Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Local Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State Rep. Terry Thompson urges more local control, criticizes legislative amendment practice
Summary
During public comment at the Oct. 14 Richmond council meeting, State Representative Terry Thompson urged giving more power to local governments, criticized the practice of tacking amendments onto bills, and apologized that local public safety and transit tax measures did not reach committee this year.
State Representative Terry Thompson addressed the Richmond City Council during the public comment period on Oct. 14, urging stronger local authority and criticizing how amendments are handled in the state legislature.
Thompson said his campaign emphasizes "Faith and Family" and he urged more coordination among local entities — city, county and school districts — with the goal of returning more decision-making to local governments and reducing state regulation. He described the recent legislative session as crowded, noting roughly 1,700 bills filed in the Missouri House and about 900 in the Senate, and said only about 42 bills reached the governor's desk. He criticized what he described as the practice of tacking amendments onto bills and said his committee does not accept amendments in his view of the process.
Thompson apologized to the city that proposals for a public safety tax and a transit tax did not reach a committee this year and said he was discouraged by the outcome. He questioned why the state must approve a local tax measure before it can be presented to voters and said, in his view, the decision should rest with residents. He also commended the city for passing its FY26 budget and reiterated that the state mandates public safety but does not always provide corresponding funding.
No council action followed these comments; the remarks were recorded as part of the public-comment period.
