Missouri senators are making their way back to Jefferson City for the second time in a month. Back in July, the governor asked lawmakers to come back to the Capitol to pass legislation aimed at curbing violent crime in our state. Since then, senators spent time crafting, discussing and passing Senate Bill 1, a comprehensive approach to violent crime that — in my opinion — not only addressed the governor’s concerns, but also looked at differences between urban and rural Missouri without heavy-handedly favoring one over the other.
By early August, the Senate then went home, leaving this legislation in the hands of the Missouri House of Representatives. No sooner then they start to work on the measure, the governor then adds an element to his call for this extraordinary session, which leads the House to scrap what we had done and put forth new measures, each tailored to meet the requirements of the governor’s call. Now, they have finished their work and the proverbial ball is in our court.
Missouri senators are now looking at House Bill 2, which relates to the admissibility of certain witness statements; House Bill 11, which would modify first-degree child endangerment offenses; House Bill 16, which seeks to make changes to unlawful weapons transfer laws, in relation to minors; House Bill 46, which would change residency requirements for St. Louis police officers; and House Bill 66, which would create the “Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund.” Some of the language in these measures mirrors what we have already passed, while some will be new. Our job will be to cull through these bills, hear what people have to say about them and make a decision from there. By law, an extra session can last as long as 60 days. Session started on July 27.
As I have written here before, these are not easy decisions to make. We have spent a lot of time on this subject this year, along with everything else. The people affected by these crimes want answers, they want justice and they want solutions. Our job in the Missouri Legislature is to provide them with the tools to accomplish these goals, and this is exactly what we intend to do this week.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.