Priorities Outlined for 2024

We are a little over a month away from the start of the 2024 legislative session, but Dec. 1 marks a very important date in the process. This is the first day that legislators are allowed to file bills to be considered by the General Assembly in the coming months. 

I have pre-filed 22 bills. These hundreds of pages of laws cover a wide variety of topics and include my top priorities for 2024, including cutting bureaucratic red tape, helping address health care needs in rural communities and giving Missouri students the best education possible. I will provide more details on all of these bills in the coming weeks. Today I want to start by going over the first three pre-filed bills. 

The first bill pre-filed connects Missourians with more opportunities for quality dental health and hygiene by joining a multi-state Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. A shortage of quality dental care has been brought up frequently by constituents as I have traveled the district this year. This compact eases the bureaucracy involved for professionals coming from another state and wanting to work in Missouri. We should be doing all we can to bring first-class care to the state and not make professionals jump through hoops when they can provide that care.

In my opinion, Missouri has not been nearly active enough in the fight against human trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified more than 16,000 human trafficking victims in the United States, reported in their most recent data from 2021. The second bill I filed would put us squarely in the fight of this all-important issue by creating the Missouri Counter Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force, led by Missouri’s top law enforcement official, the attorney general, would lead the charge in putting those guilty of human trafficking behind bars. The task force would report their results, findings and recommendations to the Missouri Legislature and provide leadership to make sure the state is doing all it can to help victims. 

The third bill I filed ahead of session would continue efforts to provide quality education to rural students by increasing access to virtual classrooms. At the end of the day we should be utilizing every resource to provide the best schooling to every student. We have made great strides in this area, including passing comprehensive education reform in 2022 that helped students participate in virtual education programs. This bill would build on that foundation, ensuring that every student who wishes to participate in the virtual education environment has the tools they need to succeed. 

Every legislative session is a whirlwind of activity and action, and I know that 2024 will not be an exception. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass quality legislation that is good for the 33rd Senatorial District, good for the state of Missouri and good for each person who is blessed to call this state their home. Be sure to watch for further details on upcoming legislation in the coming weeks as my team and I work to prepare for doing the people’s work in Jefferson City. 

It is my honor to serve the residents of Douglas, Howell, Ozark, Shannon, Stone, Taney and Texas counties in the Missouri Senate, and it’s always a pleasure to hear from friends and family back home. If I can help you in any way, please call my Capitol Office at 573-751-1882.  You can also visit my webpage at senate.mo.gov/mem33, on Facebook: @SenatorKarlaEslinger, or follow me on X (Formerly Twitter): @seneslingermo.