After a well-deserved (for us constituents) break from Disneyland-on-the-Missouri in Jefferson City, it’s almost over, I regret to announce.
Once Gov. Mike Parson officially unveils his portrait (eye-roll), he’ll finally step aside and head back to the farm in Bolivar where I guess he’ll hang out in the cafe and complain.
Meanwhile, in Belton and Raymore, we get to watch with envy as our neighboring district gets eager, competent and productive representation by Republican State Rep. Sherri Gallick of Village of Loch Lloyd. On the first day of prefiling this week, Gallick filed no less than seven pieces of legislation, all important to various segments of her constituency.
The first would authorize a guest tax in Harrisonville upon voter approval, not unlike the one that currently exists in Belton. It’s one of those situations where the state legislature has to “allow” the city to put the proposal on the ballot, so it’s basically just a formality. The final decision will be up to Harrisonville voters.
From there it moves to proposals such as one to require schools to establish cardiac emergency response plans (most surely already have those, but this would ensure all do). Another modifies provisions relating to the posting of notices by political subdivisions (allows them to post certain notices to their website rather than to numerous physical locations within the district). Those notices would still be required to be posted in the local newspaper.
Another would modify the offense of “hazing,” encouraging witnesses to not only dial 911 in an emergency but stick around and assist authorities by granting immunity from future prosecution in certain cases.
An economic development bill establish the Missouri Angel Investment Incentive Act, while she returns with a bill establishing provisions for publishing or distributing material harmful to minors on the Internet.
Finally, she authored and submitted a bill modifying provisions governing the use of county development disability resource board tax levies. As a board member of CASCO, the county’s workshop for the developmentally disabled, this would have a directly positive effect on a treasured resource.
Meanwhile, Belton-Raymore’s representative, who survived a campaign against Democrat challenger and local developer Pam Hatcher by, well, not campaigning since winning the Republican primary, has recycled a provision having to do with phone privileges in jails and prisons that has not gotten even the slightest hearing in recent sessions. He apparently would like to provide inmates easier or cheaper telephone access for some reason, which is not on any wish list of local constituents that I’ve heard.
And yes, now we have a new one this session. Davis would like to repeal the part of Missouri law that forbids a convicted felon from running for elective office.
Not only that, but he’s named it the “Donald J. Trump Election Qualification Act.”
Are we playing a part in a sitcom here in the 56th District? There should be no surprise, of course. This is the same law school graduate that didn't pass the Bar that filed legislation last year that would have allowed law school graduates to practice, you got it, without passing the bar.
We’re not alone here by any means. This state is packed with similarly inept representation while serious members like Gallick are few and far between. Case in point, State Sen. Andrew Koenig from the St. Louis area who filed Senate Bill 72, which would establish a $1,000 bounty on illegal aliens, payable to the citizens that turn them in. What could possibly go wrong? We'll see who signs on to co-present that one. Anyone have any guesses?
I suspect that as unproductive as last year was, we’ve seen nothing yet as the General Assembly fights to overturn the will of the people.
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