Please note this will be the last regular weekly newsletter for session.  A session rap up of the bills passed by the General Assembly and budgetary items affecting Boone and Cooper Counties will be issued during the summer interim.

I would like to thank the senators on the Appropriations Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee staff, and conference committee members for their diligent work and effort put forth producing and passing a balanced Fiscal Year 2015 budget.

Below are some items within the FY 2015 budget that impacts Boone and Cooper Counties:

I would like to sincerely thank Rep. Chris Kelly for the time and talent he has dedicated to the people of Missouri during his tenure in the state legislature. Congratulations representative and best wishes to you in your retirement!

I was happy to introduce Tony and Linda Shepherd with their son, Lance Corporal Ira Shepherd (currently stationed in Miramar, CA), and grandson, Logan, on the Senate floor on Thursday, May 15. Logan was appointed honorary page of the day. Thank you for your hard work!

Shown above, from left to right, Lance Corporal Ira Shepherd, Linda Shepherd, Logan Shepherd and Tony Shepherd, who were introduced on the Senate floor on Thursday, May 15.

A Summer Reminder from MODOT

Summer travel season is upon us. Whether you’re planning a weekend drive or a long summer trip, please protect yourself and those you love by making sure everyone in your vehicle is buckled up—every trip, every time.

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is joining with state and local law enforcement from May 19 through June 1 in the national “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign to crack down on buckling up. Missouri’s seat belt usage remains relatively unchanged at 80 percent, and consistently below the national average of 87 percent. 

“The best thing motorists can do to protect themselves while traveling in a motor vehicle is to buckle their seat belts and make sure everyone else in the vehicle is buckled as well,” said Colonel Ronald K. Replogle, superintendent of the Highway Patrol.  “We want to encourage everyone to wear a seat belt every time they get into a car or truck. This type of campaign and enforcement effort is just one method used to heighten awareness about the importance of wearing a seat belt and saving lives. Highway Patrol troopers will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach in the enforcement of seat belt and child restraint laws throughout the year in our effort to reduce injuries and save lives."

In 2013, 757 people were killed in traffic crashes on Missouri's roadways; 334 of those were not wearing seat belts.

“Sixty-five percent of Missouri fatalities since the first of this year have been unbuckled vehicle occupants,” said Leanna Depue, chair of the coalition’s executive committee. “We want to make sure everyone is buckled up day and night.”

Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to reduce injuries and fatalities in a crash.  When worn correctly, seat belts can reduce the risk of death for front seat occupants of passenger cars by 45 percent. Similarly, belt use reduces the risk of serious non-fatal injuries by 50 percent for front seat occupants. 

For more information about “Click It or Ticket,” visit www.saveMOlives.com.

Thank you for your interest in the issues that affect the citizens of Boone and Cooper counties.  If you have any questions or concerns throughout this session, or plan on coming by the Capitol, please contact my office at (573) 751-3931.

Did you know?

The Department of Conservation has issued a “Turtle Alert”!

Have you ever seen a turtle trying to cross a busy highway and wondered how many die under the wheels of automobiles each year? Jeff Briggler has, and as Missouri’s state herpetologist, the answer worries him.

Briggler and other workers at the Missouri Department of Conservation have made informal observations over the years, counting the number of dead turtles – especially box turtles – on stretches of highway.

“We discovered that mortality rates are very high on high-traffic roads,” says Briggler, “whereas mortalities are much lower on less-traveled roads.”

In just one day, Briggler counted 116 three-toed box turtles crossing Highway 63 between Jefferson City and Cabool. Of those, 104 had been hit by vehicles.

Turtles are struck by cars throughout the warm months, but they are at special risk at this time of year when they are moving around looking for mates and establishing home ranges. Young males are most at risk. Comfort is a factor, too. Like other reptiles, turtles are cold-blooded. Walking out onto warm asphalt and basking in the morning sun feels good on cool spring days.

Box turtles live a long time, and females continue laying eggs for most of their lives. They need lots of time to replace themselves, since snakes, raccoons, opossums, and other nest predators eat most of their eggs. A low reproductive rate was not a problem before roads crisscrossed their habitat. Animals that continue laying eggs past 60 years of age have plenty of time to replace themselves. But the unnatural mortality caused by speeding cars is a problem.

To help, Briggler suggests that motorists slow down when they see a turtle in the road and check to be sure they can safely steer around it.

The three-toed box turtle is the species most often seen crossing roads in Missouri. Primarily a woodland species, it is found everywhere but the extreme northern part of Missouri. The ornate box turtle is found in all but the southeastern corner of the state, but is more adapted to grassland and is most common in western Missouri. Young males make up most of the travelers as they search for territories of their own and for female turtles.

Three-toed box turtles have three toes on each hind foot, unless they have lost a few appendages to predators or frostbite. Ornate box turtles usually have four toes per hind foot. In keeping with their name, ornate box turtles also have more vivid yellow stripes on a black background on the tops of their shells. The bottoms of their shells typically have streaks of black on a yellow background.