Most of the activity at the Capitol is still centered around Committee Hearings. The first step in the process is sometimes the most frustrating. The hearing rooms can be a rewarding experience or a frustrating one depending on the views of the witnesses. Most of the time the bill sponsor has a pretty good idea of what the opposing views are going to be. Occasionally, there's a real surprise in store. I watched two hearings this week where the sponsor was surprised and was blindsided myself. That is, of course, the way the system is designed to work.
Not every idea should become a new law. There are various ways to handle these problems and, for me, the most effective way is to slow down the movement of the bill and do more research. Many times the sponsor offers to amend the bill to remove a problematic portion. Sometimes it's best to just scrap the attempt and move on. Where I see a problem is when the sponsor digs in and insists on forging ahead. This usually results in a long drawn out floor debate and seldom creates a good new law. The Speaker has initiated some new practices that are designed to encourage more planning on the front end of the process. Our Committee Hearings are now a two-part process and more time is spent studying the bills and looking for long-term benefits. Both the House and Senate leaders are committed to doing a better job of passing good legislation that will stand the test of time.
On Wednesday I was able to present my bill to create a Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. I had witnesses from the Child Advocates' Office, Missouri Kids First, The Juvenile Officers' Association, and a surprise witness from the Prosecutor's Association! Jake Skouby, the Newton County Prosecutor, testified in favor of the bill for the Association. The next step is for the Select Committee to meet and pass the bill out for Floor debate. I don't anticipate any real trouble getting the Advisory Committee into statute, but "it ain't over till it's over," so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
On Thursday we voted to send some common-sense bills over to the Senate. One of them deals with the increasing problem of depression leading to suicide in Medical Students. The bill provides for measures to be taken early on in diagnosing and treating depression in Med students and promote research on the issue. We also voted out a bill dealing with the growth of human trafficking in our state. This is one of those things that most of us are completely unaware of yet it is prevalent right here in our area. Among other things, the bill would expand the crime of sexual trafficking of a child to include the advertisement of a child participating in a commercial sexual act. This is similar to a relatively new Federal law and gives law enforcement another tool to stop these heinous acts. Another bill was passed to clarify Missouri law when it comes to protecting Mental Health professionals from limitless liability for malpractice claims. Tort reforms are a priority for the General Assembly, and this is just one of the early measures. We gave nearly unanimous approval to a bill that would proactively update Missouri's pharmaceutical laws to keep pace with rapidly advancing technological advancements in health care. The goal is to give Missourians better, more affordable access to interchangeable biological products. These products are promising remarkable strides in making cancer a thing of the past!
You have until March 20 to register with FEMA for Disaster Assistance from the recent flooding. You can register online at DisastorAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) Have information available for them such as phone numbers, social security numbers, directions to your property, condition of the damaged home, etc.
The McDonald County Republican Club is planning a Lincoln day celebration at River Ranch on Feb. 20 at noon. The speaker will be Speaker Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate, Ron Richard. Tickets are $15 dollars each and may be purchased at the door.
More next week. Until then, I am and remain in your service.
State Rep. Bill Lant may be reached by calling 417-437-8223 or 573-751-9801, or emailing [email protected]. Opinions are those of the author.
Community on 02/11/2016