Senator Andrew Koenig’s Capitol Report for the Week of Jan. 27, 2020
Justice for Victims of Sexual Assault
On Monday, January 27, Senate Bill 569 was heard by the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. This piece of legislation is extremely important to me. A few months ago, I was shocked to learn there are thousands of untested sexual assault kits sitting in hospitals and police departments across Missouri. According to the Attorney General’s office, there are more than 6,000 untested sexual assault kits. Senate Bill 569 allows sexual assault victims to track, obtain reports and receive updates on the status and location of their SAFE kit through a secure website. This legislation also requires all medical providers, law enforcement agencies, laboratories, court personnel and any person or entity that has custody of the kit or is involved in the destruction of the kit to participate in the secure tracking system.
During the bill’s hearing, representatives from the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Missouri Hospital Association and Primary Marking Systems, a technology company that works with tracking sexual assault kits, came forward to support the bill.
These representatives supported making the evidence tracking system mandatory, which will help keep track of the chain of custody. They also recognized the importance of collecting evidence in a timely manner in order to maintain the integrity of the kit.
It is important to hear from individuals who will be impacted by this legislation and understand how it will affect them. I am hopeful this legislation will soon be voted out of committee and passed by the Senate because of the urgency of this issue.
TIF Reform Passes in Senate
On Thursday, January 30, my fellow senators and I voted to pass Senate Bill 570, concerning the use of tax increment financing (TIF) in floodplains. This legislation is extremely important because more than likely, your tax dollars are going towards developments in flood plains. Not only do the risks of developing in a floodplain outweigh any benefits, but it’s an irresponsible use of your tax dollars. Senate Bill 570 will protect communities’ public dollars from being used to fund risky projects in flood plains, and encourage developers to avoid building in these dangerous areas. This legislation will now be sent to the Missouri House of Representatives, and I am hopeful they will approve it as well.