With the new year comes a new session for Missouri lawmakers in Jefferson City.
On Tuesday's Up to Date, Steve Kraske talks with Missouri State University Prof. George Connor about his reaction to Gov. Jay Nixon's State of the State address. We also check in with Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander and about early voting, ethics reform and other major issues and examine what's on the table for the Missouri legislature with Missouri State Senators Jolie Justus and Will Kraus.
Jason Kander is Missouri’s Secretary of State. A former state representative and Army captain, he is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Jolie Justus is a Missouri State Senator for District 10. She was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 2006 and is the Assistant Minority Leader and Ranking Democrat on the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Justus represents Kansas City and Grandview and currently serves as the Director of Pro Bono Services for the law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. Will Kraus is a Missouri State Senator for District 8. He was elected to the Missouri State Senate after previously being elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2004. He served in the U. S. Army and has a B.S. from Central Missouri State University. Kraus has won awards such as the VFW Legislator of the Year and the “A Better Missouri for Children Award” from the Missouri PTA. Dr. George Connor is a professor at Missouri State University in the department of political science. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Houston.