What’s New Since We Last Connected As our state has recently experienced a mix of severe winter weather, I hope this message finds you safe, warm and well. Over the past few weeks, the Legislature has been hard at work, and since my last Capitol Report, I have introduced several pieces of new legislation. I wanted to take this opportunity to share an overview of bills I’ve filed since we last connected and offer some insight into the important work currently underway. Senate Bill 1552: Protecting Consumers When the Power Goes Out Senate Bill 1552 is about protecting customers from financial losses when power goes out for an extended period of time. Under this proposal, electric utilities would be required to reimburse customers for things like spoiled food or lost medication when an outage lasts longer than 48 hours. Electric utilities have a responsibility to provide reliable service. When that reliability breaks down, consumers shouldn’t be stuck paying the price. Electricity isn’t a luxury; it’s essential to daily life. We rely on it to get to work and school, keep our food safe and store and maintain critical medications. Senate Bill 1560: Preventing Abusers from Obtaining Firearms Back in Sept. 2016, the General Assembly passed laws making Missouri a constitutional carry state, even though the governor at the time wasn’t on board. The bill expanded gun rights for law-abiding citizens, but it also made it easier for people with a history of domestic violence to access firearms, since law enforcement could no longer use the permitting process to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Federal law already prohibits anyone with a court order related to domestic violence, or a conviction for a domestic violence misdemeanor, from possessing a firearm. Senate Bill 1560 brings that protection to Missouri, making sure people with a history of domestic violence can’t find a loophole. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that people who commit domestic violence shouldn’t have access to firearms. Across the country, legislators are working together to pass laws that keep abusers from getting guns, and it’s time for Missouri to join that effort. Senate Bill 1564: Your Right to Fix What You Own Senate Bill 1564 is about property rights and your right to repair the things you own. It makes sure Missourians - and local repair shops - have the same access to the manuals, tools, parts and software the manufacturers themselves use. We’ve had the right to repair cars since 2014, and this bill would extend that to other industries, giving people more freedom to fix their products. My goal is to make it easier for people to make repairs themselves and create more competition in the repair market. Senate Bill 1595: Giving Local Leaders the Power to Protect Our Communities Senate Bill 1595 gives local leaders the power they should already have to put in place rules that keep residents safe and protect public health. At the same time, it helps safeguard property owners and property values. When local control over health rules for agricultural operations was taken away in 2019, opponents warned it could let farms expand in ways that affect air quality and the wells we use for drinking and farming. Unfortunately, those concerns have become reality in many counties across Missouri. In some rural counties, such as Livingston County, local leaders have even passed resolutions supporting their county commissions having the power to regulate farming operations, especially because those operations have been harming public health in their communities. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, since 2020, Missouri has added 215 water bodies to its list of impaired waters, with at least 15 different pollutants detected. Nearly 40% of these pollutants come from nonpoint sources, like crop fields, pastures and large livestock operations. We have seen what localities can do for themselves recently with the fight of data centers taking up rural ag land and impacting communities big and small. Missourians have been shown that their local communities have what it takes to stand up for what is right, regardless of what is impacting the health, water and property values in a community. Laws shouldn’t stop local leaders and communities from holding large agricultural operations responsible for the impact they have on the environment and public health. These companies shouldn’t be allowed to harm residents without consequences.  Stay in the Loop with My Weekly Video Updates
For more frequent updates, check out my weekly YouTube videos. I try to post one almost every week during session, and you can watch them anytime on the MOSENCOM Senate YouTube channel. On Jan. 13, I discussed the governor’s State of the State Address. Dispose of Unused or Expired Medications It is important to dispose of unneeded medications. For unwanted drug collection and disposal information, I suggest visiting MyOldMeds.com and the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services webpage. Contact Us If there is ever anything I or my amazing staff, Hannah Dolan and Emily O’ Laughlin, can do to assist you, please contact our office at 573-751-9762, email tracy.mccreery@senate.mo.gov or visit us in State Capitol Room 427. To view my sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate webpage at senate.mo.gov/McCreery. | 