This was a week of real movement in Jefferson City.

We held hearings on several important bills, a committee vote moving one of my veterans' bills forward, final votes on the Senate floor, and more work to protect Missouri families, property rights and the rule of law.  Step by step, these are the kinds of weeks that matter because this is how legislation moves from an idea to something that can make a real difference in people's lives.

A big part of this week was continuing to advance legislation that addresses practical problems for Missouri families and communities.

On Monday, a House committee held a hearing on SB 1351, my bill dealing with the Independence School District board terms and other urban districts. This bill would shorten school board terms from 6 years to 3 years in Independence. It would also allow one excused school absence for a student to attend a scheduled election with a parent or guardian. That is a simple hange, but it helps strengthen accountability and encourages civic involvement at the local level.

On Tuesday, SB 920 received a hearing in the Senate Emerging Issues and Professional Registration Committee. In a nutshell, this bill is aimed at stopping large corporate and hedge-fund-style ownership from swallowing up more of Missouri's housing market. This bill would bar certain business and investment entities that already own more than 50 single family homes or more than 100 residential unites in Missouri from buying additional residential property here. It also gives the Attorney General enforcement authority and allows courts to order unlawfully acquired residential property sold. this matters because Missouri families should not have to compete with massive entities that can distort the housing market and make homeownership harder to reach.

Also on Tuesday, SB 1619 was voted Do Pass in the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. This bill would expand certain leave-of-absense protections to volunteer firefighters who also serve, and it would update military leave provisions from 120 hours in a fiscal year to 38 working days. Our service members and volunteer firefighters carry real burdens for our communities, and our laws should reflect that. I was glad to see this bill move forward.

On Wednesday, I presented SB 1476 in the Senate Judiciary & Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. This bill establishes provisions relating to adult cabaret performances and creates penalties when those performances take place on public property or where they can be viewed by minors. The first offense would be a Class A misdemeanor, with subsequent offenses treated as a Class E felony. Parents have a right to expect that children will not be exposed to sexually explicit performances in public settings.

We also saw progress this week on legislation dealing with abusive ADA website litigation. The Senate perfected the combined bill package that includes SB 1154, legislated designed to address abusive disability-access website lawsuits by giving businesses notice and a chance to correct problems before litigation moves forward. That is the kind of fair-process reform that protects legitimate claims while discouraging "sue and settle" tactics.

As the week continued, more important issues were lined up on the calendar for action on the Senate floor.

The perfection calendar now includes SBs 977 & 1011, the "No Shari'a Law." This bill would prohibit the application and enforceability of foreign law like Sharia, legal codes and systems in Missouri courts.

My SB 1012 dealing with artificial intelligence and SB 919 relating to property taxes are on the calendar for debate as well as SB 1534 is ready for a final vote. 

Sometimes, it's just as important to be the one at the goal blocking the advances of your opponents.  We already have inalienable rights. We usually don't need more legislation to protect them but often we find that they need to be defended from attacks. That is just as important in my work here as seeing bills passed.

In Missouri, the office of sheriff is outlined in our statutes but not protected in our state constitution.  Senator Carter filed a bill that would add protective language in our constitution that would ensure that each Missouri county has a sheriff who is elected by the people. 

This week, one KC Senator tried to add an amendment that would exempt Jackson County. I was successful in killing the amendment and protecting Jackson County.

I believe elected sheriffs are important and need to be protected and I did not want to see Jackson County excluded again from good policy. I'm happy that I was able to kill that amendment and keep our sheriff in Jackson County protected.  

The bill is a joint resolution which means it will need a passing vote of the people at the ballot box in order to amend the Missouri Constitution.  

In addition to bill hearings, committees continued hearing legislation on major issues affecting Missouri families.

On Wednesday, the Families Committee heard legislation to repeal the sunset on The SAFE Act and also heard another Born Alive bill.  These are serious issues and they deserve careful consideration.

We also had final votes on several bills this week. 

One of the best parts of serving in the Senate is welcoming people from our district and hearing directly from them.

This week, I was glad to introduce guests from the Oak Grove School District on the Senate floor. We also enjoyed having guests from Freedom of the Road Riders visit the office.

Thursday I had the opportunity to speak to the Missouri Federation of Republican Women and meet some of the Breckenridge Scholars. I also enjoyed visiting with some of the federated women in our office. Those conversations matter. They help keep the work at the Capitol grounded in the real concerns and priorities of the people we serve.

This week was busy and productive.

This is how we protect homeowners, support veterans, strengthen families, improve local accountability, and keep moving good ideas through the legislative process.  Hearings, committee votes, debates on the floor - every step matters and every step takes work.

I remain hopeful and committed to keeping that work moving forward for the people of our district and for Missouri.

Thank you for taking the time to follow what is happening at the Capitol.

You can always review my votes by clicking "My Votes" in the menu at the top. And if our office can ever help you, please reach out. We are here to serve you.

Presenting SB 1476 to the Judiciary Committee 

Advocates for adult education

Educators from Oak Grove School District

Freedom of the Road Riders

Missouri Federation of Republican Women

Charlotte Mattson, Breckenridge Scholar