In a Missouri General Assembly session that was marked with even more partisan bickering . . . Kansas City legislators made one significant accomplishment.
Local legislators cleared the way for The Kansas City Land Bank during a contentious election cycle where not much else was accomplished for this town.
This work is exceptionally impressive to denizens of Kansas City's political scene because it's an example of local Democrats cooperating to get things done in a GOP dominate institution. This is important to realize because Mayor Sly is already planning a bunch of press conferences and even more chats with reporters in order to claim sole credit for the deal.
In the Missouri Senate Victor Callahan remains one of the few Democrat legislators with the muscle to push forward legislation.
This latest victory for State Senator Callahan continues to pique curiosity regarding the next move in his political career.
Meanwhile, in the Missouri House, the earnest efforts of Rep. John Rizzo moved forward the legislation with cooperation from across the aisle.
TKC INSIDER'S TELL US . . . The bi-partisan cooperation is noteworthy but longtime Kansas City political watchers might remember that Victor Callahan and John Rizzo's Dad Henry Rizzo (Former State Rep. And Jackson County legislator) didn't always get along . . . So . . . This bit of legislation not only crosses political lines but also generational divisions as well.
About the KC Land Bank . . . There are voices who oppose the upcoming institution but the effort to deal with Kansas City vacant properties has met with widespread support. The only realistic argument I've heard against it is that the effort could hurt the biz of folks who rehab homes . . . However, the small biz people who perform home rehab work are often a lot faster and more efficient than any government body so I'm not sure there will be much conflict in that regard.
In any event . . . The Kansas City Land Bank hopes to help clean up a great many of the vacants in this town and it's probably the most important/only thing that was accomplished for Kansas City during this session. Thanks to KC INSIDERS for offering insights into a few key players who made it happen.