State Senator Brad Hudson Capitol Report

The first two and a half weeks of session are under our belt, and we have hit the ground running. For my first Capitol Report this year, I want to discuss a few of the bills I have filed, and where they are in the process. Throughout this session I hope to discuss each of the bills I have filed this year and explain what they do and why I think they are important.

 

The first of these bills is Senate Bill 907 which establishes the “Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation.” This act prevents hasty lawsuits from being thrown at small businesses because they fail to comply with ADA requirements. Instead, when businesses are informed that they have not met requirements they may receive a 30-day grace period to correct the mistake. I believe this is important to protect small businesses from abusive litigation over issues they were unaware of.

 

This bill has been assigned to the General Laws Committee and will be heard in the coming weeks.

 

Secondly, Senate Bill 908, which lowers the age requirement to receive a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18 and removes the restriction preventing the open carrying of firearms. I believe that if someone is old enough to vote and join the military, then they are old enough to have a concealed carry permit to protect themselves, their families and their fellow man. In addition, I believe any restriction on a citizen’s ability to bear arms is a violation of their Second Amendment rights.

 

This bill has been assigned to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee and will also be heard in the coming weeks.

 

Next, Senate Bill 909 establishes the SPEAKS Act to protect students in public schools from discrimination based on their beliefs. It ensures neither the school nor other students can discriminate against a school club for their religious, political or ideological philosophies. This bill does not allow speech that is unprotected by the First Amendment or speech that would disrupt the school’s ability to function. It does help ensure a student’s freedom of speech and right to gather in school settings. I believe schools are a place for students to think, debate and grow, not a place to be policed, censored and silenced. This is a bipartisan issue that gives students the right to be heard without fear of punishment.

 

Finally, Senate Bill 998 modifies the existing Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program. Most notably, it removes some of the restrictions from who can access the program, allowing more autonomy for parents to decide the best educational pathway for their children.

 

These last two bills have been heard in the Education Committee and are awaiting the committee’s decision to move them to the floor.

 

If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. As always, it is an honor to serve you.