To the Great Constituents of District 2,
“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird — it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”
—C. S. Lewis
The work is just getting started and I’m excited for the next bills that will be making their way to the house floor. More highlights over last week’s session:
HB 585 makes modifications to the current law relating to the issuance of credit cards by lenders in Missouri. The bill deletes the references to the charging and collection of fees and replaces them with the terms and conditions that any lender in a contiguous state is allowed to utilize under the contiguous state’s statutes. The bill authorizes the Division of Finance within the Department of Commerce and Insurance, to approve or disapprove the terms and conditions filed by lenders issuing credit cards. Supporters say the bill seeks to better the market for the credit card processors including bank processors and permits them to use the laws that apply in the contiguous states, particularly Nebraska and Tennessee.
HB 461 establishes the Broadband Development Council to explore ways to expand access to broadband services; the potential for increased use of broadband for education, career readiness, workforce preparation, and alternative career training; ways to encourage state and municipal agencies to expand service to better serve the public through the use of streaming, voice over Internet protocol, teleconferencing, and wireless networking. Supporters say the state and federal governments have distributed millions of dollars in grant funds for the expansion of broadband throughout the state. This bill would establish a council to provide stakeholder engagement and legislative oversight to ensure the effective use of the funds.
HB 454 modifies the offense of enticement of a child by increasing the age of the victim from less than 15 years old to less than 17 years old. Additionally, the bill modifies the penalty provisions for the offense of patronizing prostitution. The bill also modifies provisions relating to criminal offenses involving a child and statements made by a child or vulnerable person. Currently, a statement made by a child under the age of 14 that would otherwise be inadmissible in court, including a visual and an aural recording of a verbal or nonverbal statement of that child, is admissible in court in matters relating to certain offenses. The bill changes the age to children under 18. Supporters say the bill will combat human trafficking by going after its patrons. Current charges are too low to deter behavior. Currently it is not a crime to entice a 15 or 16 year old.
It’s a pleasure to serve and as always if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to my office at (573) 751-4285 or email me at [email protected].
All my best,
Mazzie Boyd, State Representative for District 2
