Seems like every day, there’s some new piece of bad news making its way across the headlines.

From the spread of COVID-19, to unrest in our streets, to financial concerns facing many Americans, I believe it’s easy to adopt a pessimistic outlook on the state of our world today. So how about some good news for a change?

According to -----the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May, the U.S. added 2.5 million jobs. That’s no small accomplishment. Given everything that’s going on, these job numbers are a welcomed surprise.

From my perspective, this data shows that our economy is starting to gear back up following the devastating effects of the coronavirus. As states start to reopen, it’s great to see Americans are beginning to navigate a new normal and are able to support themselves and their families once again.

One of the tools hoping to help Missourians get back to work in the near future is House Bill 2046. This legislation, which I handled in the Missouri Senate and which was passed out of the General Assembly several weeks ago, is a comprehensive jobs bill. It contains the Expanded Workforce Act which will help individuals who gain valuable, hands-on experience through a federally-approved apprenticeship program earn an industry license.

Also included in HB 2046 is language expanding opportunities for license reciprocity. I believe this provision is incredibly important because it provides trained professionals more opportunities to work in our great state by removing unnecessary red tape.

I’m looking forward to more good news like May’s job numbers in the months ahead.

I’m also optimistic the governor will sign HB 2046 into law in the coming weeks, and that more Missourians will be able to get back to work.