State Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit) represents Callaway, Montgomery, St. Charles, Lincoln and Pike counties in the Missouri Senate. He joined us live this morning on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” and tells listeners he’s seriously considering a run to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) on Capitol Hill. Senator Fitzwater confirms he’s praying about the issue and notes opportunities like this don’t come along often. Missouri’s massive third district includes Columbia, Boonville, California, Jefferson City, Fulton, New Florence and Wentzville. Senator Fitzwater says it’s important to have a mid-Missourian in that seat. He also discussed his proposed constitutional amendment to reduce the Missouri House’s size from 163 to 102 and to modify term limits for state lawmakers. Missouri’s current term limits allow lawmakers to serve up to eight years in both chambers for a total of 16 years in Jefferson City. Senator Fitzwater’s proposed constitutional amendment would allow lawmakers to serve up to 16 years in the Legislature, regardless of which chamber. If lawmakers approve Senator Fitzwater’s measure, the issue would be placed on the statewide ballot this August or November:
(LISTEN): Mid-Missouri lawmaker wants to reduce the Missouri House’s size
A proposed constitutional amendment from a mid-Missouri state lawmaker would reduce the Missouri House’s size from 163 to 102 and would modify term limits for state lawmakers.
State Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit) is proposing Senate Joint Resolution 70, which would also require that all Missouri House districts be contained within a single Senate district. Senator Fitzwater joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri,” noting he originally filed the same proposal as a House member because he was frustrated by the way the Senate was functioning.
“House members didn’t have the influence over an individual (state) senator like I thought maybe they should. And so my idea was one is to reduce it down to the size … we have a very large (state) Legislature. And to reduce the size down to maybe like a Tennessee or the states … we’re much larger than any state that we’re surrounded by,” Senator Fitzwater says.
As for term limits, Missouri’s current term limits allow lawmakers to serve up to eight years in both chambers for a total of 16 years in Jefferson City. Senator Fitzwater’s proposed constitutional amendment would allow lawmakers to serve up to 16 years in the Legislature, regardless of which chamber. If lawmakers approve Senator Fitzwater’s measure, the issue would be placed on the statewide ballot this August or November.
He represents a number of counties in Jefferson City, including Callaway, Montgomery and St. Charles.
(LISTEN): Holts Summit state lawmaker files legislation to give state auditor subpoena power
A state senator who represents mid-Missouri’s Callaway and Montgomery counties has filed legislation to allow the state auditor to audit municipalities when it appears that wrongdoing is happening.
State Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit) has filed Senate Bill 1048, which his former Missouri House colleague and current State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick supports.
“The office will receive a complaint from somebody about mismanagement or fraud at a local government and the auditor has the ability to go conduct an investigation into that allegation but does not have the ability under the law to conduct an audit,” Auditor Fitzpatrick says.
He tells “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that current law only allows his office to conduct an audit of municipalities if citizens petition for one or if the political subdivision leaders request one. Senator Fitzwater’s bill also gives the auditor’s office subpoena power.
“We only really have the ability to audit state agencies. We can audit school districts, we can audit county governments if they don’t have their own county auditor. But outside of that we have to be invited in to audit like cities for instance or to audit a road district or an ambulance district,” says Fitzpatrick.
A similar bipartisan bill was in a conference committee during the 2023 session’s final week in May but died due to a Senate filibuster on unrelated issues. You can listen to the full interview with Auditor Fitzpatrick here.
(LISTEN): Holts Summit state lawmaker files legislation to give state auditor subpoena power
A state senator who represents mid-Missouri’s Callaway and Montgomery counties has filed legislation to allow the state auditor to audit municipalities when it appears that wrongdoing is happening.
State Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit) has filed Senate Bill 1048, which his former Missouri House colleague and current State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick supports.
“The office will receive a complaint from somebody about mismanagement or fraud at a local government and the auditor has the ability to go conduct an investigation into that allegation but does not have the ability under the law to conduct an audit,” Auditor Fitzpatrick says.
He tells “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that current law only allows his office to conduct an audit of municipalities if citizens petition for one or if the political subdivision leaders request one. Senator Fitzwater’s bill also gives the auditor’s office subpoena power.
“We only really have the ability to audit state agencies. We can audit school districts, we can audit county governments if they don’t have their own county auditor. But outside of that we have to be invited in to audit like cities for instance or to audit a road district or an ambulance district,” says Fitzpatrick.
A similar bipartisan bill was in a conference committee during the 2023 session’s final week in May but died due to a Senate filibuster on unrelated issues. You can listen to the full interview with Auditor Fitzpatrick here.
(LISTEN): Lawmaker praises MoDOT plan to improve Highway 54 near Jefferson City bridge
Look for smoother driving in the future on busy Highway 54 between Jefferson City’s Missouri River bridge all the way to the Audrain-Callaway county line north of Interstate 70.
State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) tells 939 the Eagle that the state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will resurface that entire stretch. Representative Schulte was briefed by MoDOT before Christmas.
“They’re also adding a third lane or another lane between the Missouri River bridge (in Jefferson City) and the Highway 63-94 overpass so that traffic coming out of Jefferson City and going north will have an extra lane to help relieve some of that traffic congestion,” Representative Schulte says.
He also says MoDOT wants to utilize as many Missouri contractors as possible for the $2.8 billion project to rebuild and expand I-70 to six lanes from St. Louis to Kansas City. He says the agency plans to award a contract in February for I-70’s Columbia to Kingdom City stretch.
“That is what they shared with us in the meeting … that they’re going to try to keep as many of these contracts and jobs in Missouri as they can to help Missourians,” says Schulte.
Representative Schulte’s district includes parts of Fulton as well as Holts Summit, New Bloomfield, Millersburg and Williamsburg.