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District 21 Column
Elected as Missouri State Senator for District 21, Denny Hoskins is a Certified Public Accountant from Warrensburg. Hoskins previously served as state representative for Johnson and Pettis counties, and also served as the Speaker Pro Tem of the Missouri House.
A graduate of University of Central Missouri with a bachelor's degree in accounting, he is the only CPA in the General Assembly.
In his both his personal and public life, Denny has worked on veteran's issues and has been awarded the 2014 Legislator of the Year by the Missouri American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Missouri Association of Veterans' Organizations. He is a veteran of the Missouri Army National Guard and serves on the Missouri Veteran's Commission.
Senate District 21 includes Caldwell, Carroll, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Ray and Saline counties.
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The greatest gift at Christmas
Posted Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at 2:02 PMThere’s an old Christmas song with a classic line: “Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, will find it hard to sleep tonight.” I suspect every one of us who is a parent has vivid memories of our young children waking up on Christmas morning, bright-eyed and rushing to the tree to see what Santa delivered... -
Turkey and blessings
Posted Friday, November 19, 2021, at 2:00 PMThe groceries are bought, the turkey has thawed and the house is picked up in anticipation of guests arriving for the holiday feast. If your home is like mine, Thanksgiving is one of the most anticipated days of the year. We will gather around the table, bow our heads in prayer and enjoy a scrumptious meal of turkey and all the trimmings. Afterwards, we’ll walk off some of our dinner, break out some board games or settle in to watch an NFL match-up on the television... -
Honoring America’s veterans
Posted Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at 12:54 PM“The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” Students of history will instantly recognize this as the moment in 1918 the hostilities of World War I ended. This was the announced timing of the armistice and the reason Veterans Day is celebrated on Nov. 11. Originally called Armistice Day, Nov. 11 was first set aside to honor those who fought in “The Great War,” considered at the time to be “the war to end all wars.”... -
We will never forget
Posted Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 3:16 PMNever forget! These were the words Americans spoke in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. How could any of us who were alive that day forget? I’m confident that most adult Americans – those of a certain age, anyway – hold powerful memories and emotions that were seared into their conscience on Sept. 11, 2001... -
In defense of innocent lives
Posted Friday, July 2, 2021, at 10:40 AMThis week, the General Assembly passed legislation to renew Missouri’s Federal Reimbursement Allowance program. The FRA is a critical component of the state budget because it funds nearly 40 percent of Missouri’s Medicaid program. The program, which was slated to expire in September, came up for renewal during the regular legislative session that ended in May, but the Legislature was not able to come to terms prior to the close of session... -
Down to the Wire
Posted Monday, May 17, 2021, at 12:24 PMIt’s the final week of the 2021 legislative session and we’re coming down to the wire. There’s a mad rush to get legislation passed, either in a bill’s original form or as amendments added to other bills headed to the governor’s desk. ... -
Bringing Your Tax Dollars Home
Posted Friday, May 7, 2021, at 2:05 PMThe General Assembly’s attention was focused on the budget this week as we worked toward a 6 p.m. Friday deadline to finish work on appropriations bills. The $35 billion budget approved this week fully funds the foundation formula for K-12 education and increases spending on Missouri’s public colleges and universities. ... -
Fighting the fight
Posted Friday, April 30, 2021, at 3:05 PMThis week one of the most anticipated bills of the 2021 legislative session came up for debate in the Senate chamber. The initial discussion on Senate Bill 39, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, went as might be expected. Proponents of the bill (which I am proudly one of) argued the measure is necessary to protect the rights of Missourians in the face of gun control proposals from the current administration in Washington, D.C. ... -
Focusing on the Budget
Posted Thursday, April 22, 2021, at 1:10 PMThere is only one thing the Missouri Constitution requires of the State Legislature: We must pass a balanced budget. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve been involved in that process throughout the legislative session as we’ve heard budget requests from each department of state government. This week, the budget process entered a critical stage as the committee began “mark-up” of appropriations bills sent over from the House of Representatives... -
Honoring UCM
Posted Friday, April 9, 2021, at 9:09 AMI was honored this week to welcome a delegation from the University of Central Missouri to the Capitol. During their visit, I presented them with a Senate resolution recognizing the university on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. Among those present to receive the resolution were UCM President Dr. ... -
Moving Legislation Forward
Posted Friday, March 26, 2021, at 10:12 AM(March 26, 2021) — The Legislature returned to Jefferson City this week following a one-week spring recess. During our time away from the Capitol, I was honored to participate in a ground-breaking ceremony marking the beginning of the construction phase of the Little Otter Creek Reservoir project. ... -
A mid-session recap
Posted Monday, March 22, 2021, at 8:37 AMThe Missouri General Assembly is on spring recess this week, so there was no legislative activity at the State Capitol. Most senators and representatives have spent the week back in their respective districts, meeting with constituents, while also trying to catch up on the details of their regular jobs and lives... -
A Taxing Week Ahead of Recess
Posted Monday, March 15, 2021, at 9:41 AM(Friday, March 12, 2021) — For myself, the past week felt like “win-some, lose-some” in the Missouri Senate. I was in the minority voting against a measure that would raise the cost of gasoline at the pump, but was happy to see a version of legislation I sponsored to level the playing field for Missouri merchants advance onto the House of Representatives. ... -
Perfecting education savings
Posted Friday, March 5, 2021, at 1:21 PMAs we near the half-way mark in the 2021 legislative session a number of important bills continue to be heard in committee, while others are being brought up for deliberation in the Senate chamber. Monday was the last day to submit new Senate bills, so any new proposals will have to come in the form of amendments or bill language substitutes... -
Busy days and a late night
Posted Friday, February 26, 2021, at 12:48 PMThe Missouri Senate began the week with a late night. On Monday, we took up a proposal to increase the penalties for protestors who block traffic. We worked on the legislation until well past midnight before finally perfecting Senate Bill 26. In addition to making unlawful traffic interference a crime – the first offense is an infraction – the bill also includes a provision making it illegal to deface a public monument or structure on public property. ... -
Protecting Small Business
Posted Friday, February 5, 2021, at 10:11 AMThe past year has been tough for business, and the future remains uncertain as COVID-19 continues to impact our communities. Although each business does its best to mitigate risks and protect staff and customers, there’s always a chance that someone will find fault, and try to hold businesses and their owners accountable for things beyond their control. ... -
The State of the State
Posted Friday, January 29, 2021, at 1:20 PMTypically one of the best-attended events of any legislative session, the annual State of the State Address was entirely different this year. Due to concerns over COVID-19, the decision was made to forego the usual joint-session of the General Assembly in the House of Representatives’ chamber. Instead, the governor delivered his remarks to a smaller live audience in the Senate chamber and livestreamed his address online... -
The legislative process begins
Posted Friday, January 22, 2021, at 8:29 AMWith a delayed start due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, the Missouri Senate hit the ground running this week with a full slate of committee hearings. The first step in the legislative process, committee hearings allow citizens and interested groups a chance to express their views on proposed legislations before proposals move too far along. ... -
The 101st General Assembly begins
Posted Thursday, January 7, 2021, at 1:58 PM(January 7, 2021) — This week, legislators returned to the Capitol for the start of the 101st General Assembly. Activity in the Senate got underway at noon on Wednesday with 34 members taking their places in the chamber. Among my colleagues were 11 newly elected senators who took the oath of office for the first time, as well as five members returning for a second term. I was one of the senators taking the oath for the second, and final time due to term limits... -
Extra session ends, pre-filing begins
Posted Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 1:08 PMThis week, the Missouri Senate completed the task the governor put before us when he called the Legislature back to Jefferson City for the Second Extra Legislative Session of 2020. The Senate approved a supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2021, granting the governor the authority to spend federal dollars aimed at responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The Legislature faced a “use it or lose it” deadline requiring much of the federal money to be allocated prior to Jan. 1...
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