Historical March 1993 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
And I thought I was busy in 1992 Actually, the rigors of the campaign for 64th District state representative last year have proven to be good training for the job. Beginning with the swearing-in January 6, I’ve kept very busy in the Capitol Monday-Thursday and at home on the weekends.
The best part is, I couldn’t be happier.
The House of Representatives currently meets less than two hours a day (sometimes only 15 minutes), beginning at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and at 4:00 p.m. on Mondays.
However, House committees and caucuses begin meetings as early as 7:30 am. and as late as 8:00 p.m.
The Speaker of the House, elected by the members during the first session, makes all committee appointments.
I have been appointed to five committees Appropriations – Natural and Economic Resources, Corrections and State Institutions, Elementary and Secondary Education, Municipal Corporations (which deals with bills that affect the St. Louis area), and Public Health and Safety.
The busiest committee at this point in the session is, of course, the Appropriations Committee. Only one bill came out of this committee, HB 7. That one Bill, however, recommended budget appropriations for several state departments and their respective divisions including Agriculture, Conservation, Economic Development, Insurance, Labor, and Natural Resources.
Most of the Appropriations Committees have met two to four hours a day. Our work was finished this week, February 15, and HB 7 was sent to the Budget Committee.
As the Appropriations Committees finish their work, other standing committees (about 40) were scheduled for the first “reporting in- of two or three bills that they have voted “Do Pass.” The House began meeting both in the mornings and afternoons to consider these bills, the week of February 22.
The other committees that I serve currently meet about two hours a week to hear and vote on bills that the speaker has assigned to them. Space doesn’t allow me to detail committee activities in this article, but I hope to submit a column about each of the committees on which I serve for future issues of the TIMES Besides committees, I am also a member of four caucuses: House Democrats, Freshman Democrats, Women Legislators, and the Democrats’ Study Group.
The House Democrats do not caucus on a regular basis.
We met before the session to elect party leadership including a chair, floor leader, assistant floor leader, secretary, and whip. Their work is on-going throughout the session, especially on the floor of the house.
The Freshmen Democrats meet once a week, essentially for orientation to House rules and procedures.
The Women Legislators is a bi-partisan group that meets biweekly.
I am delighted to serve on the Legislative Priority Committee of this caucus which meets once a week.
The Democrats’ Study Group also meets once a week on Monday nights to review any bills that may be coming up for debate that week and to hear presentations by guest speakers.
I head home Thursday afternoons or evenings and the weekends are filled with meetings, political events, phone calls and the mundane necessities of life—laundry, shopping, etc.
I try to spend a little time on Fridays with SDCC’s new executive director, Kim Koenig. (The Council is in capable, hard working hands!) I hope this overview gives you an idea of how I spend my time. Again, while the schedule is hectic, I couldn’t be happier. Serving you as state representative of the 64th district is an exciting and challenging experience.
If you visit the Capitol, please stop by my office, 400cc.
If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to call: 751- 1400 (office), 721-3083 (St. Louis). Any correspondence should be mailed to: House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City MO 65101-6806.
I look forward to hearing from you. Watch for details about a Town Hall Meeting I hope to sponsor in March!
Original photograph caption
State Representative Nancy Farmer during swearing-in. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, March 1993.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1993_03.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
