Write-Up 1: Onboarding The Missouri State Senate is one of the two legislative bodies in the Missouri Capitol. They are responsible for creating, revising, and passing bills into laws for the state of Missouri. The legislature exists “to serve the people of Missouri and their needs”. The main duties of the Senate include the passing of bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes. The Senate is in Jefferson City, MO with each senator having offices in their respective districts. Senator Dixon’s district is Greene County, MO which mainly is composed of the city of Springfield, MO. There is a total of 34 senators whose offices are located all over …show more content…
The Senate has a structure like most companies in the business world. Each person has someone to report to and each person has checks and balances insuring that no one individual has to much power. The order of power is as follows: 1. Interns: Interns are at the bottom of the food chain and answer to the office Chief of Staff, Legislative Assistant, their respective Senator, and the Senate Administrator. As you perform better, you will be given more authority and your opinion is taken more seriously. 2. Legislative Assistant: The legislative assistant is responsible for making the Senators schedule and assisting in anyway necessary. They also answer phone calls and help prepare for committee meetings and hearings. 3. Chief of Staff: The chief of staff is the Senators main worker. They help write and revise the bills that are being read on the floor. They also research and figure out what is needed to make each session run as smoothly as …show more content…
Senator Dixon: Each senator is elected by the public and work for their people. They come up with ideas for bills that they want to make into law and assist in the passing of other Senators bills. They debate and vote on legislation that will be passed into law. They also run committees and vote on bills in committee that will eventually make it to the floor. Each senator has a rank which is based on seniority and with seniority comes more power and respect. 5. Senate Leadership: The senate leadership is comprised of the members of the majority party and are typically some of the most senior members of the senate. They oversee running session and maintaining order on the floor. They have a strong pull on what bills are heard and what bills will be read and focused on. 6. Governor: The governor is like the president of Missouri. He is the final step in making a bill become a law. After a bill is passed in both houses he either signs or vetoes the bill. He also comes up with bills that he wishes to pass and is a main contributor in the creation of the