Senate committee hearings began this week, and my fellow senators and I began discussing and debating the merits of numerous pieces of filed legislation. One of my bills, Senate Bill 590, was heard by the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Senate Bill 590 will lift the requirement that everyone operating a motorcycle or motortricycle must wear a helmet.
Wearing a helmet should be a personal choice, and I believe the current law encroaches on Missourians’ personal liberties. During the committee hearing on Thursday, experienced motorcycle riders testified in support of this legislation. They would prefer not to wear a helmet, and I believe they should be able to make that choice for themselves. Several of our neighboring states have no requirement to wear a helmet. I believe this has caused bikers to avoid riding through Missouri, and further caused Missouri to lose money from potential sales tax revenue generated by these riders. I will continue to advocate for SB 590 and fight for your personal liberties.
This legislation was passed by the General Assembly last year as part of a larger bill. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed the legislation because he was concerned about a separate section of the bill. This year, I am hopeful SB 590 will be passed by the General Assembly and be signed into law by the governor.
I would like to congratulate a few of my constituents who received appointments from the governor for positions on various boards and commissions across the state. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee met to learn more about these candidates and their qualifications for the positions.
Catherine Bass Black was appointed to the Missouri Workforce Development Board, John “Jay” Wasson was appointed to the Missouri State University Board of Governors and Teresa E. Coyan was appointed to the Mental Health Commission. I am extremely proud of each of these individuals. They are certainly well-qualified for these positions, and I am confident they will excel and serve our state with honor and distinction.
I also have two constituents who were reappointed by the governor to their respective boards and commissions. Kaylyn L. Lambert and Dr. Nick Pfannenstiel were both reappointed to the MO HealthNet Oversight Committee. I know they will continue to enact positive change for the people they serve. I wish them well during their next term on this committee.
Please visit Sen. Burlison’s official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/burlison for more legislative and constituent resources.