By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO –
| To read Gov. Blunt's call for a special session, click here. |
The Missouri General Assembly's special session is officially underway, with some Senate Democrats questioning how it's being conducted.
Lawmakers will address a scaled-down economic development bill and remove a glitch that's delaying repair work on more than 800 bridges across the state.
But during the Senate's opening session Monday afternoon, Democrat Joan Bray of St. Louis questioned the narrowness of what they're allowed to do during the special session.
"I'm really interested in what we can do here in light of this call being so specific," Bray said. "Where is that line between legislative and being the executive, and when we're told very specifically what we can do, and then what can't we do, and then what really can we do."
Senate President Pro-tem Michael Gibbons admitted the range of issues they're allowed to discuss is rather narrow, but also said the state constitution allows the governor to set those limits.
The State House, meanwhile, has formally introduced the two bills and will hold hearings on them Tuesday.