Shown above, Sen. Kurt Schaefer introduced the Mizzou volleyball team on the Senate floor this week. The team brought home the school’s first Southeastern Conference Championship in any sport.

On Saturday, Feb. 22, Lt. Bruce Britt, a 23-year veteran of the Columbia Fire Department, tragically died from injuries he incurred while evacuating residents from an apartment complex in Columbia.  On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Missouri Senate observed a moment of silence for Lt. Britt.  I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fellow fire fighters on this tragic loss.

On Monday, Feb. 24, I had pleasure of introducing and recognizing the Mizzou volleyball team, which had a banner year in 2013.  Not only did the program bring home the school’s first ever Southeastern Conference Championship (SEC) in any sport, it also became the first SEC volleyball team to ever put together an undefeated regular season at 34-0. Senior leaders Molly Kreklow and Lisa Henning were each named American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-Americans and the Tigers had four total All-Americans after Carly Kan and Whitney Little were named honorable mention recipients. Molly Kreklow was also named the SEC Player of the Year, and Carkey Kan earned SEC Freshman of the Year. Additionally, head coach Wayne Kreklow was named SEC Coach of the Year.

The team set school records for wins, consecutive wins, and wins to open a season. Behind the setting of Molly Kreklow, the Tigers led the nation in hitting, kills and assists and rose to No. 4 in the national polls, the highest ever ranking for a Mizzou team.

We were honored to have with us Coach Kreklow and several members of the team to be honored by the Missouri Senate/House. Congratulations to this great group of Tigers!

Shown above, Sen. Kurt Schaefer welcomed the Gifted Association of Missouri to Jefferson City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, for its annual Capitol Day. Eight students attended, including Sen. Schaefer’s son, Max, and wife, Stacia.

Many organizations and associations visited the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 26. I had the privilege to introduce the Gifted Association of Missouri for its annual Capitol Day.  Eight students from Rock Bridge attended, including my son, Max, and wife, Stacia.

The last day to file bills in the Missouri Senate was Thursday, Feb. 27. I filed four bills:  Senate Bill 979, which relates to the standard of eligibility for compensation for emergency personnel killed in the line of duty; Senate Bill 980, which relates to rehiring retired state employees; Senate Bill 981, relating to state contracting; and Senate Bill 982, which deals with penalties to sex offenses.

The status of my sponsored legislation for the 2014 session is as follows:

• Senate Bill 498, which would require health insurance navigators to be bonded and create a private cause of action against navigators for the unlawful release of information, was perfected and approved by the Senate on Thursday. The bill is on the House calendar to be first read.
  
  
• Senate Bill 696, which increases the penalties and driver’s license suspension periods for those who fail to yield the right-of-way in certain instances, was heard in the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and awaits a final vote to proceed to the floor for possible debate.
  
  
• Senate Bill 697, which allows the Department of Revenue to disclose the annual number of cigarettes sales by the tobacco manufacturer, was second read and referred to the Appropriations Committee.  A hearing was held on the bill on Monday, Feb. 10. 
  
  Currently, the Department of Revenue is prohibited from disclosing information relating to a person's tax return, with certain exceptions under Section 32.057, RSMo. This legislation opens the confidentiality section and creates an exception allowing the Department of Revenue to disclose to the public the annual cigarette sales by a tobacco product manufacturer.
  
  The legislation would provide government transparency and availability of data that is otherwise difficult to obtain and readily assemble. Existence of public information may provide state legislators with insight on growth or decline in the state smoking population and its potential effect on future state revenues.
  
  
• Senate Bill 733, which reduces the rate of tax on personal income over a period of five years, was heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, Feb. 13.

• Senate Bill 756, which would modify the elementary and secondary education funding formula by adding an additional weight for gifted education, was referred to the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 6.
  
  
• Senate Bill 762, which defines automobile event data recorder and limits the release of data collected to five circumstances, was heard in Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 26. It awaits a final vote from the committee to proceed to the floor for possible debate.
  
  
• Currently, trustees of a county hospital formed under Chapter 205 are prohibited from providing health care services or entering into partnerships with other local or county hospitals if such adjoining or nearby counties also have a county hospital.  Under Senate Bill 763, so long as the trustees of such county hospitals provide consent, county hospitals in Boone and Cooper counties shall be allowed to provide such health care services or enter into such partnerships. 
  
  The bill was heard in the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 26. A final vote by the committee will send the bill to the full Senate for possible debate.
  
  
• Senate Bill 820, which modifies the formula for determining how much money a tobacco product manufacturer that does not participate in the Master Settlement Agreement will receive back from the escrow fund when the manufacturer is required to deposit money from the sale of cigarettes, is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 5.
  
  
• Senate Bill 821, which adds a motorcycle registration surcharge of $5 to be deposited in the motorcycle safety trust fund, was referred to the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and awaits a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 843, which modifies provisions of the Missouri Sunshine Law, was first read on Feb. 6 and awaits referral to committee.
  
  
• Senate Bill 855, which allows fire protection district boards to meet without public notice in order to authorize the disbursement of funds for the deployment of certain emergency task forces, was first read on Feb. 11 and awaits referral to a committee for a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 861, which establishes certain protections and remedies for consumers who purchase new motorcycles, was first read on Feb. 12 and awaits referral to committee for a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 886, which provides civil actions between a landlord and a tenant are appealable, was first read on Feb. 18 and awaits referral to committee for a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 887, which requires each public institution of higher education to annually report the institution’s administrative costs as a percent of its operating budget, was first read on Feb. 18 and awaits referral to committee for a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 898, which allows the Department of Corrections to determine the manner of executions rather than requiring executions be by lethal gas or injection, was first read on Feb. 18 and awaits referral to committee for a hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 908, which modifies the composition of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, was first read on Feb. 20 and awaits referral to committee for hearing.
  
  
• Senate Bill 936, which allows Boone County to adopt, by order or ordinance; regulations to control the minimum standards of occupancy for residential units rented or leased and in additional develop a program for licensing and inspecting the units, was introduced on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
  
  
• Senate Bill 937, which allows the county counselor of Boone County to receive $15,000 for duties relating to mental health and mental health facility and an additional amount not to exceed $15,000 for investigative and clerical personnel assisting with such duties, was filed on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

• Senate Joint Resolution 36, which modifies constitutional provisions regarding the right to keep and bear arms, was voted and passed by the Senate on Thursday, Feb. 20. The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee for hearing.  Representative John Diehl will handle this bill for me in the House.

• Senate Joint Resolution 44 is a constitutional amendment that, if approved by the voters, would require any revenue received by the state in a fiscal year in excess of the amount appropriated for such fiscal year shall be returned to taxpayers in the form of a refundable tax credit.  The bill was heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, Feb. 13, and awaits placement on the Senate calendar.

Thank you for your interest in the issues that affect the citizens of Boone and Cooper counties.  If you have any questions or concerns throughout this session, or plan on coming by the Capitol, please contact my office at (573) 751-3931.

Did you know...?

Captain Albert Berry is one of two people credited as the first person to make a successful parachute jump from a powered airplane. The other contender is Grant Morton, who is reported to have jumped from a Wright Model B flying over Venice Beach, California, sometime late in 1911. Morton's pilot was Phil Parmalee.

On March 1, 1912, Berry jumped from a Benoist pusher biplane from 1,500 feet and landed successfully at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. The pilot was Tony Jannus. The 36 foot diameter parachute was contained in a metal canister attached to the underside of the plane - when Berry dropped from the plane his weight pulled the parachute from the canister. Rather than being attached to the parachute by a harness Berry was seated on a trapeze bar. According to Berry he dropped 500 feet before the parachute opened.