Bills on the move

As I have mentioned before, there are six big hurdles a bill must cross to become law – successful votes in House Lower Committee, House Rules Committee, House Floor, Senate Committee, Senate Floor, and the Governor’s Signature. In the first few weeks of session, bills were being introduced and debated in committee, so there was not much floor activity.  But now in mid-February some of those bills have made it over the first two hurdles, and some have been passed on the House floor as well.  Here are a few of them.

In light of the disturbing trend of attacks on police officers, the House has passed HB57 which would increase the penalties for assaults on law enforcement.  Also, HB302 has been passed to create a Blue Alert System to alert citizens to be on the lookout for assault suspects.  The Blue Alert System is modeled after the Amber Alert System and Silver Alert System that bring awareness to missing children and elderly.  Few public service jobs require one to put their life on the line for the safety of others.  HB57 and HB302 are ways to protect those who protect all of us.

When a county official, for example a clerk or assessor, vacates an office before the end of their term, it is the job of the governor to appoint a replacement.  In the past, though, some governors have been slow to make those appointments, leaving citizens without the necessary services of their local government.  HB54 would allow the county commissioners to make a temporary appointment until the governor makes a permanent appointment insuring minimal interruptions of county services to their citizens.

Because reducing government regulations lead to greater individual freedom and job creation, it is a mission of the legislature to reduce regulatory red tape.  An example Gov. Greitens alluded to in his State of the State address was the incredible size and scope of government rules regarding hair braiding.  Currently, 72 hours of training is required to be a real estate agent, 100 hours for an EMT, but 1500 hours is required to braid hair for a living.  HB230 will remove much of that over-burdensome regulation, allowing entrepreneurs in that field to flourish.

These bills and more have passed the House, and now move over to the Senate for the next legs of their journeys.  You can follow these (and all other) bills on www.House.Mo.Gov to see if they make it across the finish line before the end of session in May.