Looking Back on the 2019 Legislative Session
After five long months, the 2019 legislative session came to an end on May 17. While there were certainly difficult and tiring moments, I believe we had a successful session, with several of my legislative priorities being passed and sent to the governor’s desk.
We were able to pass my Senate Bill 196, which will help make the Rock Island Trail a reality. This legislation creates the Rock Island Trail State Park Endowment Fund which will allow private donations, grants and appropriated dollars to go directly toward growing and maintaining this new “rails-to-trails” project. By converting former railroad corridors into walking trails, the Rock Island Trail plans to stretch over 200 miles and join the Katy Trail to form a 450 mile loop. I believe this project is a tremendous opportunity to encourage people to enjoy nature’s splendor as well as increase tourism throughout our state. Senate Bill 196 also authorizes the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to award grants to help maintain and restore historic county courthouses across the state. I believe this legislation presents an opportunity to preserve these important structures for many years to come.
The Missouri General Assembly also passed House Bill 260, the House companion to one of my bills. HB 260 raises the fines for poaching and will help the Department of Conservation hold individuals accountable for stealing our state’s natural resources. Poaching fines have not been increased in quite some time, and they are often less than the cost to legally hunt. By increasing poaching fines and rectifying this issue, I believe we can dissuade individuals from poaching and promote legal hunting.
Another House bill I handled was House Bill 547, which creates veterans treatment courts. These specialty courts will provide alternatives to the traditional court system for military veterans and current military personnel with substance abuse disorders, mental health disorders or co-occurring disorders. I believe this legislation allows our military members and veterans to get the help they need, without going through the traditional court system.
I also handled House Bill 898, which creates the “Back the Blue” license plate. These license plates will be available with a $10 donation to the Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation and a $15 fee in addition to normal registration costs. I believe these license plates will send a clear message that we support our law enforcement officers who do so much to keep our communities safe. House Bill 898 was also approved by the General Assembly.
Lastly, the Missouri General Assembly passed Senate Bill 391, legislation I sponsored intended to help protect farmers. The Missouri General Assembly also passed House Bill 126, a pro-life bill that will protect the unborn. Ultimately, I believe the policies we passed this year will continue to move Missouri in the right direction and help make this state a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.