Truman’s Day at the Capitol
February 11th, 2010By Greg Goodwin,
2009 Intern for Rep. McClanahan.
This Tuesday, I returned with 39 other students to the Capitol to advocate on behalf of Truman State University and our House district. After my internship with Representative McClanahan during last session, I returned to Truman State University to finish my education. Upon my return, I joined Student Senate as Legislative Director. A key aspect of my job is to monitor legislation as it passes through the General Assembly and to organize trips for students to visit with legislators in our effort to both learn about and influence the process.
Rep. McClanahan with faculty and students of the athletic training program at Truman State University.
As we all know, the current budget situation has forced the General Assembly to re-examine priories. In the past, the General Assembly has graciously provided our University with funds needed to continue operating. This year, Governor Jay Nixon was able to negotiate an agreement between his office and the Presidents of the public universities to minimize budget cuts if they will hold tuition steady. As both a student and a lifetime resident of District 2, I know the importance of this agreement. In California for example, some public universities were forced to raise tuition by 32 percent over the Christmas holiday, just to break even, while we here in Missouri have enjoyed stable tuition for a period of time!
It is vitally important for citizens of the district to visit with legislators and remind them how important things like Truman State University are not only to our district, but also to our state. At the same time, we also expressed our thanks to legislators like Representative McClanahan and Senator Shoemyer for their tireless support of our public institutions. Representative McClanahan has been incredibly responsive to our needs, and I am incredibly grateful for her advocacy on our behalf. I learned a great deal from my experience in the Representatives office last year and I hope to continue to use that experience to influence others to more fully participate in the legislative process.
