The Rush

During last week’s legislative rush, I had the honor of advancing three more proposals that I believe will be good for Missourians.

On Feb. 21, I presented Senate Bill 233 to my fellow members of the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee. Senate Bill 233 protects small businesses from being forced to install and maintain electric vehicle charging stations by local jurisdictions. I filed this legislation in response to the trend of municipalities mandating that small businesses and shopping centers install and pay for electric charging stations whenever they make improvements to their facilities. At a time when small businesses are struggling to stay afloat and navigate record inflation, as well as unprecedented product and labor shortages, the last thing they need is to be out an estimated $60,000 to install machines which do nothing to grow profits or help their business succeed. With broad support from convenient stores, retailers, grocers and other industries, I hope we can get this bill passed soon.

The rush continued on Feb. 22 when I presented Senate Bill 167 to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee. Currently, when a person applies for a commercial driver license (CDL), they must provide certificates from a medical examiner to verify their medical status. During the pandemic, the Department of Revenue waived this requirement and allowed truck drivers to send this information by mail, fax or email. After the state of emergency ended, the policy automatically reverted back to the in-person requirement. Senate Bill 167 would allow for this commonsense exemption that was permitted during the state of emergency to become law.

Students representing Missouri’s FFA Chapters visited the Capitol on Feb. 22.

As a restaurant owner in St. Louis County, I experienced firsthand the abuse that can occur when too much power is consolidated into one entity or individual. Two years ago, I traveled to Jefferson City as a private citizen and small business owner to testify in favor of legislation trying to curb what I consider an abuse of local government’s power during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, two years later serving as your state senator, I presented Senate Bill 168 to the Government Accountability Committee to close a loophole and modify the rulemaking authority of the Department of Health and Senior Services. During the height of the pandemic, county-level rules were made and enforced without oversight or going through the appropriate channels in my opinion. I believe this bill strikes the perfect balance of allowing health agencies the power needed to address imminent threats, while also creating safeguards that protect against the potential for harm when these powers are misused.

On Feb. 24, I joined a forum hosted by the Washington Chamber of Commerce to discuss some of my legislative priorities and provide local business owners with an update on legislation moving through the chambers.

Senator Brown provides a legislative update during a forum hosted by the Washington Chamber of Commerce.

After the forum, I joined several of my colleagues in the House to tour the Four Rivers Career Center, a career and technical college in Washington. I met with administrators, instructors and students to see firsthand the tremendous range of programs and courses offered in our area to students from all backgrounds. I believe career and technical schools are an important part of the education landscape. They provide students with valuable skills and training that can lead to fulfilling and rewarding careers.

Students attending the Four Rivers Career Center explain their coursework to Sen. Brown.

I’ll close with some good news about my Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation, which was added to Senate Bill 4 and is now making its way through deliberations in the House. As a dad and a state senator, protecting parents’ rights is of the utmost importance to me, so I’m glad SB 4 includes a transparency and accountability portal for parents to monitor what their child is learning and authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to publish school district accountability report cards on its website, among other provisions.

It is an honor serving those who call the 26th Senatorial District home. If you need assistance with navigating state government or the legislative process, please reach out by calling 573-751-3678 or emailing Ben.Brown@senate.mo.gov.