一个月后的今天，也就是1月4日，零名议员将返回杰斐逊城，开始立法会议。他们已经在努力为他们在谈判中将要讨论的内容奠定基础。周四，申请前的窗口向州政界人士开放。这使他们有机会为本届会议制定议程。他们将有很多话题要谈，从教育到执法资金，还有国库的巨额盈余。所有这些都影响着密苏里州的人民。请欢迎政治记者迈克尔·马奥尼和鲁迪·凯勒。受欢迎的。我们知道12月对密苏里州的政治来说总是一个有趣的月份。你认为哪些问题会优先处理? MICHAEL: I THINK THE BUDGET, EDUCATION, AND PROBABLY SOME EFFORTS TO TRY AND USE SOME OF THAT SURPLUS TO IMPROVE PAY FOR SOME OF THE STATE WORKERS. A LOT OF STATE WORKERS GOT A PAY INCREASE LAST YEAR, BUT SOME HAVE HIGH TURNOVER. THE OTHER THING THAT IS BUBBLING IS THE FACT THAT THE 2024 POLITICAL SEASON HAS STARTED. THE GENERAL COUNSEL TO FORMER GOVERNOR ERIC BRIGHTENS LAST WEEK AND ANNOUNCED HE WAS RUNNING FOR SOME STATE OFFICE. HIS PRESS RELEASE INDICATED PERHAPS ATTORNEY GENERAL, BUT HE DID NOT SAY. 2024’S POLITICAL SEASON HAS STARTED. CODY: RUDY, YOU ARE IN JEFF CITY. WHAT PRIORITIES HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING ABOUT? RUDY: THAT BUDGET SURPLUS IS TEMPTING. WE HAVE $6 BILLION IN THE BANK. ALMOST $5 BILLION OTHER GENERAL REVENUE. ANOTHER $1.5 BILLION THAT CAN BE SPENT LIKE GENERAL REVENUE. IN THE SUMMER THEY PASSED A TAX CUT. THIS SUMMER THEY’RE GOING TO SPEND IT. CODY: WHERE IS THIS NUMBER -- THIS MONEY GOING TO BE GOING? RUDY: THERE WILL BE A PUSH TO MAINTAIN THE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THEY GOT LAST YEAR, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAS BEEN FUNDED. WITH ALL OF THAT MONEY YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE -- THERE IS A SENATOR FROM ST. CHARLES COUNTY WHO IS CONSIDERING A RUN FOR GOVERNOR, ONCE TO SET ASIDE MONEY TO REBUILD I 70 -- I-70. HE ALSO WANTS TO PUT ASIDE MONEY SO PROPERTY TAXES CAN BE CUT, AND HEAVY REPEAL OF THE 10 CENTS PER GALLON GAS TAX THAT WAS ENACTED. SO, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE IDEAS. CODY: I’M SURE. THEY’RE GOING TO BE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK. LET’S TALK ABOUT KANSAS. THEY DON’T HAVE A PRE-FILING. , LAWMAKERS HAVE A PRIORITY LIST. MICHAEL: KANSAS ALSO HAS A GOVERNMENT -- A SURPLUS, BUT NOWHERE NEAR THE SIZE OF MISSOURI’S. THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED BY THE FACT THAT KANSAS IS ABOUT HALF THE SIZE OF MISSOURI. THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP THERE ARE THE ISSUES WE HEARD A LOT IN THE CAMPAIGN. MEDICAID EXPANSION, NET MARIJUANA. THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH OTHER PARTS OF THEIR BUDGET SURPLUS, INCLUDING, PERHAPS, AND MORE MONEY INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING. IT WAS A HEARING THIS PAST WEEK IN TOPEKA ABOUT THIS, WHERE FOLKS FROM JOHNSON COUNTY SCHOOLS SAID, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PAYING ABOUT 90% OF THIS. YOU ARE NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO IT. IN OLATHE THEY HAD FOLKS SAY THEY ARE ONLY GETTING 54% OF THE MONEY THEY EXPECT FROM TOPEKA. THEY ARE HAVING TO PULL MONEY FROM THEIR GENERAL FUND INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION. LOOK FOR THAT TO BE A BIG THING AS WELL. IN TERMS OF PRE-FILING, A COUPLE OF THINGS I NOTICED IN ADDITION TO WHAT RUDY WAS TALKING ABOUT IS THAT A LEGISLATOR WANTS TO CLOSE THE MISSOURI PRIMARY SYSTEM. IN OTHER WORDS, HAVE DEMOCRATS VOTE IN A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, REPUBLICANS IN A REPUBLICAN PRIMARY, AND INDEPENDENCE WILL NOT BE INVOLVED. THERE IS A ST. LOUIS REP THAT WANTS TO END LOCAL CONTROL OF THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT. CODY: REVERSE WHAT KANSAS CITY IS TALKING ABOUT? MICHAEL: EVERYBODY IN THE STATE VOTED ON THIS. IT WAS ON THE BALLOT OVER HERE AS WELL. NOW THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT SENDING IT BACK TO A BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS LIKE WE HAVE IN KANSAS CITY. CODY: THE CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS IS NO MORE. WILL WE SEE LESS GRIDLOCK IN 2023? RUDY: THAT IS ONLY IF THE REPUBLICANS CAN CONTINUE TO SING IN HARMONY. [LAUGHTER] IF IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT SOME OF THESE IDEAS, LIKE REPEALING PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, OR IF SOME OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL IDEAS, SUCH AS MANNING WHAT THEY CALL CRT IN SCHOOLS DOES NOT GET SOME FOR TIME YOU VERY WELL COULD SEE A REBELLION. CODY