Senator Bean shares goals, outlooks for new year with Kennett Lions

Lawmakers returned to Jefferson City for the 2024 legislation session last Wednesday and according to Sen. Jason Bean, two things are already clear. The first is that this is going to be a contentious election year at the State Capitol, and the second is that he isn’t giving up hope on priority business in the midst of reelection and campaign antics.

Bean spoke Friday at a meeting of the Kennett Lions Club and outlined his goals for this session, and he described his impression of what may be to come this year.

“Jefferson City is going to be interesting this year,” Bean said. “We have six state senators in the chamber out of 34 who are running for either statewide office or US Senate.”

Bean, the Republican Assistant Majority Floor Leader, is running for reelection this year. He is also seeking the job of Majority Floor Leader. The Holcomb native will be on the primary ballot in August, and the general election will take place this November.

Bean said that the state needs “common sense leadership” in order to focus on priority issues.

“We’ve had years where it’s been a struggle to get things done,” Bean said, “but I’ve been successful in getting things done then just by spending a lot of time talking to senators and working through legislation so that when they do hit the floor, we can get through pretty quickly.”

Two main issues Bean intends to address in this session surround water exportation and right to work laws.

“One thing we’ll be looking at is property rights in the water bill which says we cannot export water outside the State of Missouri,” he said. “Water’s becoming a big issue across the United States, but Missouri’s done a pretty good job maintaining our water supply.”

Bean’s sponsored water exportation bill, SB 782, would require anyone who wishes to export water outside the state to first apply for a permit through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Before issuing a permit, DNR would first submit a recommendation to the state General Assembly under the current stipulations of the bill.

The other legislation he plans to tackle this year is something he feels would greatly benefit Southeast Missouri in particular – passing a right to work law.

“We’ve been really hurt down here in the Bootheel by right to work, being surrounded by Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky who are right to work states,” Bean said.

He pointed to the closure of the Emerson plant in Kennett in 2006. The factory led to the loss of jobs for over 240 employees, and soon after Emerson opened another plant in Arkansas, a state with right to work laws on the books.

Bean’s right to work bill, SB 781, would go into effect county by county, allowing each county the option to opt in or not. He said that the practice may not be right for every area in the state, but he believes it is the right path in the Bootheel to compete with neighboring states in attracting industry.

The bill “prohibits employers from requiring employees to become or refrain from becoming a member of a labor organization or pay dues or other charges required of labor organization members as a condition of employment.”

“I think it’s a bill that, potentially by the end of the session, we can all come together and work on. I think this could be the bill that brings us all together and we can all work on something that everyone feels is a value to the state.”

On the local level, Bean said that the expansion of Highway 412 “is being talked about a lot” and he hopes to see it widened to either a four or five lane highway.

Another point of emphasis for Bean is healthcare in his home district and reestablishing a hospital in the Bootheel.

“With the Kennett hospital closing, we’ve been looking at different options,” he said. “Currently, we are doing a feasibility study on healthcare in Dunklin County and possibly opening that up to doing something in Pemiscot County as well. We’re looking at a potential regional hospital.”

Funded by the Department of Health and Senior Services, the feasibility study will seek to identify specific needs of the area. As identified in Gov. Michael Parson’s 2023 State of the State address, infant mortality remains a glaring issue for the state as a whole, but particularly in Southeast Missouri.

Bean said he hopes to illustrate with the feasibility study the specific areas of need in the area and secure further funding for a rural hospital.