JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a St. Louis Democrat, appeared before a guest panel yesterday and called an education bill expected for debate in the senate later tonight “the most significant legislation this year.”
Nasheed was referring to the senate’s second attempt in as many years to pass a broad bill reforming how the state handles public school students residing in unaccredited school districts. The upper chamber spent the better half of last week debating the bill a few hours at a time, adding or voting down amendments dealing with virtual schools and vacant public school buildings.
The senate is widely expected to finish debate on the bill early this week, and potentially Monday evening.
“We haven’t changed education in over a decade,” Nasheed said on This Week In Missouri Politics. “So we’re dealing with a very, very serious piece of legislation, probably the most significant legislation this year and for years to come. So we’re going to take our time.”
Nasheed also voiced tentative support for a new Rams stadium — which, if constructed, would reside squarely in one of the most blighted parts of Nasheed’s own senate district — if a vote of the people approves spending any funds. Nasheed even applauded recent local union efforts announced last week to work non-stop, 24 hour shifts for the new stadium project at no additional cost. As long as the move came with a serious effort at recruiting and hiring minorities, Nasheed said, she fully supported it.
Discussion of the education bill dominated much of the panel until Secretary of State Jason Kander’s U.S. Senate bid took over. Rep. Jeremy LaFaver, a Kansas City Democrat, said Kander’s military service would “contrast” with Sen. Roy Blunt’s 20 years in Washington D.C. and give Missouri “U.S. Senator Jason Kander.”
Some Highlights from this week’s episode:
“Sitting in the legislature, we hear ‘we need money for education’ and ‘we need Monday for Medicaid’ and we don’t have it,” Hicks said. “But all of sudden we have money for a new football stadium. How’s that happen? How’s that work?” Rep. Ron Hicks, discussing the Rams Stadium proposal.
“I don’t know if public money goes directly into a private school, I think there’s an argument that could be made that somehow it does trickle in there, arguments could be made that that is in here, but it’s not a direct payment, which was what some of the heartburn was last year.” Rep. Jeremy LaFaver on the education bill.
“I think it’s important that we start treating charter schools as public schools…The brush back is perception. The perception is that charter schools are not public schools.” Anne Schweitzer, Public Eye Inc., on the education bill.
“Most of the things we’ve offered, that were even offered in the bill that was vetoed last year, they’re not really experiments. They’ve worked elsewhere,” Katie Casas, Gateway Group, on the education bill.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
