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Missouri Special Session Will Address Drug Treatment, STEM Issues

Missouri legislators will soon head back to Jefferson City for Special Session.
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Missouri legislators will soon head back to Jefferson City for Special Session.

Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday officially called for a special session of the Missouri General Assembly next month. Drug treatment courts and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education will be among the items on the agenda.

“When I addressed the General Assembly nearly three months ago, I pledged that I would change the tone and work with the legislature,” Parson said in a statement. “This call is a step in delivering that promise. These two issues were a part of the General Assembly’s historic session as they passed a number of their priorities. By working together to come up with a more narrowly defined focus, we will have better served the people of Missouri.”

In vetoing the treatment courts legislation in July, Parson said it appeared unconstitutional because it included multiple subjects. He also vetoed a STEM education bill, citing a provision that appeared tailored for one company. Business leaders and companies, including Kansas City-based Cerner, spoke in favor of lawmakers tackling the legislation in the special session.

The session will begin Sept. 10 and be held concurrently with the annual veto session. Legislative leaders say the timing cuts down costs to taxpayers.

Samuel King is the Missouri government and politics reporter at KCUR 89.3. Follow him on Twitter: @SamuelKingNews

Copyright 2021 KCUR 89.3. To see more, visit KCUR 89.3.

Samuel covers Missouri government and politics for KCUR. He comes to KCUR from the world of local television news, where he worked for 14 years in markets like Minneapolis, New York City and Montgomery. Samuel has extensive experience covering elections and state government in states across the country. He has won Associated Press awards for spot news coverage and investigative reporting. A native of Queens, New York, Samuel also spent time growing up in Alabama. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Intergrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University.