Greetings, My Fellow Missourians

Every year, Missouri Farm Bureau hosts Legislative Briefing to help Missouri Farm Bureau members stay on top of the issues and to give them an opportunity to advocate directly to their lawmakers in the State Capitol. At the end of the day, all Legislators are invited out to Missouri Farm Bureau Headquarters where we enjoy a fine pork loin meal of which we pay for ourselves. MOFB President Blake Hurst discussed Grain Belt Express, broadband, biodiesel, and redistricting. As a Farm Bureau member and a State Representative, I feel it’s important to keep informed on issues that affect Rural Missouri and Agriculture which at $88 billion is our number one industry.

Route 82 resurfacing project

Route 82 will be resurfaced from El Dorado Springs to the intersection of 82 and 83 in Hickory County. The anticipated schedule set by the contractor, APAC-Central is that activity on site will begin between the last week of February and the first week of March. The paving will begin within the last week of March and the first week of April. This schedule may conflict with the Route 82 bridge work at Hogles Creek. Widel Inc. will start on the bridge work and it will be fully closed on March 23. The two companies will need to work together at this location. The bridge project will be completed by May 21. There will not be an assigned detour. Motorist will need to choose alternative routes and plan accordingly. For travel between El Dorado Springs and Warsaw, please use alternative state routes; 54 to 83 or 13 to Z.

Legislation

This week I presented HB 1406, which I am sponsoring, in the Agriculture Committee. The current state statute of animal trespass was adopted into Missouri Law in 2013 (578.011), and it needs a correction. The statute of animal trespass was adopted because when livestock escape their confines. The only law on the books prior to 2013 was a statute called animal neglect. This statute didn’t really fit when law enforcement issued a citation to the owner of the escaped livestock. The correction that I have drafted will change the word “animal” to “livestock”. The main reason for making this correction is law enforcement, municipalities and county prosecutors are reluctant to write citizens a citation when their dogs are running at large. Under current law, municipalities can adopt their own local animal/pet ordinances instead of using the animal trespass law adopted in 2013. Currently, a person is guilty of animal trespass if that person with ownership or custody of an animal fails to provide adequate control of the animal for a period of 12 hours or more. HB 1406 clarifies that the statute will apply only to livestock and will not be used or confused with dogs running at large.

Visitors of the week

On Wednesday, I was able to visit with members of the Missouri Cattleman’s Association from Regions 6 and 7. It is always a pleasure to talk with this group while they promote their cause to the legislators.

Karen Stokes and her daughter Charlee visited the Capitol on Wednesday for Decoding Dyslexia Day 2020. Karen and Charlee came to inform legislators on bills that would implement reading programs specifically designed to help students with dyslexia into our school system.

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