Greetings, My Fellow Missourians

I am happy to report that Governor Parson signed legislation last Friday that will allow all Missouri counties the ability to collect fees to enhance 911 services.  It will be up to each county commission to submit to the voters of the county a proposal to authorize the commission to enact a tax for the purpose of providing central dispatching of fire protection, emergency ambulance service, including emergency telephone services, and other emergency services.  It will be limited not to exceed $1.50 per device on subscribers of any communications service or owner of any device enabled to contact 911 solely for the purpose of funding 911 service in the county.  If approved by the voters, revenue from this fee, except for certain administrative and collection costs of the providers and the Department of Revenue, will be deposited into the Missouri 911 Service Trust Fund to be remitted monthly by the Director of the Department of Revenue to the governing body of the county.

The effective date of this law is Aug. 28, 2018.  Choosing to enact this tax will provide the ability to drastically reduce the time involved in responding to an emergency.  Previously, taxes have only been collected on landlines, which are steadily declining, to cover 911 services.   Throughout the committee hearings on this legislation, the advocates testifying in favor have been overwhelming.  They include:  the MO Ambulance Association, the American Heart Association, Missouri Nurses Association, Missouri State Council of Firefighters, Missouri Fire Service Alliance, Missouri Chapter Association of Public Safety Communication Officials, Missouri Committee for the Deaf, Missouri Municipal League, Missouri Police Chiefs Association, Missouri Association of Counties, Missouri 911 Directors Organization, Missouri National Emergency Number Association, Missouri Cable Telecommunications Association, the Missouri Chapter of the National Social Workers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and many more.

Drug take back program signed into law:

Three pieces of legislation approved by the General Assembly this year (SBs 718, 826 and 951) all contained a provision to help fight prescription drug abuse. The change to state law will expand Missouri’s drug take back program so that Missourians are more easily able to dispose of their unwanted prescription medications.

Citizens will be able to discard unfinished prescriptions year-round by dropping them off at authorized sites such as pharmacies. (Without the change, Missouri pharmacies would be barred from taking prescriptions they did not dispense.) Specifically, unused controlled substances will be accepted from the public through collection receptacles, drug disposal boxes, and other means provided through drug take back programs by a drug enforcement agency-authorized collector in accordance with federal regulations, regardless of whether or not the authorized collector originally dispensed the drug.

The act also requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to develop an education and awareness program about drug disposal by August 28, 2019.  The program will be a web-based resource that describes available drug disposal options, provides a list of take back sites, and provides a list of take back events.  The goal is to allow collection in as many places as possible to make it easy for people to dispose of unused prescription drugs and get them off the streets.

Missouri ends fiscal year 2018 with strong revenue growth:

As Fiscal Year 2018 ended at the close of June, the state received good news regarding the healthier-than-expected growth of state revenues.  While state budget leaders had predicted growth of 1.9 percent, the state saw the fiscal year end with growth of 5 percent.  I attribute this more-than-double growth to low unemployment rates and a thriving economy in Missouri.

100-Mile yard sale coming soon:

“Discover More on Route 54” is hosting the Annual 100-Mile Yard Sale scheduled for Labor Day weekend during daylight hours, August 31-September 1, along U.S. Highway 54 including the cities of Nevada, El Dorado Springs, Collins, Weaubleau, Wheatland, Hermitage, Preston, Macks Creek, and Camdenton.   Everyone is invited and encouraged to sell, attend, and ‘Discover More on Route 54!’  Sellers will be responsible for their own yard sale signs to attract motorists. With the increased holiday traffic, it’s encouraged that other non-profits (fire departments, churches, etc.) hold rummage sales & fundraisers at the same time.   –More information will be posted regularly.

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