Columbia

Columbia Business School’s Bruce Usher

A fresh initiative from Columbia Business School is boosting the pace at which educators can take on the challenge of climate change.

Designed as a collaborative tool, the Open Climate Curriculum aims to expedite the mission of addressing climate change, because educators now have unprecedented access to an ever-growing content database. Currently, materials come from such business schools as Harvard, MIT, Wharton, NYU Stern, Duke, and Berkeley Haas, among others, and are open to educators — faculty or staff — worldwide.

“Many schools have reached out to me at this point which is terrific, and plan to start reaching out to more schools next year — particularly schools outside of the U.S.,” says Bruce Usher, professor of professional practice and the Elizabeth B. Strickler ’86 and Mark T. Gallogly ’86 faculty director of Columbia’s Tamer Center for Social Enterprise.

THE TIME TO SHARE IS NOW

Why this tool, and why now? The answer won’t come as a shock.

“The issues around climate change and business are shifting rapidly. There’s a time limit here,” says Usher. “If we share materials and cooperate with each other, it will all go a little faster.”

Usher and the team officially announced the platform during the COP28 conference in Dubai earlier this month. The platform has built-in translation, because materials will be shared internationally; Usher says he was pleased to get feedback that the translation tool worked quite well.

“Traditionally, faculty do not share curriculum and materials, but what I’ve found is that faculty teaching climate change are very willing to share,” he says. “I’ve been asked, ‘Why is that?’ My belief is that people who teach climate change are mission-driven.”

“We all develop teaching materials,” he continues. “Over time we improve ours, others improve theirs, but climate change is an unusual topic, because there’s an urgency to teaching it. We have a limited amount of time to educate students, to get them out of the workforce so they can help tackle the issue. The faster we teach them, the faster they get to work on this, the better chance we have of addressing climate change.”

NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY

Usher has a few goals in mind for the future of the platform. “What I hope is that this truly leads to a couple of things. One is a true global sharing of teaching material on climate change, two is open access, and three is – we have to step back, why are we doing this?

Typically in academia, it’s quite common to see a good amount of criticism with ideas like these and opinions, he says, but Usher hasn’t seen this so far.

“I’ve gotten a really positive response. It’s actually unbelievable. Every faculty member I have spoken to at every school all over the world has the same answer – ‘happy to share.’”

DON’T MISS: CLIMATE CHANGE JOBS: HOW BUSINESS SCHOOLS CAN FILL THE GAP and SUSTAINABILITY MEETS BUSINESS: HEC PARIS AND COLUMBIA LAUNCH DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAM

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A new art program will create a city-wide palette of public art collaborations celebrating Columbia’s access to its rivers, and also craft diverse artistic visions shared across its business and public spaces.

Mayor Daniel J. Rickenmann recently announced the new Columbia Streams Art public art program during a public ceremony at Boyd Plaza, according to a news release. During the ceremony, Rickenmann revealed a leaping trout sculpture painted in the colors of the City of Columbia flag, a large-scale urban canvas featuring art from Columbia area artists as well as images streamed digitally from artists in Columbia’s sister city of Kaiserslautern, Germany, and three vibrantly painted reproduction newspaper vending machines that will become community lending libraries.

“The fabric of Columbia is vibrant with streams of creativity flowing from every direction,” said Mayor Daniel J. Rickenmann. “As more are choosing to live, work, and play in our community, we want to ensure there are new, exciting, and thought-provoking public art installations for all to enjoy and contribute to. Columbia Streams Art is another stream for local artists of all ages to contribute to our bustling public art scene.”

Speaking during the presentation with Rickenmann were Columbia Museum of Art Executive Director Della Watkins, and Stormwater Studios artist Stephen Chesley, who shared perspectives of how public displays of art invigorate our public spaces, and reflect multiple aspects of our culture, the release stated.

Columbia Streams Art is a multi-faceted arts program designed to engage Columbia’s creative community by inviting local artists and students to express their imaginations through unique projects for display throughout the city. Components of the Columbia Streams Art public art program will include:

• To directly celebrate Columbia’s connection to rivers, thirty-five leaping trout sculptures will be painted/decorated by students from Richland County School District 1 high schools and Midlands area institutions of higher learning, and a selection local artists. Columbia area artists can click here to submit their proposals for consideration. A stipend will be provided to the selected artists, and after the trout sculptures have been painted they will be auctioned with proceeds utilized to expand public art programs in Columbia.
• The Columbia Streams Art program will also sponsor creation and presentation of travelling urban canvasses to display a variety of interconnected local and international creative visions. Each urban canvas will feature placement of different portrayals of art or photography to craft a total kaleidoscopic presentation, and then be presented for public viewing across Columbia communities.
• Additionally, 24 reproductions of newspaper vending machines will be painted by children attending a variety of different North Columbia community centers and after-school programs, and then the vibrantly-painted machines will be filled with books to become free lending libraries and placed across communities in the area.

< Originally Appeared Here

From the middle of the middle, Missouri artists turned in another year of remarkable music.

From singer-songwriters to singular bands, nationally-revered rappers to homegrown breakthroughs, the state was humming in 2023. Here are 10 of my favorite Missouri-made records of the year, alphabetical by artist — with a few more for great measure.

Black Bear Boxer, “Tranquilizer” (Columbia)

Bandleader Derrick Cowan fleshed out his musical vision with around 25 collaborators, crafting a record in the vein of great concept albums and rock operas.

Beth Bombara, “It All Goes Up” (St. Louis)

Easily among the best songwriters St. Louis has known, Bombara adds a number of worthy cuts to her personal canon and hints at something like hope for the rest of us at a broken moment.

Enemy Airship, “Emperor Somehow” (St. Louis)

After a series of stellar EPs, these Columbia ex-pats delivered a deeply satisfying full-length, marked by its gliding guitar-rock momentum and artful depth.

Rae Fitzgerald, “Say I Look Happy” (Columbia)

Ever-evolving by degrees, one of Columbia’s finest songwriters sifts religious trauma, distinctly American sins and questions of identity against a lush indie-folk backdrop.

Rochara Knight and the Honey Doves, self-titled (Columbia)

On their debut, this local soul collective surrounds leader Knight’s rich vocals with rocksteady playing and rich harmonies.

Shady Bug, “What’s the Use? EP” (St. Louis)

Led by Hannah Rainey, part of the longtime Columbia sister act Dubb Nubb, this six-song set charges ahead with a dynamic indie-rock approach that recalls the spirit of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Diet Cig and more.

Tech N9ne, “Bliss” (Kansas City)

The king of Kansas City hip-hop unites all sides of himself while delivering one of the most soulful, downright joyous records of his career.

Tri-County Liquidators, “Cut My Teeth” (Columbia)

On their debut full-length, this local five-piece surveys the history of indie rock, uniting collected artifacts to form something completely refreshing.

Van Ghost, “Songs About Feelings” (Columbia)

The Columbia rapper creates a cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow document, both laying back into and getting ahead of the neon blue groove he and his cohorts create.

The Whiffs, “Scratch ‘N’ Sniff” (Kansas City)

Call them power pop. Call them garage rock. However you brand these 13 songs, they chime like bells, reverberating well past the record’s 38-minute run time.

Honorable mention

Many more Missouri records stand out from the year in music. Among them:

Degrave, “Volume” (Columbia); Dragon Inn 3, “Trade Secrets” (Kansas City); Drona, “Keen Eyes with a Grim Smile” (Columbia); John Galbraith Trio, “Anywhere” (Columbia); The Onions, “Coy Pond” (Columbia); Telepathy Club, “Skelly EP” (Columbia); True Lions/Fritz Hutchison, self-titled (Kansas City); Lizzie Weber, “Fidalgo” (St. Louis)

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He’s on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.

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COLUMBIA − A new Columbia store taps into Black history to give aspiring business owners a launch pad. The Shops at Sharp End held a soft opening on Friday and fully opened on Wednesday. 

The store offers a physical location for people trying to start a business. It’s located at the corner of Walnut Street and Fifth Street in downtown Columbia, once the heart of the city’s Black community. The Sharp End was a collection of Black-owned businesses, homes and churches. 

The Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) partnered with The District and the Regional Economic Development Inc (REDI) to set up the shop.

Federal funds helped push the store over the finish line. An American Rescue Plan Act grant through Boone County allowed the group to hire staff, including a shop manager, according to Jayme Prenger with the Missouri Women’s Business Center. 

The store is a business incubator which provides space for entrepreneurs to sell products and establish their brands. About 20 business owners offer products in the store, Prenger said. The store is set up to support double that number.

“[It’s] for retail businesses that want to get started but they just don’t know exactly where to start,” Prenger said. “They don’t have the funds for the overhead of having their own brick-and-mortar, things like that.”

The store also plans to hire a business coach and will offer a six-month-long workshop. It’s a chance for business owners to test their products on the market, Prenger said. 

Anyone can apply to be a vendor, but it places an emphasis on Black-owned businesses like Black Tea Bookshop, run by former Columbia Public Schools teacher Candace Hulsizer. 

Black Tea is a curated bookshop that focuses on Black stories and authors, Hulsizer said. The store offers a variety of children’s books, novels and memoirs.

Hulsizer was a second-grade teacher and reading specialist with CPS for around 20 years. She was also an adjunct professor at the MU College of Education and Human Development. 

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Hulsizer said there is a “huge gap” in the types of books available to students. Minority students don’t see themselves represented in enough stories, Hulsizer said.

“As a mom, as a reader myself, and then as a teacher myself, I realized that it was part of my responsibility, and what I wanted to do, to fill in that landscape,” Hulsizer said.

The store is a passion project for Hulsizer, who also has a full-time job. She hopes to open up new worlds for both kids and adults. 

“This is my dream,” Hulsizer said. “My dream is to be able to be around books, to talk about stories, and to get these stories into the hands of our community.”

Hulsizer heard about the incubator through the Missouri Women’s Business Center, where she’s been getting advice on how to grow her business. Hulsizer said she plans to host pop-up events and eventually open a physical location.

Christina Jones visited the store Friday to support Hulsizer, who’s a friend. She said the history behind the Sharp End carries on through the store. 

“As I was walking to the shop from my parking space, in my mind, I thought about how this may have looked years, years ago,” Jones said. 

Customers can also buy clothes, drinks, hand-crocheted animals and spices at the store. Prenger said the shop will be “kind of like a revolving door” of business owners. It will offer space for business owners until they can set up on their own.

“This really is a program to build them up so that they can stand on their own,” Prenger said. “And they have the skills and the knowledge and things that they need to start their own business.”

The store, located at 500 East Walnut St. Suite 109, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. This Saturday, the store will be open from 10 a.m. to noon. Click here to apply to be a vendor at the store.

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Mark Cuban is no fan of jargon — and the billionaire is far from alone.

It may be tempting to try slipping in a more complicated word when you want to impress someone, like your boss or a potential employer. But using jargon words when you could opt for something simple and clear instead, typically has the opposite effect, according to Cuban.

“Always use the simpler word,” Cuban told Wired in an October video Q&A.

When asked for the “business buzzword” that annoys him the most, Cuban immediately had one in mind.

“There’s no reason to ever use the word ‘cohort’ when you could use the word ‘group,'” he said. “A cohort is a group of people. Say ‘group.’ You sound stupid when you use the word ‘cohort,’ because you’re trying to sound smart.”

Corporate jargon and buzzwords often wear on the nerves of those who hear them repeatedly. Terms like “new normal,” “company culture” and “circle back” topped a recent list of most annoying examples, according to a survey of more than 1,500 Americans conducted by language learning platform Preply.

Cuban is in agreement with the likes of fellow billionaire Warren Buffett, who likes to keep things as simple as possible. Buffett writes his annual shareholders letter as if he’s speaking to his two sisters — which, of course, means no jargon — he said in 2019.

Elon Musk, currently the world’s wealthiest person, also disdains jargon, especially in the workplace.

“Don’t use acronyms or nonsense words for objects, software or processes at Tesla. In general, anything that requires an explanation inhibits communication,” he wrote in a 2018 letter to Tesla employees. “We don’t want people to have to memorize a glossary just to function at Tesla.”

Using overly-complicated words in order to sound intelligent actually has the opposite effect: It makes you sound less intelligent and can also muddle your message, studies show.

“We use jargon when we’re feeling insecure, to try to help us feel like we have a higher status,” Adam Galinsky, a Columbia Business School professor of leadership and ethics, wrote in an August article for the school’s website.

That creates an effect where using overly-complicated terms, where simpler ones would easily suffice, gives off the impression that you’re insecure about your own intelligence and trying to overcompensate. Instead, you’re better off speaking plainly and concisely, according to experts.

“People who have higher status are more concerned with articulating themselves and communicating effectively,” Galinsky wrote. In other words: It’s the most effective way to get your point across, and it’s more likely to impress than overreaching with jargon.

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to “Shark Tank,” which features Mark Cuban as a panelist.

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Three years after taking the dual role of MU chancellor and UM System president, Mun Choi’s pay package has quietly approached $1 million through decisions made in a series of closed-door curators meetings.

An attorney who works with Missouri open meetings law argued decisions on Choi’s salary should be made in public.

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Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA – The Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing Thursday night to hear comments on proposed short-term rental (STR) regulations. This is the first public hearing for the current draft.

STRs are housing options that are typically seen as alternatives to hotels, such as Airbnb or Vrbo.

The city defines a STR as a “residential dwelling unit, portion of a dwelling unit or room within a residential dwelling unit rented by a transient guest.” An STR guest is someone who stays for less than 30 days. Any agreement for 30 days or more is a long-term rental. 

A report from 2022 found more than 300 STRs in city limits, but the city says these STRs are currently operating illegally.

“This is not a residential use. This is a home-based business or a commercial use,” Sharon Geuea Jones, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said. “Given that it is a commercial use, there is nothing that allows a property to be used in that way in our current ordinances.”

Jeff Galen is the president of the Columbia Apartment Association. Despite owning several STRs, he does not own one in Columbia.

“Right now I advise most people not to start a short-term rental until this gets resolved,” Galen said.

He says he represents Columbia STR owners who are worried about the proposed regulation ordinance.

“These are small-time mom-and-pop businesses,” Galen said. “So it’s a problem.”

The drafted ordinance would define short-term rentals as well as establish safety standards; collect same lodging tax hotel customers pay; regulate where they could be located; limit the number of STR licenses a person can own; and limit the number of days a customer can rent them.

The regulations the Planning and Zoning Commission drafted would create a three-tier program to classify STRs.

Properties in tier one can only be rented for a total of 30 days in an entire year. That time limit goes up to 120 days in tier two. STRs rented out more than 120 days are considered tier three. 

Columbia Board of Realtors member Shawna Nuener says the board wants the drafted regulations to be more simplified.

“There’s these tiers that get very complicated to even figure out what the rules are,” Nuener said. “It would be very easy for a lot of people to inadvertently break the rules without even meaning too.”

Patrick Zenner, city development services manager, says the tiers limit the number of residences in neighborhoods that can be converted to commercial use.

“The Commission’s focus has been on providing an opportunity to ensure the housing stock that is available at an attainable level is not lost,” Zenner said.

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Geuea Jones says the commission saw the need. 

“What we saw was a lot of homes that are normally priced in the starter home range, so under $200,000, were being bought up and being used as full-time, short-term rentals,” Geuea Jones said.

But Galen argues that STRs don’t impact affordable housing.

“Unfortunately we’re talking about 370 short-term rentals, out of 53,000 homes in the city,” Galen said. “We do know that it is a problem, and we want to see that problem addressed, but this is not where we deal with it at.”

Galen added that the proposed time limits would make it harder for STR owners to make a profit.

“The majority amount, on a nationwide basis, rent their homes for 250 days or more a year,” Galen said. “At 120 days, it becomes questionable whether the business is viable. At 30 days, which is also written in that ordinance, it doesn’t make sense to do a short-term rental.”

In 2022, more than 400 residents responded to a survey from the city regarding STRs.

A majority did not believe there should be regulations on the number of STR licenses someone could have. The majority also believed there should not be a limit on the number of days an STR could be rented out per year.

“People do support us owners in making sure we can continue to have short-term rentals,” Galen said.

The city is encouraging STR owners concerned about the limits to also get long-term rental licenses. Those would allow for properties to be rented out for 30 days or more at a time. 

The same property can be used as a long-term and a STR.

“The ordinance does not forbid an individual the opportunity to rent on a long-term basis concurrently,” Zenner said.

But for Galen and other STR owners, the fear is that the ordinance as written will run them out of business. For now, he just appreciates the fact the regulations have not made it past City Council.

“We continue to operate our businesses,” Galen said. “It’s the moment that this gets passed in bad form that we have concerns because then it shuts us down.”

The public hearing begins at 7 p.m. Thursday in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia and LiUNA Local 955 continued negotiations over the city’s water distribution workers’ salaries on Tuesday with the union saying that progress was made. 

The two sides met at the Columbia Convention and Visitors Center at 1:30 p.m. with negotiations lasting over an hour. According to the union, the negotiations will impact 23 of the city’s water distribution employees. 

This comes after Local 955 wrote in on Monday statement that negotiations with the city were “going south” and that they would “be announcing serious escalatory actions or we will be announcing that a deal is in place.” 

While no deal was reached, union representative Andrew Hutchinson said the two sides took a step in the right direction. 

“We were able to make some significant strides in this negotiation,” Hutchinson said after the meeting.  “The city is willing to have a discussion on how we can move these workers into the collective bargaining agreement in a way that is equitable, transitions them and does not disadvantage them.” 

Hutchinson added that the union is hoping to reach a deal by the end of the year. 

“There are still a lot of details that need to be hashed out,” Hutchinson said. “But we went from the city saying we’re not interested in negotiating to now making some significant strides.” 

The city told ABC 17 News in a statement on Tuesday, that it provided a 4% increase to all employees in June. Then in October, employees “received a minimum of 2% depending on where they fell on the pay scale compared to the new minimum for their position outlined in the City’s classification and compensation study. This was agreed to by the Water and Light Association,” the city wrote in an email to ABC 17 News.  

“They felt that Water and Light had already received pay increases and our position is we need to make sure these guys are being slotted into the Local 955 agreement,” Hutchinson said. “So, we didn’t want to move into negotiations next year with these guys far behind because it was just going to overcomplicate things so we are trying to get them to where our other members are now” 

Water distribution workers rallied outside of City Hall in October after they claimed the city violated their rights under the Missouri Constitution. Water distribution wanted to join Local 995 for better wages and working conditions. 

Over the summer, water distribution workers requested that the city recognize their attempt to join Local 955. That request came on July 20th. The City didn’t hold a meeting about it until September 11th, which frustrated water workers who accused the city of dragging their feet, according to Hutchinson. 

According to the release from Local 955, the two parties traded proposals until September 15th when the city decided to ignore negotiations and just implement its own budget. 

Eventually, the City Council approved voluntary recognition for LiUNA Local 955 on Oct. 16. 

Hutchinson said they are expecting a counter proposal from the city within the next two weeks. 

“The City continues to negotiate with Loal 955, which those employees are now members of, on how to position them into the 955 pay plan,” the city told ABC 17 News in an email on Tuesday.  “The City of Columbia charter prohibits us from getting into negotiation details, but we continue to negotiate terms with Local 955.”

Originally Appeared Here

You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but a less well-known but equally important “holiday” is sandwiched between the two dates: Small Business Saturday. 

Columbia County Helping Undo Boundaries (H.U.B.) has organized a free “Small Business Saturday Shop Small Event” that will be held at Wild Currant Catering at 201 S 1st St. in St. Helens from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 25. 

This event is free and will include Santa and Elf photos, free ornament making, free samples for community restaurants, and a vendor area. 

Columbia County H.U.B. Board Chair and event organizer Amanda Normine detailed why Small Business Saturday is so important, especially in small communities. 

“When you shop at a local small business, 70 percent of the money that you spend stays in the local community. When you shop at, say, Walmart, 40 percent or less stays here local,” Normine said. “A lot of these little shops don’t have huge marketing budgets, so you don’t really know they exist until you happen to be walking down Columbia Boulevard one day. Small Business Saturday is meant to promote these little businesses that we love.” 

Normine said she thinks a lot of people think they need to go to bigger cities like Portland to find the products they want, when in reality, they may be local and just not know about them. Normine said the Shop Small Event they are putting on is to bring people out to support their local shops.  

Wild Currant Catering will host the event as a “last hurrah” for the business as it will be ceasing operations at the end of November. Normine said that the event will be a “goodbye” to longtime Wild Currant owner Doug Boyes. As an homage to Boyes, Normine said the event will feature a charcuterie contest. 

“We’re having a charcuterie contest in his honor. You have to shop local for at least two of the items and highlight where you got them. It’s all about presentation because Doug loves a good presentation,” Normine said. 

Normine said that the first 20 people who come to the event with a receipt from any Columbia County small business will get a “Shop Small” tote bag. 

In addition to the charcuterie contest, there will be a variety of local food, goods, and wares.  

Normine said there will be “eats and treats” from local businesses like Plymouth Pub and Victoricos for folks to sample. Five or six vendors will also have jewelry, candles, and other items. Normine also said that she hopes people will head over to nearby local businesses like 2Cs Vendor Mall. 2Cs Vendor Mall hosts more than 70 vendors, according to 2Cs’ website. 

“The goal is we get them to start with us, and then they keep going down First Street, and up Columbia Boulevard,” Normine said. “We’re highlighting the mainstreet corridor in St. Helens because of the amount of shopping and small businesses we have there.”  

In addition to the food and local vendors, the event will see Santa and a helper make the trek from the North Pole to Wild Currant. The elf will be there for the duration of the event, and Santa will be available for photos from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Normine said that everyone will get a paper craft ornament made out of a free black and white photo. Normine noted that the free decorations and Santa photo op are a great way to add to the fun without cost for attendees. 

The event will feature some food and drink items for sale, as well as some other “fun fundraisers,” which will help support the Columbia County H.U.B.’s business development contest.

Overall, Normine emphasized the impact that people can have within a small community.    

“The biggest thing is just helping people to see just how important little things that they can do that can have a big impact. Maybe you don’t have a lot of money to go out and spend in your local community. Well, I challenge you to still come out on Small Business Saturday and have fun with us, and just take pictures of cool stuff and post them,” Normine said. “You can do things for free that help your neighbors pay their bills this holiday season. The money that you spend in that shop today goes in their pocket today. Do what you can for our small businesses because we are what keeps them open.”

Originally Appeared Here

As legislators prepare to return to the Capitol in January, those representing Boone County reflect upon what they were thankful for during the previous legislative session, while also looking ahead to their hopes for the 2024 legislative session.

For Reps. Adrian Plank, Kathy Steinhoff and Doug Mann, the 2023 session marked their first year in the Missouri House of Representatives. Many are thankful for the tutelage they received from senior legislators during this time.

“There were a lot of people in the House that were willing to work with us freshmen and help us get our feet underneath us so that we can hit the ground running in this upcoming session,” Mann said.

Mann, who represents the 50th District, has decided not to seek reelection next year, but he is thankful for the help he has been able to provide his constituents while in office, who he may not have met had he not been elected to the role.

“One of the things that I prided myself on was people coming to me and saying that my office was a very welcoming place that allowed them to feel heard,” Mann said. “The ability to provide that to people was something that I was very thankful for.”

Steinhoff, who represents District 45, is thankful first for her constituents who put their faith in her to represent their interests in the Missouri House. As far as the work done during the session, she is glad that legislation granting pay bumps to state workers was successful.

“I’m very thankful that we were able to give our state employees and many other people affiliated with state work raises that they were long overdue,” Steinhoff said.

In the upcoming session, Steinhoff, who previously worked as teacher at Columbia Public Schools, is hopeful to see successful legislation aimed at aiding student and educators.

“Education is kind of the thing that propelled me to even go to Jeff City, so I am optimistic that we will do some work that will either relieve some of the pressures of our educators or help our students have better opportunities with learning,” Steinhoff said.

Representing District 47, Plank was glad that some legislation he felt would not have benefited the people of the state was unsuccessful.

“We see a lot of different bills. Some of them are good. Some of them aren’t any good,” Plank said. “It’s good to be able to stop bad ones that don’t move Missourians forward and benefit the well being of our constituents.”

Beyond issues of legislation, Plank is also thankful for the help he was able to provide his constituents who sought him out while he’s been in office.

“Now that I’m in this spot, I’ve had the opportunity to help out folks in my district, in small municipalities, in rural Missouri, to help them with water treatment plants, getting grants, and all I can do to have our rural communities start to grow,” Plank said. 

Rep. David Tyson Smith, District 46, expressed thankfulness for a handful of successful bills, especially one extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to new mothers for a year after they’ve given birth. Previous coverage only lasted 60 days after delivery.

“There’s also disparities in the African American community for health care, so that’s kind of a win for everybody across the table,” Smith said. “This helps those mothers get the care that they need to reduce the mother’s mortality and other serious health issues.”

In Missouri, the average pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 32 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2018-2020, but among Black mothers, it was three times higher, at 71 out of 100,000, than among white mothers, at 23 out of 100,000. 

For those on Medicaid, the ratio of pregnancy-related deaths was 2.5 times higher than those with other health care coverage. Medicaid is health care coverage provided by the state to low-income Missouri residents.

Smith is also thankful that work done in the 2023 legislative session resulted in the creation of Women’s Veterans Appreciation Day, which will now be celebrated on June 12. This has personal significance to Smith, whose grandmother served in the Navy in World War II.

“It was hard work, but we got it done,” Smith said. Elizabeth Herrera, who works for Stephens College in Columbia, helped Smith in this effort, seeing the initiative through to the finish line.

Sen. Caleb Rowden is thankful for the successful legislation that guarantees Interstate 70 will be widened, in a move that state leaders hope will bolster the economy and attract new businesses to the state with promises of less highway congestion and improved roads for trucking goods.

“I-70 is something that we’ve been talking about ever since I got elected in 2012,” Rowden said. “It was one of my stated goals when I was running for the Senate in 2016. Now, almost being termed out and moving on, to be able to tie a bow on that is something I’m pretty proud of.”

Rep. Cheri Toalson-Reisch, District 44, is thankful for the legislation passed by the House, including a bill that she sponsored that helped members of Missouri Task Force One with reemployment following calls to active duty. It will be her final term in the house, as the 2024 session is the last that term-limits allow her to serve.

“I thought that we’ve got several good pieces of legislation passed, and I thought it was a good year,” Reisch said. “I got one of my own bills done, but I thought overall, considering the meltdown that the Senate had, we at least did get a few things passed.”

She is referring to the fact that progress in the Senate was mired by disagreements over legislation and filibusters halting progress, leading to the fewest bills being approved in a full session in the past two decades. Only 43 pieces of legislation were agreed upon between the two chambers.

More:New state reps from Boone County describe their first days at the Capitol

As legislators look towards the 2024 legislative session, increased productivity and the ability to compromise with lawmakers of either party seems a common hope shared by many Boone County legislators. 

“I’m optimistic that we’re gonna be able to come to the table and get things done and we’re gonna be able to get along,” Smith said. “It’s not going to be perfect, but we’re going to work together.”

“I’m term limited out, and so I’m looking forward to hopefully getting more good legislation passed,” Reisch said. “I’m looking forward to my final year, but it’s bittersweet.”

“I’m hopeful for a productive session, and hopeful that we are able to get some stuff done to help the people of Missouri,” Mann said.

With the 2024 elections close on the horizon, some legislators expect disruptions to the legislative process.

“Next year’s session will be during election year, and I feel like there’s gonna be a lot of grandstanding,” Plank said. “It’s usually not a good thing, because it usually attacks minorities or marginalized people. My hope is that we can move forward on things that help us.”

Although many think that the election will be disruptive to getting things accomplished in the General Assembly, other legislators hold high hopes that these assumptions are unfounded.

“I’m an eternal optimist, glass half full kind of guy,” Rowden said. “I do think we have a chance to get some really significant things done, and to try to find a way to kind of push back against the narrative. I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy, nor maybe even likely, but I do think it’s absolutely possible.”

Smith shares these hopes, which are founded in a belief that legislators and their constituents are ready to find a better, less divisive way to settle ideological differences. 

“We can solve problems without being nasty with each other and just being ugly and taking extreme positions,” Smith said. “I think we can negotiate and work together and I think people are ready for that. They’re ready for it in Columbia, Missouri, and they’re ready for it in our country.”

Originally Appeared Here