Sen. McCreery's Capitol Report for Aug. 27, 2024

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

For Immediate Release: 

Aug. 27, 2024 

 

Capitol Building, Room 425

Jefferson City, MO 65101

 

 

Two of My Bills Become Law Aug. 28

 

The Second Regular Session of the 102nd General Assembly is over, and several important measures passed this year that will benefit Missourians, including Senate Bill 748, extending Missouri’s federal reimbursement allowance (FRA) law through 2029. 

 

Senate Bill 754 passed overwhelmingly on the last day of the 2024 legislative session. This public safety omnibus package includes two of my bills: Senate Bill 820 and Senate Bill 1070.

 

Senate Bill 820, “Valentine’s Law,” honors the late detective Antonio Valentine, a St. Louis County police officer who was killed in the line of duty when his police vehicle was hit head-on by a stolen car. This legislation makes it a felony to flee from police during an attempted vehicle stop. Fleeing from the police at high speeds puts everyone in danger, and I believe this commonsense legislation will make the roads safer for everyone.

 

Senate Bill 1070 creates a “Stop Cyberstalking and Harassment Task Force” made up of legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates and forensic and digital evidence experts to study cyberstalking and harassment. The goal of this bill is to find solutions to prevent these crimes, recommend best practices for safety through education and ensure victims are protected.

 

Senate Bill 754 also includes “Blair’s Law,” banning celebratory gunfire.  

 

Bills I supported that passed this session include:

  • House Bill 1495, preventing veteran suicide, and Senate Bill 912, supporting members of our armed forces.
  • House Bill 2134, adding environmental protections for water and property owners to land application procedures.
  • Senate Bill 756, further outlining ways localities can support seniors through property tax freezes.

 

Bills I opposed that passed this session include:

 

If you’d like to see all legislation that passed this year, you can find descriptions and full bill text at senate.mo.gov. Click on the “Legislation” tab and scroll down on the left side to “Truly Agreed Bills.” Legislation that was approved by the Missouri General Assembly during the 2024 Legislative Session and signed by the governor will take effect Aug. 28. 

 

Each legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly is constitutionally mandated to pass a balanced state operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which we accomplished just hours before our 6 p.m. deadline on May 10. 

 

This year, the governor vetoed several budgetary line items for fiscal year 2025, but didn’t veto any legislation. The last time this happened in Missouri was in 2006 when no bills were vetoed on the Senate side and only line items on appropriations bills were vetoed on the House side. 

 

Lawmakers will return to the Capitol on Sept. 11 for a constitutionally mandated veto session to review all the budgetary line items the governor rejected. By law, these vetoes can be overturned by a two-thirds majority “yes” vote in both chambers.

 

Protect Yourself from Scam and Spam Text Messages 

 

Scam and spam texts can be more than just annoying. They can be dangerous because they’re often used to trick people into giving away private or sensitive information. Here are some tips to prevent you from being scammed by text messages:

  • Do NOT reply to unknown or unwanted texts, even if you’re asked to, and don’t reply with “STOP” to opt out. By responding to these messages at all, you’re letting the sender know they’ve reached a live human who they may be able to trick into handing over information or money. Your number could also be sold to other scammers, which could lead to more unwanted texts.
  • Block the number using your phone’s blocking method.
  • Report unwanted texts to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Even though they can’t currently trace the calls, the complaints are kept in their database and could contribute to future legal actions and increased fees and penalties for bad actors who are found through other complaints.
  • Ensure that you’re not providing your personal information to businesses that will share it in ways you may not realize. When businesses state they share your personal information with “third parties” or “advertising partners,” that almost always means telemarketers or lead generators who will, in turn, sell your personal information to other telemarketers. Make sure you opt out of sharing your personal information, so it stays only with the actual company you’re doing business with.

 

Keep in Touch During the Interim

If there is anything I or my amazing staff, Hannah Dolan and Emily O’ Laughlin, can assist you with during the interim, give us a call at 573-751-9762 or email me at tracy.mccreery@senate.mo.gov.