HCS SB 589 -- CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES

SPONSOR:  Bartle (Pratt)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Judiciary
by a vote of 12 to 0.

This substitute authorizes the transfer of one division of the
circuit court in Jackson County from the City of Kansas City to
the City of Independence and the addition of one circuit court
judge in the 16th Circuit consisting of Jackson County; the 26th
Circuit consisting of Camden, Laclede, Miller, Moniteau, and
Morgan counties; the 31st Circuit consisting of Greene County;
the 32nd Circuit consisting of Perry, Bollinger, and Cape
Girardeau counties; and the 33rd Circuit consisting of
Mississippi and Scott counties.

The new judge in the 26th Circuit will be initially appointed by
the Governor and then elected in 2008 for a six-year term to
begin in 2009.  The judges in the 31st and 33rd circuits will be
elected for a six-year term in 2008.  One judge in the 33rd
Circuit will be elected in 2006 and the other in 2008.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of $903,464
in FY 2007, $1,385,188 in FY 2008, and $1,423,426 in FY 2009.  No
impact on Other State Funds in FY 2007, FY 2008, and FY 2009.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill is necessary to provide
the circuits with enough judges to alleviate the problems
associated with overcrowding in the courts.

Testifying for the bill was Representative Pratt for Senator
Bartle.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Alex Curchin, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:46 am