Clinton police officer Christopher Ryan Morton Archives

Gov. Mike Parson has signed into law today a bill with a component that lets some motorcyclists cruise without a helmet. Under House Bill 1963, a massive state transportation proposal, motorcycle riders can go helmetless if they are at least 26 years old, have medical insurance and have proof of financial responsibility.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on June 16, 2020 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Flickr page)

The wide-ranging bill is sponsored by Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit.

The bill also includes the following provisions:

•Lets a state commission create a public-private partnership to build a potential Hyperloop tube travel system in Missouri

•Bans the use of eminent domain to build a high-speed tube transport network

•Allows medical alert symbols to be put on IDs for a variety of different health conditions, including diabetes, heart conditions, epilepsy and autism

•Removes “facial feature pattern characteristics” and eye spacing from the definition of biometric data for REAL IDs

•Lets the state design and launch a digital driver’s license program that applicants could use the same way as a regular driver’s license

•Names a portion of a state highway in Clinton after fallen police officer Gary Michael, who was killed in the line of duty in 2017

•Designates part of State Highway 7 in Clinton after fallen police officer Christopher Ryan Morton, who was killed by a gunman in 2018

•Names a portion of State Highway 9 in Platte County after longtime Kansas City Chiefs radio announcer Bill Grigsby