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The state is trying to tighten it's financial belt just like the rest of America.
This time state legislators are trying to work less.
A bill in the general assembly would shorten the legislative session by about a month, with the session ending in late March instead of mid-May.
Chief Clerk Adam Crumbliss said the legislature could save about a half a million dollars by letting members leave about a month early.
The state would save about a hundred dollars per day, per legislator; that's the amount of per diem each legislator earns during session.
A question nobody seems to be asking is, what impact would the sessions early departure have on local businesses?
Crumbliss said, "From our standpoint that's something we don't look at operationally in the House of Representatives but certainly as you remove a population base that is here doing business and commerce for a month period that's certainly going to have some kind of an impact on the Jefferson City economy".
Rob Agee owns Madison's Cafe, he said, "I think it would have a detrimental effect on Jefferson City and Mid-Missouri in general including Columbia and the Lake of the Ozarks. There are a lot of legislative functions that go down to the Lake of the Ozarks and some of the other ones will go up to Columbia".
"It would be bad for the people of Jefferson City but it would be even worse for the people of our state. People make mistakes when they're rushed, there have been numerous instances over the past 10 to 15 years when the legislature has made a mistake and they've had to come back and fix it later" said Representative Jay Barnes of Jefferson City.
Barnes said he doesn't think the bill has a chance of passing either the house or the Senate. If approved by the full Senate and House, it would appear before voters on the November ballot.
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