With Thanksgiving behind us, I’m reminded once again of how this time of year always brings with it such promise.  As families and dear friends gather for festive celebrations and to give thanks for the year’s bounties, there is at the same time a collective taking of stock, a time to evaluate not only the year’s successes, but also to examine the areas where we still have room to improve. 

And so it seems fitting that this is also the time of year when members of the General Assembly start pre-filing bills for the upcoming legislative session, where a new year will bring with it new promise and new opportunities to improve, to continue moving our state forward in a positive direction, securing our futures and our children’s futures. The first day to pre-file legislation for the upcoming session is December 1. I plan to file several bills that will be good for our state.

To that end, I am pleased to be filing legislation aimed at making our roads safer.  Currently, only drivers under the age of 21 and drivers of commercial motor vehicles are prohibited from using hand-held cell phones to send, read or write text messages or electronic messages.  Drivers of commercial motor vehicles are further prohibited from using hand-held cell phones to make telephone calls. 

This common-sense legislation has long been a priority of mine.  According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDot), 80 percent of crashes involve some form of distracted driving; fifty percent of teen drivers say they text while driving; and texting drivers spend up to 400 percent more time with their eyes off the road.  Texting and driving is more dangerous than drinking alcohol while driving.  I don’t believe we can afford to ignore alarming statistics like these any longer. 

Another area in which I believe we can do better is ethics reform, and that is why I am continuing my fight to establish campaign contribution limits for individuals and political party committees.  Similar to last year’s Senate Bill 2, which I sponsored, I will be filing a new bill this year that will establish limits for contributions made by, or accepted from, any person other than the candidate in an election.  Additionally, the legislation will provide for even greater campaign transparency by making 501c(4) organizations disclose their donors the same as any candidate committee or PAC. 

Without a doubt, my colleagues and I will be working hard to get an education bill passed this year that will once and for all address the student transfer issue, and protect rural school districts from the threat of similar situations in the future.  While it is disheartening that the governor has vetoed hard-fought bi-partisan legislation the past two sessions, we will not give up the fight to ensure that every Missouri student receives the quality education they deserve.

Making college more affordable while limiting college debt is also an important goal. I will be introducing legislation to help Missourians with their post-secondary education that will lead to meaningful jobs.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at (866) 277-0882 (toll-free) or (573) 751-2272, or by fax at (573) 526-7381.

Senator David Pearce serves Caldwell, Carroll, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Ray and Saline counties in the 21st State Senatorial District.