We were reminded this week about what is really important when we learned of the fatal vehicle accident involving teenagers in El Dorado Springs last weekend.  While it is always easy to get wrapped up in our work and what we think are big problems, things are always brought back into focus when something like this happens.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends as well as the entire community.

This week, the Senate passed and sent to the House Senate Bill 236.  This is a bill I introduced to give the Highway Patrol greater flexibility in their revolving fund.  Currently the money may only be used to purchase vehicles, aircraft, and boats.  My bill would allow the money to be used for maintenance and repair for those vehicles as well.  As we continue to work on the state budget in the Senate Appropriations Committee, it remains apparent we need to keep looking for ways to spend the money we have in smarter ways.  A similar bill is working its way through the House of Representatives that would also allow purchases of fuel from this fund. 

Senate Bill 251 was heard in committee this week and attracted quite a bit of attention.  This bill would prohibit the use of EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards at locations such as casinos, sports stadiums, liquor stores, and adult entertainment establishments.  It would also bar the purchase of items like alcohol, tobacco, and lottery tickets with TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) cash assistance.  The legislation is now awaiting a committee vote. 

A bill that received committee approval this week was Senate Bill 150, legislation that seeks to nullify any executive order implementing stricter gun laws.  It has always been understood that federal law trumps state law, but executive orders issued by the President of the United States are not laws that have been debated and passed by Congress.  They are simply enacted with the stroke of the President’s pen.  The bill now awaits action by the full Senate. 

Visitors to the office this week included Jovana Cervantes, Susan Sadler, Christopher Shepard, Liz Rooks,and Valarie Swanson from Pettis County; Lisa Funk, Al & Gail Skalicky, Shania Francka, Michelle Redd, Keith Stevens, Paul Long, and Kayla Shelenhamer from Bolivar; Larry Pursley, Judy Culbertson, and Laurie Primm of Stockton; Sanford & Debra Simaitis from Lincoln; Linda Dimond and Brian Maddux from Warsaw; Carol Wilkerson from Cedar County, Lisa Hicks from Buffalo, Hugh Abercrombie from Humansville, and the 8th grade class from Weaubleau.