But House Democratic leader Paul LeVota and Senate Republican leader Charlie Shields said recent indictments of lawmakers will cause ethics to be a big issue this session.
Rep. Dennis Wood, R-Kimberling City- who received $176 - and Brenda Shields, the wife of Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields - who received $410 - are both members of the committee. The committee is important, Wood said, to ensure all Missourians are accurately counted in the 2010 Census. Since seats in the U.S. Congress are appropriated based on state population, Wood said there is concern that Missouri may lose a representative if the state's population is under-counted.
Another bill sponsored Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, would ban contributions to legislators and the governor during a legislative session, create an independent ethics investigator and expand the definition of a lobbyist.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, announced Tuesday that Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, would fill the post as the committee's vice-chairman.
Both Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, and House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Jackson County, said those cases created a perception of corruption at the Capitol.
Senate Republican leader Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said in the governor's press release, "I look forward to Director Kerr being an important part of the bipartisan effort by Gov. Nixon and the General Assembly to build a robust economic climate in Missouri."
On the other side of the aisle, Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields says he doesn't want to pinpoint ethical issues on Democrats, or St. Louis Democrats for that matter.
The Senate's current president pro tem -- Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph -- sponsored the current funding formula. He said said the court's decision came as no surprise. He said the funding formula is not based on taxing capacity or tax rates of local school districts, but rather "on what it actually costs to educate a child."
In response to her marriage, President Pro Tem of the Senate Republican Charlie Shields said the 2004 constitutional amendment bans gay marriage in Missouri and would not change her Missouri marital status.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said he does not recognize Justus' marriage in this state. But despite disagreeing with her personal decision to get married, Shields said nothing will change inside the Capitol.
"The reality is this is a group of legislators who feel very strongly about reining in tax credits and that's probably an appropriate discussion," President Pro Tem Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said.
At the conclusion of Thursday's session, the Senate's top Republican, Charlie Shields, of St. Joseph, called on the body to consider compromise during an extended Easter weekend and in the five remaining weeks of the legislative session.
Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, spoke of a 17-year-old boy convicted of statutory rape after having consensual sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend. According to the senator, one parent of the 14-year-old girl turned the boy in as leverage against the other parent.
In his opening address to the Senate, Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, spoke about tough economic times in Missouri and repeatedly referenced the need to reform higher education in the state.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, also said he liked what Nixon said about job creation. But Shields said he thinks the use of unauthorized stimulus money in balancing the state budget is imprudent.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said the elevated level of communication maintained between the governor's office and legislative leaders can help prevent a repetition of the state budget communication breakdown that happened under Holden's administration.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said he is doubtful about the feasibility of Nixon's promise to spare public higher education institutions from budget cuts. Noting that there is not yet a consensus state budget for 2010, Shields said making promises about the next fiscal year could be risky.
The seminar is one of several put on by the Senate President Pro-Temp Charlie Shields and are designed to give the senators a chance to gain a comprehensive view of the energy policy that is up for debate this legislative session. While time ran out before all the senators could ask their questions, meetings with energy lobbyists continued after the seminar in the offices of many senators.
Similar positive comments about Nixon came from the Senate's Republican President Pro Tem, Charlie Shields. "He has, at this point, surrounded himself with great staff and they have a history of this floor of the building of working with legislators."
In preparation for the Congressional redistricting required following the 2010 Census, President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, announced the members of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.
In preparation for the Congressional redistricting required following the 2010 Census, President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, announced the members of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.
The Senate's top leader, Sen. President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, joked that it maybe was an effort by AmerenUE to protest the legislature's refusal to approve a rate-increase plan for a new nuclear power plant.
Republican Sens. Charlie Shields of St. Joseph and Luann Ridgeway of Cole County sponsored the bills and say ending the tax gives money back to Missouri job producers.
Republican Sens. Charlie Shields of St. Joseph and Luann Ridgeway of Cole County sponsored the bills and say ending the tax gives money back to Missouri job producers.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said he has no doubt successful passage of the bill will meet a mid-March time frame, but he expressed a need to sort out the bill's job creation and tax credit goals.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said he has no doubt successful passage of the bill will meet a mid-March time frame, but he expressed a need to sort out the bill's job-creation and tax credit goals.
With overcast skies and temperatures hovering around freezing, Kinder, Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields and House Speaker Ron Richard all said they appreciated that Nixon kept the speech short -- just eleven minutes.
Newly elected Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields spoke about the higher education system being 'disorganized' in his opening speech to the Missouri Senate.