JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Senate this week passed a measure restricting the filing of lawsuits of municipalities and the state against firearm dealers and manufacturers.

According to Sen. Anita Yeckel, R-Sunset Hills, Senate Bill 13 maintains that the design, marketing, manufacture or sale of firearms or ammunition is not an unreasonably dangerous activity, thus there is no reason to file suit to stop the activity. The act, designed to streamline tort or civil liability court actions, does allow for legal actions relating to firearms/ammunition breach of contract or warranty issues.

Having passed the Senate, the bill has been sent to the House of Representatives for debate.

Final approval was also given to a measure affording more time to verify signatures collected in citizen-driven efforts to put petitions and referendums before a vote of the people.

"The initiative process allows people to put issues on the ballot without legislative assistance by gathering a large number of signatures from adults agreeing with the proposal itself or agreeing that a vote of the people should decide the issue," said Sen. Yeckel, who last year sponsored election reform legislation. "Senate Bill 50 provides election authorities with 30 days, rather than 14 days, to complete verification of initiative and referendum petition signatures."

The added time is designed to improve the accuracy of the verification process, which includes certification of listed names and their respective given addresses and congressional districts.

Senators perfected legislation making teaching certificates valid for life.

Along with removing certain certificate renewal requirements, Senate Bill 265 stipulates that lifetime certificates are valid for the life span of the possessor so long as the teacher annually completes 15 hours of professional development monitored by the district and reviewed by the Missouri school improvement program. Lifetime teaching certificate holders inactive for more than a year must complete 15 hours of professional development six months prior to reactivating their certificate.

The education bill faces a final vote in the Senate before being sent to the House.

The Senate's Pensions and General Laws Committee heard testimony on a measure that would allow for the issuance of permits to carry concealed weapons.

Senate Bill 83 stipulates that permit applicants must be at least 21, submit a background check, show proof of firearm training and pay an initial fee of up to $50. Permit renewals, required annually, would cost up to $10.

"People with permits would not be allowed to carry concealed weapons into certain places such as schools, churches and public buildings," Sen. Yeckel said.

Voters narrowly rejected a similar proposal in 1999.

Varying interpretations of the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, personal safety concerns and the desire to bolster personal protection are among the several points of debate in the concealed weapons permit measure," said Sen. Yeckel.

Senate Commerce and Enviornment Committee members approved the Missouri Downtown Economic Stimulus Act.

Under Senate Bill 253, individual municipalities would be allowed to establish a Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority, each governed by a board of commissioners.

The panel would submit a development plan to the Missouri Development Finance Board for approval to use tax increment financing and a portion of up to $150 million to be made available in a special state supplemental downtown development fund.