Conceal and Carry (HB 294)
One piece of legislation that passed in the final moments of the 2011 legislative session will expand gun rights for Missourians. The bill approved by both the House and Senate will lower the age requirement to carry a concealed gun from 23 to 21.
Missouri put the age requirement of 23 into effect when the original concealed carry law was implemented in 2003. According to the National Rifle Association, that requirement is the highest among states that allow residents to carry a concealed weapon. Most states have an age requirement of 21, while some allow citizens as young as 18 to carry a concealed weapon. If the governor signs the bill we passed this year into law, Missouri will join the majority of other states with the reasonable age requirement of 21. It’s an age when Missourians have earned almost every other right they will obtain. It only makes sense to allow mature, responsible citizens to also have the right to carry a concealed weapon. It has been proven safe and effective in other states. I am certain it will be the same here in Missouri.
To help ensure the safe use of these weapons, the bill also increases the training requirements for an individual seeking a concealed gun permit. Under current law a permit applicant must shoot a total of 50 rounds with any handgun. The change put in place with the bill we passed will require an applicant to gain experience shooting 50 rounds each with a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol.
MO RX Extension (HB 412)
Another bill passed during the final week of the legislative session will help not only disabled Missourians but also low-income seniors. The bill approved by the House and Senate will extend the highly successful Missouri Rx Plan. For those who don’t know about the Missouri Rx plan, it’s a program that helps bridge the gap for approximately 226,000 low-income seniors and disabled residents so they can afford their prescription medications. It’s a plan the House fought fiercely to maintain. The Senate originally planned to cut the approximately $20 million in funding for the plan, but House leaders were adamant that the funding stay in the final budget. I’m proud to say the House position won out in the end.
We built on that success by passing this piece of legislation that extends the program for another three years. It was set to expire this August but now it will continue on until 2014. That’s good news for the many Missourians who rely on the program to offset the high cost of their prescription medications. The program has been a great success in helping seniors and disabled residents to obtain the medications they need to improve their quality of life and now it will continue that success for another three years.
Springfield News
MoDOT, Springfield, District 8 -- The closing of the bridge over Pearson Creek on Greene County Route YY east of Springfield has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 31, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
The bridge over Pearson Creek will be replaced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 49 days, with the opening planned for July 18.
The bridge project is part of MoDOT's Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement program that will replace or repair 802 bridges across Missouri by the end of 2013.
Preparing for Route YY Closing
A detour for the Route YY/Pearson Creek project will be signed along Routes 125, Routes OO/744 and Route 65.State highway traffic normally is not detoured onto county-maintained roads. However, local drivers familiar with the area will be able to use nearby county roads for a shorter route around the closed bridge.
MoDOT and contractors have alerted law enforcement, fire and ambulance agencies so they can plan how to respond to emergency calls with the bridge closed. The school district and post office also have been notified so they can adjust bus routes and mail carrier routes if necessary.
The existing Route YY bridge over Pearson Creek, about two miles east of Springfield, was built in 1954.
The existing bridge will be replaced by a new pre-cast concrete box-beam structure. The new bridge will be 77 feet long and 30 feet wide with two-12 foot wide driving lanes.
The prime contractor on the Route YY/Pearson Creek bridge is KTU Constructors, a group of bridge design and construction companies. The group is replacing 554 bridges of the 802-bridge total in the Safe & Sound program for $487 million.
Kiewit Western Co., a KTU Constructors partner, will build the Route YY bridge over Pearson Creek.
As part of the Safe & Sound program, the road is closed where each bridge is being replaced or repaired. Closing the road enables workers to do the bridge project quicker, safer and cheaper.
Information on the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program statewide can be found on MoDOT's web site -- www.modot.org.
For information on 29 bridges being replaced in 11 counties in the Springfield region in 2011, check www.modot.org/springfield.
Capitol Office
I look forward to hearing from you. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Best wishes.
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