A Successful Start to the 2019 Legislative Session
On Thursday, March 14, my colleagues and I adjourned for the legislative spring break. It has been a busy first half of the 2019 legislative session, but I am so thankful and humbled by this opportunity to represent each of you in the State Capitol.
Prior to the start of the legislative spring break, the Missouri Senate approved my legislation to help low-income individuals receive hearing aids. Senate Bill 101 creates the Statewide Hearing Aid Distribution Fund. This fund will be administered by the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and it will provide financial assistance for individuals at or below the federal poverty level to obtain hearing aids. Under this program, individuals must be assessed for need by a licensed physician, audiologist or a hearing instrument specialist before receiving their hearing aids.
I believe this legislation has the potential to help countless Missourians who suffer from hearing loss to live a more comfortable life. In 2018, officials estimated that 600,000 Missourians were considered deaf or hard of hearing. The cost of a hearing aid should not stand in the way of an individual being able to live, work and raise a family. As the state senator whose district includes the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, I am proud to sponsor this important piece of legislation. I firmly believe this proposal will improve the lives of numerous Missourians who struggle to afford hearing aids, and I am optimistic that it will reach the governor’s desk before the end of the 2019 legislative session.
As I reflect on the first half of the legislative session, I am proud of the work my colleagues and I accomplished over the past two-and-a-half months. We tackled several important issues that I believe will make our state a better place for all Missourians. As I look forward to the second half of the legislative session, there is still much that needs to be done. We must fulfill our constitutional duty and pass a balanced budget by Friday, May 10. In addition, there are still several workforce development bills that I hope we are able to pass before the end of session. As the General Assembly strives to make our great state a better place for all Missourians, I am humbled by the trust you have placed in me to represent each of you in the Missouri Senate. Through hard work and conservative, commonsense solutions, we can move our great state forward.
Visitors From the 10th Senatorial District
Front Row: Josie Redmon, Jan Hankinson, Cora Johnson, Elizabeth Schierhoff, Kara Hemeyer, Alexa Green and Becky Lavy
Back Row: Jace Ellis, Gunner Sexton, Matt Clark and Landon Massey
It is an honor to be your state senator and my door is always open to your concerns, questions or comments. Please feel free to contact me at (573) 751-2757 or visit my web page at www.senate.mo.gov/riddle.