In communities and counties throughout northwest Missouri, preparations are underway for Great Northwest Day at the Capitol 2019. This year, the event will take place on February 5 and 6, 2019, at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, Missouri. All constituents in northwest Missouri are invited to attend.

Great Northwest Day at the Capitol has taken place annually since 2003, and provides constituents from across northwest Missouri the opportunity to engage in a unique regional, cooperative approach to communicate with leadership in Jefferson City. This event includes introductions to the House and Senate and a regional lunch, followed by an evening buffet with State legislators, department heads and elected officials. This year’s evening event will feature a luau, while showcasing community and county booths, emphasizing regional priorities and promoting local attributes.

Legislative priorities are currently being collected and considered by the regional Great Northwest Day steering committee. Organizations throughout the 19 counties have been asked to identify and submit to the committee those important issues that may impact the entire region. These regional organizations include the county commissioners, Solid Waste Districts, Transportation Advisory Committees, Area Agency on Aging, Regional Planning Commissions, Missouri Association of Counties, Missouri Municipal League, regional superintendents, and others through an online survey that can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GNW-Priorities-for-2019-SM

Once collected, priorities will be narrowed down to the top three or four and then presented to the Missouri legislative body at the Great Northwest Day at the Capitol event.

Examples of past priorities taken to Jefferson City by the Great Northwest Day contingency include transportation, PK-higher education, water/wastewater and other infrastructure, and rural economic development. Over the past 15 years, several successes can be attributed to the efforts of event participants, including increases in higher education funding, new upgrades at Big Lake State Park in Holt County, state funding allocations for substantial water projects, and the completion of four lanes on Highway 36 between St. Joseph and Hannibal.

Registration for the 2019 event is now open and may be accessed by visiting www.greatnorthwestday.com. For more information, contact Atchison County Coordinator Monica Bailey at ACDC (660-744-6562).