Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed three bills into law today, including one that goes after sex traffickers.
State Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, and State Sen. Jill Carter, R-Newton County, are the bill sponsors.
“This is a bill that is going to protect the young and vulnerable in Missouri, especially. Trafficking is just modern-day slavery,” said Lewis.
“I think this takes Missouri from lagging to front and center from the rest of the country. And people need to know that when you come after our kids, there’s going to be consequences. And Missouri is going to stand in defense of those kids that are most vulnerable. Our youth and our young kids, you can’t have access to them. So if you go after our kids, you’re going to find a big stick on the other end of it,” said Carter.
HB 2273 will:
• Increase penalties for sex offenses involving minors.
• Modify statute for penalties for sharing or threatening to share a photo of a sex act that have been created or altered using digital manipulation.
• Strengthen Missouri’s efforts to combat child sex trafficking.
Photo credit: Gov. Mike Kehoe’s Flickr Page
At a bill signing ceremony today, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway touted the legislation.
“When I was U.S. Attorney, I prosecuted literally hundreds of these child exploitation cases. People who are human trafficked begin as runaways. They don’t have anybody in their corner. So, I want to say a very special thank you to the representatives and to the senator for standing up for people who don’t have anybody else standing up for them,” said Hanaway.
Crimes committed by juveniles are about to come with greater consequences in Missouri. Another bill signed into law is a sweeping juvenile justice package.
SB 888, sponsored by state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles County, and state Rep. Brad Christ, R. St. Louis County, includes the following:
• Allows for record sharing to enhance the ability of law enforcement and prosecutors to track cases and juvenile adjudication history.
• Adds increased penalties for sexual criminal offenses.
• Supports sentencing changes by streamlining processes and adding transparency in parole eligibility calculation.
• Allows Missouri counties to enact 1% sales tax to fund new juvenile detention centers, among other things.
Photo credit: Gov. Mike Kehoe’s Flickr Page
“With all the friends we have in the law enforcement community today, just reflect just for a minute what the price of freedom is and what the price of keeping our communities safe are. And we should remember those families in our prayers. I’ve been to way too many funerals for first responders and law enforcement in specific,” said Kehoe.
The third bill signed will clarify that pregnancy status shall not be used to prevent courts from granting divorce or legal separation.
State Reps. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, and Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, are the bill sponsors. Williams survived domestic violence while pregnant about twenty years ago.
“This was my first priority – was changing this and making sure that I helped be a voice for those who also were silenced by domestic violence. I was silenced by domestic violence, and so I speak now for those who still are,” said Williams.
“If we are serious about protecting life, we must also be serious about protecting vulnerable women and mothers,” said Kehoe. “House Bill 1908 ensures that pregnancy is never used as a barrier to prevent a woman from seeking a divorce in unsafe situations.”
In this day and age of partisan politics and theatre, a unanimous vote in one chamber is significant. But a unanimous vote in the Missouri House and Senate is almost unheard of.
The Missouri Legislature unanimously passed House Bill 1908.
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