The first two months of the 2020 legislative session are off to a good start. Some bills are progressing quickly, while others seem to be riding on turtle shells.
Senate Bill 623, which I sponsored, will ensure that abused and neglected children will have a court appointed guardian ad litem who will meet with the child within 7 business days of their appointment. It has been approved by the Missouri Senate and is awaiting action by the Missouri House of Representatives. I hope to see this bill continue to move through the legislative process.
Another bill that is gaining traction, Senate Bill 591, modifies the process for awarding punitive damages. Under existing law, plaintiffs could bring meritless cases for both compensatory damages (damages to right a wrong) and punitive damages (as a punishment or deterrent), creating an inflated number to scare businesses into making larger settlements faster. Punitive damages are not covered by insurance and therefore represent a significant threat against a person’s wealth or the business’ ability to operate. I believe the bill protects Missourians’ ability to collect punitive damages from bad actors and still gives judges and juries the discretion to award damages. After the bill is finalized in the Senate, it will head to the Missouri House for consideration.
Road and bridge funding remains one of my top priorities for this legislative session. The continued neglect of adequate funding affects the safety of our families and friends, as well as our economic well-being. This is the reason I sponsored Senate Bill 539, which proposes a very small increase in fuel costs to help fund our serious shortfall. Since our cities and counties receive 30 percent of the funds collected from fuel taxes, they too have suffered in receiving sufficient funding for their road and bridge repairs and construction. Since 1924, this “user fee” has helped our state because it collects money from everyone that purchases gas while using our roads, including those from out-of-state. Missouri’s fuel user fee per gallon was last adjusted in 1996.
Many constituents have a four plus hour journey to Jefferson City to visit the Capitol. This week I had the honor to meet with the students of the Leadership Academy from Three Rivers College (TRC). They had a jammed-packed day and asked many great questions. I was also honored to meet with Braxton Watkins, a 6th grader from Caruthersville; his instructor, Ms. Sandra Hooker; and his family during their Capitol visit.
Congratulations is in order for a few of our local educators. Coach Gene Bess is celebrating 50 years at Three Rivers College and 1,300 career college basketball wins. I also wish all the best to TRC’s Lady Raider Coach, Jeff Walk, upon his retirement and combined 600 wins. In addition, Mrs. Tonya Hill was selected as the Teacher of the Year at the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center. Thanks for your service and dedication to our students!
It is a great pleasure to serve the citizens of southeast Missouri. Please contact our office if you have any ideas, questions, or concerns by calling (573) 751-4843 or emailing doug.libla@senate.mo.gov.
For more information relating to any bill in the Missouri Senate, please visit https://www.senate.mo.gov.