The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence says new domestic violence legislation is a huge improvement to the 30-year-old laws that are currently on the books. CEO Colleen Coble says the legislation streamlines the laws, and makes it easier for judges to file restraining orders against offenders. She says there was no opposition by lawmakers.
Coble sat on the Attorney General’s domestic task force last year. She says this legislation matches up with all the priorities the task force had for new legislation.
She says this is the first time teenagers have been included in domestic violence laws. She says that’s important because the term domestic violence is now more consistent within the law.
New domestic violence legislation goes into effect August 28.