Several bills were heard at committee meetings

This week three of my bills were heard in committee meetings:
1. My Ste. Genevieve mining bill, House Bill (HB) 982, was well supported by Ste. Genevieve residents who filled the Rural Community Development Committee hearing room. Many gave testimony in favor of the bill. Thank you all for showing up! HB 982 - ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
2. My Don Welge Memorial Bridge HB 487 was heard in the Transportation Infrastructure Committee meeting. HB 487 - MEMORIAL BRIDGE
3. I introduced my ATM/offenses with teller machines, HB 725, in the Crime Prevention & Public Safety committee meeting. HB 725 - OFFENSES INVOLVING TELLER MACHINES
Proposal to Improve Pay for Kansas City Police Officers (HBs 640 & 729)
This week we gave first round approval to help the Kansas City Police Department attract and retain the very best law enforcement personnel. This bill would eliminate the current authorized salary ceiling.
I think it is important to put the power to establish a salary schedule in the hands of the Board of Police Commissioners rather than the hands of the state.
The Kansas City Police Department is currently down 254 police officers and is losing officers to surrounding areas where they can receive better pay.
Kansas City had the second highest homicide rate in the city’s history, with 169 homicides last year. That is unacceptable. I support this bill and the men and women who are daily out there protecting and serving.
Protecting Businesses from Costly Mandates (HB 184)
We approved legislation this week aimed at protecting businesses, schools, and churches from burdensome government mandates. HB 184 will prohibit local ordinances to require businesses to pay for new electric vehicle charging stations.

The legislation comes in response to a trend that has seen municipalities mandate that small businesses, shopping centers, and churches install and pay for electric charging stations whenever they make improvements to their facilities. An ordinance in St. Louis County requires businesses to add and pay for electric charging stations even if they expand their parking lot.
Government should not tell a business you have to do something that has nothing to do with your business! When a political subdivision is going to infringe upon the property rights of private business owners and private property owners I believe it is my duty to step up and put a stop to that encroachment of power.
Let businesses develop their business, develop their parking lots, for their customers, not as fueling stations. Let the free market fend for itself.
HB 184 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Supplemental Funding Bill (HB 14)
I supported this supplemental spending bill and the House sent it to the Senate for consideration. (HB 14) will allocate more than $627 million in funding for the current state operating budget.
This supplemental spending plan includes:
8.7% pay increase for state workers
Does not include general assembly and statewide elected officials.
$286.5 million in spending authority for the State Emergency Management Agency.
$628,750 appropriation to the Department of Agriculture to help address the growing black vulture problem impacting livestock owners statewide.
$20 million to establish school safety programs, including physical security upgrades and associated technology, bleeding control kits, and automatic external defibrillators.