Then and Now: March 2012

This Month's Statehouse Photo

This month's photo is of the Missouri Capitol, a 238-foot tall domed building on the bluffs above the Missouri River. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout. In addition to housing the two legislative bodies, the Capitol provides office space for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, state auditor and some administrative agencies. In includes 500,000 square feet of floor space.

The building, completed in 1917, is notable for its eight 48-foot columns on the south portico and six 40-foot columns on the north side. It also boasts a 30-foot-wide granite stairway and massive bronze front doors, each 13-by-18 feet. Among the notable art inside the building are a series of Thomas Hart Benton murals in the House Lounge. A13-foot statue of Thomas Jefferson dominates the south entrance. The present Capitol the third in Jefferson City and the sixth in Missouri history. The original pricetag for the building was $4.2 million.

Sources: Missouri Secretaryof State's website; wikipedia.com. 

25 Years Ago

Articles from the March 1987 issue of State Legislatures:

CHILDREN IN JAIL
“In jail, children and adults don’t mix. States are acting to ensure that when kids have to be locked up, they are kept apart from adult prisoners.”

WHAT IT TAKES TO COMPETE
“In terms of economic competitiveness and international trade, it’s no secret that the United States has been losing ground to Japan.”

GOING PRIVATE … PAYING LESS?
“Many state and local governments are handing over services to private firms. Privatization may save money, but it raises enough concerns and criticisms that public officials are taking a cautious approach.”

Did You Know?

The Wyoming Territory in 1869 (and later the state in 1890) was the first to grant all women the right to vote. (Women who owned property in New Jersey, however, were allowed to vote from 1790 to 1807.) Esther Morris led the successful effort in Wyoming, and a year later became the first female justice of the peace. Some have suggested lawmakers from the “Equality State” merely wanted to attract more women to the Wild West. Even so, Wyoming boasts the first woman governor and bailiff, the first all female jury, and the first town in America to be governed entirely by women. Neighboring Colorado, however, boasts having the first woman elected to a legislature, and still maintains the highest percentage of female lawmakers.

—From “A Celebration of State Capitols,” by Richard R. Gibson and the Wyoming government website