The start of the 2013 legislative session will mark a decade of Republican leadership in the Missouri Legislature.
It was in January 2003 that Republicans took complete control of both chambers. Since then, they have cut both taxes and government services.
Most tax cuts have been targeted at businesses with a goal of spurring economic development. But the budget cuts have fallen hard on some social services. For example, thousands of people were removed from the state's Medicaid rolls.Under Republican leadership, Missouri also has expanded gun rights, restricted abortion rights and repealed limits on campaign contributions.
Funding for universities has lagged behind enrollment growth. State aid to public school districts has reached new highs, but it's still short of what's called for under a 2005 school funding law.
Follow St. Louis Public Radio on Twitter: @stlpublicradio
- See more stories on politics and policy from St. Louis Public Radio, the St. Louis Beacon and Nine Network of Public Media at BeyondNovember.org.
