14 Blue Springs City Guide
2012
Opening Doors, Unlocking Dreams
The Examiner
GOVERNMENT
• Missouri GRI, LTG, PMN
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816.419.1166
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE
Jill@jillwestlund.com 816.373-1050 • 816.246.7500
ANDERSON’S 1002
RENTAL ITEMS
26305 Wyatt, Blue Springs, MO 64015
229-RENT
(7368)
Equipment Rental & Sales • U-Cart Concrete Construction • Homeowner
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Then & Now Jewelry No silly gimmicks just great prices. We buy gold, silver, platinum, Rolex and diamonds. • watch batteries • ins. appraisals
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Open Tuesday - Saturday 617 SW US 40 Hwy, Blue Springs, MO 64014 • 816-228-1270
Missouri government structure similar to that of federal government It’s not official yet, but Missouri is likely to soon cross the 6 million mark in population if it hasn’t already. The 2010 census put the state at 5.88 million, and the officials project a population of 6.18 million in 2015. Official 2012 estimates are due later this year. Those more or less 6 million Missourians are represented by 197 state legislators and served by six statewide officeholders in state government, including the governor. State government in Missouri is organized in a way similar to the federal government, with a supreme court, governor and legislature. The General Assembly has two parts. The House of Representatives has 163 members, each elected to two-year terms. The Senate has 34 members, elected for four-year terms. The lieutenant governor is president and presiding officer of the Senate. The General Assembly meets each year from January through midMay and again in late summer to consider acting on any bills the governor may have vetoed. The governor also can call a special session to deal with specific issues. To pass a law, legislation is first introduced in either the House or the Senate. Once it is introduced, it is moved to a committee. If a bill gets committee review and approval, it goes back to the floor of the house where it was introduced. If the legislation passes, it moves to the other legislative body and goes through the same process. If it is passed in the second house, it moves to a conference committee, which is made up of members of both
houses. The committee compromises to come up with the final bill that is then approved or rejected by the House and Senate. After this process is completed, the governor receives the bill and can sign it into law, veto it or allow it to go into effect without his signature. Most new laws go into effect in late August. The General Assembly meets in Jefferson City, which has been the capital since 1826, just five years after Missouri became a state. Five of the six constitutional officers are elected to four years at the same time as presidential elections, so voters this November will chose a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state treasurer. The state auditor is elected to a four-year term as well. That’s in even-numbered, non-presidential years, as the same time as offyear congressional elections. For more information, visit www. mo.gov. The General Assembly website is at www.moga.mo.gov. u Governor Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon, 573-751-3222, www.gov.mo.gov u Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, 573-751-4727, www.ltgov. mo.gov u Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, 573-751-4936, www.sos. mo.gov u State Auditor Thomas A. Schweich, 573-751-4824, www.auditor. mo.gov u State Treasurer Clint Zweifel, 573-751-2441, www.treasurer.mo.gov u Attorney General Chris Koster, 573-751-3222, www.ago.mo.gov – Jeff Fox