Parson calls special session concurrent with veto session
Gov. Mike Parson called a special legislative session Thursday concurrent with the Missouri General Assembly’s annual veto session.
The session will take place Sept. 10-14 and will focus on legislation dealing with “computer science course access and awareness of career opportunities through STEM education as well as expanding treatment courts in the State of Missouri,” Parson’s office said in a news release.
“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 the release. “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.”
Parson hopes the General Assembly will pass legislation directing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish an online program to educate students about STEM careers, according to the release. Passing the bill during the special session will allow DESE to start implementing the program in the 2019-2020 school year, Parson’s office said.
The legislation would also allow multiple companies to apply to provide the program. Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, sponsored one version of the bill in the regular session.
The treatment court legislation will focus on reforms to treatment courts through the state, the release said.
The release says both House and Senate leadership have endorsed the plan for the special session.
Parson vetoed bills on STEM education and treatment courts passed during the regular session because of “problematic language that had been added,” the release said.
