Last week, a 20-foot sinkhole opened up on a residential street in Chicago and swallowed three cars. It left a crater as wide as the road. No one was hurt, thankfully, but the vehicles were seriously damaged, and the repairs to the street will be costly and time consuming. Still, that outcome was more fortunate than the sinkhole that killed a Florida man in February. That hole was more than 60 feet deep, and opened up in the middle of the man’s house. His body was never recovered. In our area, there have been numerous reports of sinkholes. I personally know of two in Nixa alone.

These are not isolated incidents, either. We’ve had numerous reports of sinkholes around the country in recent months, almost on a weekly basis.  It’s a serious problem that poses a significant risk to citizens and their personal property, especially in our region.   

Missouri is particularly vulnerable to sinkholes because we have what is called a karst landscape, a geological formation caused by subterranean drainage wearing away carbonate rock, like limestone, which our state has in abundance. This is in part why we have so many caves. It also puts us at a higher risk for sinkholes. The Ozark Plateau, which stretches through most of southwest Missouri, is one of the largest karst regions in the United States.

There is sinkhole insurance in Missouri, but not many companies offer it, and the policies are very limited. People should have the option of purchasing sinkhole insurance, especially in areas where there’s a real threat.

This week, the Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee conducted a hearing on Senate Bill 445, which would require homeowner insurance companies to offer sinkhole coverage. Home insurers offer policies that cover almost any natural disaster that can happen in Missouri. Sinkholes, however, are noticeably absent. My legislation would simply add sinkholes to those disasters covered under homeowner insurance. If a company did not offer sinkhole insurance, it would be required to note that on the policy. This is a straightforward bill that addresses a clear-cut problem. People should have the choice to insure their homes against sinkholes, and this legislation would give them that option.

To be clear, the bill in no way mandates that people have sinkhole insurance; it simply requires insurance companies to at least offer it as an option. It awaits a final vote by the committee to go to the floor for possible debate.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved House Bill 315, legislation identical to a bill I filed this year to allow citizens to get a refill of prescription eye drops without having to go back to the doctor.

Elderly patients are often prescribed eye drops to treat glaucoma. The bottles that contain the drops have exactly enough for 30 days, down to the milliliter. This poses a problem for some older patients. If they spill even a little of the solution, that’s a day they won’t have eye drops to treat what is a seriously debilitating medical condition. Unless they revisit their doctor, which can be costly, they have to wait until the 30 days are up to get a refill.

This bill eliminates that requirement only for prescription eye drops. During debate, a fellow senator who uses eye drops such as these spoke in favor of the legislation. I was happy this bill passed out of the Senate. It addresses what is a serious issue for some of our residents, particularly the elderly. The legislation now goes back to the House for possible debate. If approved as is, it would go to the governor’s desk.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other matter regarding your state government, please feel free to contact me at (573) 751-1503; you are also welcome to e-mail me at jay.wasson@senate.mo.gov.