I will keep you up-to-date as these pieces of legislation move through the process.

The committees I serve on remain very busy early this session. Budget is the most demanding with hearing starting each day at eight o’clock and lasting until ten or eleven o’clock. We will break for session, but other than that the hearing continues non-stop! That requires me to step out of budget for any other committee hearings. 

Speaking of other committee hearings, the Special Committee on Career Readiness met this week. We heard testimony on the HB 564 or the “Fresh Start Act of 2019.” It would not allow occupational licensing boards the ability to deny someone a licensee based upon a prior conviction. There are exemptions for violent or sexual crimes, or any crime relating to that profession. We must allow people to have a second chance and reengage in the workforce after having fulfilled the terms of their sentence.

Next week is sure to be busy as well. I look forward to speaking with you about it then.