State Sen. Kurt U. Schaefer – District 19

While there is still much legislation making its way through the various committees, many legislators are filing new bills as the March 1 deadline approaches. Here are the highlights from my week in the Missouri Senate.

I had the privilege of presenting a resolution to Alliance Foam Technologies in Centralia on Monday. Owned by Barry Stevens, Matt Old and Lance McCann, the company recently received the 2009 Business of the Year Award from the Centralia Chamber of Commerce. I was very pleased to meet with the owners, tour the facility, and extend my congratulations to the company for their success. Alliance Foam is a great example of the determination and risk-taking in business that is going to help bring us out of this economic downturn.

I filed Senate Bill 975 on Tuesday, which would require all participants in the death certification process to use an electronic death registration system. The state registrar, health departments, medical examiners, and funeral directors must use the system within 24 months of its certification by the Department of Health and Senior Services.

I also filed Senate Bill 962 which relates to gifted education. The bill states that school districts must include in their annual school accountability report card whether the school district currently has a state-approved gifted education program. The bill also requires school districts to identify gifted students and establish specific programs for them.

Additionally, Senate Bill 884 was heard in the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee on Tuesday. This bill closes the loophole in the Master Tobacco Settlement and requires all manufacturers to follow the settlement.

On Wednesday I filed Senate Bill 999, which would modify the enhanced enterprise zone program. Taxpayers that establish a new business facility in a certified industrial zone approved or designated as an enhanced enterprise zone by the Department of Economic Development would get a new tax credit. A certified industrial zone is any real property that encompasses at least 100 acres, has been found to be blighted, and is in a location with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent. Also on Wednesday, my Access Missouri scholarship legislation, Senate Bill 784, was voted out of the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. This bill equalizes the scholarship amount for public and private four-year institutions at a $2,850 maximum and increases the amount for two-year institutions to 1,250. It will now move to the Senate floor for debate.

On Thursday, I filed several bills, including:

And Senate Bill 1006, an act modifying provisions relating to water quality.

This week I had the privilege of presenting resolutions to multiple University of Missouri-Columbia athletic teams this week.

I honored both the women’s soccer and softball teams as well as heavyweight wrestling champion Mark Ellis for their accomplishments.

Senate Bill 1005, which specifies that an individual, who owns or leases private property and is claiming to use protective force, may use deadly force against a person who unlawfully enters, remains in the property after unlawfully entering, or attempts to unlawfully enter the property. Senate Bill 1004, also known as “Karra’s and Jocelyn’s Law” on Thursday. Under this act, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree is an unclassified felony with a prison term of no more than 20 years when the person creates a substantial risk to the life of a child under the age of five by shaking that child.