Moving Forward With My Legislation
Hello from the Capitol at the end of the third week of the second Regular Session of the 98th General Assembly. Things are still moving quickly here and I’m glad to be pushing forward with my proposed legislation for this session. I would like to use this week’s column to outline the first 10 bills I have introduced so far. All of my legislation addresses issues facing the residents of the 27th District and the state of Missouri as a whole, and I will continue to use my proposed bills to push for a more efficient judicial system, more equitable elderly care services and improved support for our state’s brave service men and women, among other issues.
Here is a summary of some of the legislation I have proposed for this Session so far:
- SB 617 – Modifies provisions relating to feral hogs, which have become an ecological and economic hazard for both the land and landowners throughout my district and Southern Missouri. This bill increases the penalties associated with transporting, releasing or possessing wild hogs and also opens hunting opportunities for landowners and permissioned hunters to cull this invasive species.
- SB 618 – Requires any juvenile certified as an adult to be detained in a juvenile facility until the detainee has been sentenced or has turned 17 years of age. This bill also requires the Division of Youth Services in collaboration with the Office of State Courts Administrator to establish a task force to improve the system in regard to juvenile detention.
- SB 619 – Requires Department of Health and Senior Services elder abuse claim investigators to provide the alleged perpetrator and the public with standardized materials that explain the rights of the accused. This bill is the first step toward creating a more efficient and fair elder abuse investigation process.
- SB 684 – Specifies that courts must order an evaluation by the Division of Youth Services to determine whether dual jurisdiction is appropriate for certain juvenile offenders.
- SB 685 – Requires children under the age of 18 to be prosecuted for most criminal offenses in juvenile courts unless the child is certified as an adult. This bill will improve the judicial system for children 17 years of age and will keep them from being prosecuted in criminal courts as adults.
- SB 686 – Modifies how fourth class cities may proceed with street improvements if a majority of property owners liable to taxation for the improvements who reside within the city do not oppose the plans. This bill gives the local landowners more say in how street improvements are implemented in their area.
- SB 778 – Provides that a managed care plan’s network is adequate if the health carrier is accredited by the Accreditation for Ambulatory Care. This bill gives the director of the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration the ability to determine whether or not a care plan’s network is up to standard.
- SB 794 – Creates a sales tax exemption for parts and accessories of certain types of medical equipment, which makes the medical equipment necessary for many Missourians more affordable to purchase and maintain.
- SB 795 – Implements the Streamlined and Use Tax Agreement, which increases the efficiency of our state’s dealings with the Department of Revenue.
- SB 814 – Allows an individual to deduct income earned through active military duty from their Missouri adjusted gross income, providing support for our state’s military personnel and helping military families all across the Show Me State make ends meet.
These are just a few of the bills I have proposed so far this session, and I plan on describing more of them in next week’s column. The above bills touch on some of the most important issues I believe are facing 27th District residents and Missourians all over, and I plan to continue the fight for Missouri’s elderly, impoverished, service men and women and children throughout the rest of this session and beyond.
I urge you to contact me with any questions or concerns you have about state government so that I can better represent you during the 2016 legislative session.
Contact Me
I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions, and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-2459. You may write me at Wayne Wallingford, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or email at wayne.wallingford@senate.mo.gov or www.senate.mo.gov/wallingford.
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