Final Four

We’ve reached a pivotal point in the legislative session and only have three final weeks to complete the operating budget for FY ‘24 and four weeks to send bills to the governor to sign into law. I’m pleased to report several of my bills advanced to the next level of the legislative process this week.

I started off the week by presenting Senate Bill 167 to the House Professional Registration and Licensing Committee. This legislation extends a pandemic-era policy which simplifies and expedites the medical certification process for professional truck drivers to obtain their commercial driver’s license.

I also enjoyed presenting Senate Bill 508 to the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee, outlining a formal recall process for school board elections. I filed this bill in light of the erosion of trust between parents and school districts that has escalated over the past few years. The goal is to give parents a little more oversight over their children’s education. While I believe it is best practice for the public to have a mechanism for removing elected officials for malfeasance, SB 508 ensures the process is thorough, structured and fair.

During the final four weeks of session, I will be the bill handler in the Senate for several proposals that passed the House. One of these measures is House Bill 184, which I presented to the Senate Commerce Committee on April 11. Similar in scope to my Senate Bill 233, HB 184 requires political subdivisions that adopt an ordinance to install electric vehicle charging stations to pay for the associated costs. This is in response to the trend of municipalities mandating that small businesses and property owners install these charging stations at 100% of their own expense.

Senator Brown presents SB 411 for third reading and final passage in the Senate.

I saved the fourth and final bill for last. Senate Bill 411 passed the Senate on April 11, permitting home-schooled children to participate in their school district’s sports and extra-curricular activities. As a former athlete whose childhood was greatly impacted by my participation in the sport of wrestling, I feel strongly that it is wrong to deny these potentially life-changing opportunities to children.

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.