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May 21, 2001 2001 legislative session good for Missouri, good for the 142nd District, says Sp Jefferson City - - Missouri Speaker of the House Jim Kreider, D-Nixa, is pleased with the accomplishments of the Missouri General Assembly this year, with the passage of the major priorities of .08, the women’s health initiative, Jake’s Law, managed care reform, standardizing criminal penalties on meth and Ecstasy dealing along with fully funding education. Kreider wrapped up his first sessions as speaker with much of which to be proud. “There is always room for improvement,” said Speaker Kreider. “But, overall the session was very productive for a tight budge year. I am proud of the job we have done.” Speaker Kreider said his top statewide priority for the 2001 session was the passage of a comprehensive women’s health bill, which will require health insurance providers to cover annual OB/GYN examinations, regular cancer screenings, and bone density testing for post menopausal women. The bill passed on the last day of sessions. “We know that early detection is the key to survival, and that just one visit to a doctor’s office can make a difference,” said Speaker Kreider. “This legislation will make that difference.” Just as importantly, the session was also a success in terms of legislation of local concern. Bills passed this year focusing on Southwest Missouri include: Farmland Protection Act: for three years, Speaker Kreider has been working on a measure that will protect farmers who are threatened by encroachment from nearby development. The bill was inspired by an incident involving the Thompson family of rural Springfield when governmental entities attempted to force them to sell their dairy farm so the land could be used to develop an industrial park. Under this new law, farmers could not be forced to sell their land without a public hearing and utility companies could not charge them for the cost of “services” they don’t want or can’t use. Noxious Weeds: Again inspired by a local resident whose farm was being overrun by kudzu vine being cultivated by a neighbor, this bill adds kudzu to the state’s list of noxious weeds. This requires landowners to control the spread of kudzu and prevent it from spreading to neighboring property. Building Codes: Allows counties to adopt building codes, subject to voter approval. With the flurry of building activity in the Ozark region, reports have surfaced regarding shoddy construction with substandard materials. This law will allow counties to set safety standards for new construction. Education Funding: Southwest Missouri State University will receive an additional $1.9 million for the next two years, with a budget increase of $3.8 million in each subsequent year. Speaker Kreider said that after reviewing the budgets of other universities and colleges in the state, he believed SMS was historically underfunded and an increase was warranted. Criminal Activity Forfeiture Act: A bill sponsored by Speaker Kreider, this new law will require all assets seized in drug busts and other criminal activity be dedicated to a special school building fund. “I have said many times that my first commitment is to those who elected me to represent them - - the people of western Christian and southwest Greene counties,” said Speaker Kreider. “I am happy to have honored that commitment.” | |||||
Paid for by Kreider for Senator.
Bobby Neal Jr., Treasurer. Not at taxpayer's expense.
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