The Missouri House last week gave preliminary approval to a legislative proposal that would help the Kansas City Police Department attract and retain the best law enforcement personnel.
In a first-round voice vote, House members passed legislation that would allow the department to offer better pay to officers and the police chief. HBs 640 and 729 would eliminate the current authorized salary cap for the Kansas City Police Chief and allow the Board of Police Commissioners to establish a salary cap by resolution. The bill would also eliminate existing salary caps for police officers, calculated by rank, and authorize the board of directors to use minimum salaries as the basis in pay ranges for officers in creating their comprehensive pay schedule. .
Lawmakers passed legislation last week aimed at protecting businesses, schools and churches from burdensome government mandates. By a vote of 105 to 36, the House passed HB 184 to ban local ordinances that require businesses to pay for new electric vehicle charging stations. The bill’s sponsor said its legislation comes in response to a trend that has seen municipalities requiring small businesses, malls and churches to install and pay for electric charging stations whenever they make improvements to their facilities. . He said an ordinance in St. Louis County requires businesses to add and pay for electric charging stations even as they expand their parking space.
During the same week we discussed legislation to improve the pay of Kansas City police officers, Governor Parson called on lawmakers to provide further support for a program designed to attract more Missourians to law enforcement careers. Parson announced that the Missouri Blue Scholarship has already helped fund training for 217 Missouri law enforcement recruits and asked lawmakers to approve new funding for the program. Parson announced the Missouri Blue Scholarship program in October as a way to attract more Missouri citizens to careers in law enforcement and address the shortage of law enforcement officers statewide.
I attended several hearings last week. The highlight of these was when I submitted HB 44 to the Transportation Infrastructure Committee. Passage of this bill will result in the naming of a portion of US Highway 50 the “SGT James L. Shipley Memorial Highway.” With just 24 hours notice, five people from the Tipton community have agreed to appear in person at this hearing to testify in favor of this bill. John Schuster, John Brant, Jill Tobin, Henry Suddarth and Vernon Gage praised Shipley and expressed their support. Their presence and testimony tugged at the heartstrings of the committee members, who were moved by the stories they told. It was a pity that the author of the James Shipley book, Jeremy Amick, was unable to attend. Amick spent many hours interviewing Shipley and is very knowledgeable about his life and experiences. Amick’s book, ‘Together as One’ chronicled the life of James Shipley.
In recognition of Career and Technical Education Month, many CTE students and their advisors visited my office, the Chamber Room, and toured the Whispering Gallery and dome.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact me at 573-751-2077 or email [email protected]
State Representative Willard Haley represents House District 58, which includes parts of Miller, Morgan and Moniteau counties.
