Poplar Bluff Archives

Missouri senators expected to hold lengthy hearing Monday about gun violence

November 2, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri Senate committee studying gun violence is expected to hear several hours of testimony Monday in Jefferson City.

State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, speaks at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on May 10, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Missouri Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

The chairman of the newly-formed Senate Interim Committee on Public Safety is expecting a lengthy hearing at the Statehouse. The committee meets Monday morning at 10, and chairman State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, tells Missourinet each of the seven senators on the committee has invited witnesses from different backgrounds and expertise.

U-S Attorney Tim Garrison has noted that St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield are three of the top 15 most violent cities in the nation, on a per capita basis.

Chairman Libla says it’s time for the senators to put their minds together and get some direction on the gun violence issue.

Republicans have a 4-3 majority on the committee, and State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, has praised Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, for forming the committee. She hopes it will come up with a blueprint to reduce the violence.

Senator Nasheed, who serves on the committee, describes increasing gun violence as a public health crisis.

“I want those individual experts to be able to come in and talk about what are the legislative best practices that we can push to help reduce the type of violence that we’re seeing in our community,” Nasheed says.

At least 13 children have been killed in St. Louis city shootings in 2019, and there have been 122 homicides in Kansas City this year. In mid-Missouri’s Columbia, there were five murders in September.

Senator Nasheed, who successfully pushed Schatz to create the committee, looks forward to a productive interim committee. She tells Missourinet the violence is “plaguing” inner cities and outstate.

“I look forward to a plan in terms of legislation so that we can be able to curb this gun violence in the city of St. Louis, Kansas City and throughout the state of Missouri,” says Nasheed.

The committee is expected to come up with recommendations by December, for the 2020 legislative session that begins in January.

Millions of dollars in Missouri state fairground improvements about to begin in Sedalia

October 14, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

About $8 million in new upgrades and repairs will be starting soon at the sprawling state fairgrounds in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia.

State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, speaks on the Missouri Senate floor on April 30, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee Chairman Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, pushed for the repairs and spoke about the issue on the Senate floor, even though his southeast Missouri district is 260 miles away from Sedalia.

“You know I’m from Poplar Bluff, a long ways from here. But we (residents in his southeast Missouri district) take a lot of pride in our state, we take a lot of pride in our state fair. We take a lot of pride in our FFA kids, and our students get to come here (Sedalia) and learn about agriculture,” Libla says.

Senator Libla, who represents eight southeast Missouri counties, tells Missourinet that investing more money in state fairgrounds facilities will pay dividends in the future. He also says the state fair is an opportunity for urban children to hear about farming.

“We need to make sure our farm families are being taken care of, make sure they’re being represented, and this (the state fair) is a good way for the urban kids to also learn about agriculture,” says Libla.

A spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) told Missourinet on Friday that the $8 million in projects at the state fairgrounds are all in various stages of development, with design, bid or construction starting soon.

A complete electrical upgrade to the swine barn is planned, along with a new 150-site campground for exhibitors only. Planned improvements also include a complete renovation to the old sheep pavilion.

Governor Mike Parson and State Fair Director Mark Wolfe say more than 337,000 people attended the State Fair in August.

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, who represents southern Missouri, says the seven Bootheel counties produce more than one-third of the agricultural products for the entire state. Smith represents the eight counties that Libla represents in the Senate.

Libla: a user tax for Missouri transportation is still a conservative position (AUDIO)

October 8, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The chairman of the Missouri Senate Transportation Committee supports a gasoline tax increase, saying that our roads and bridges must be funded adequately.

State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, speaks on the Missouri Senate floor on January 10, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, chairs the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety committee. He tells Missourinet we’ve funded roads and bridges for 95 years in Missouri with a gas tax.

“Back in the day when I first became a Republican, a user tax was a conservative Republican position,” Libla says. “And I still believe so today. I think those who use the roads should help pay for them.”

Missouri’s 17-cent per gallon gas tax has remained the same since 1996. Voters rejected a proposed ten-cent gas tax increase in November.

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R) notes Missouri has the seventh-largest infrastructure system, but ranks 49th in funding.

Libla, who represents eight southeast Missouri counties, emphasizes that local officials help to decide key projects.

“We have planning commissions all over this state, so it’s not just a few people deciding where a new road or a new intersection goes in or a new four-lane or whatever,” says Libla.

He says transportation is critical for both urban and rural residents, noting Missouri’s $88 billion agricultural industry is the state’s top industry.

Meantime, Chairman Libla says the heavily-traveled stretch of Highway 50 between California and Sedalia in mid-Missouri needs to be four-laned. He says it’s similar to some highways in his sprawling district.

“It’s two-lane, you have some people wanting to drive the speed limit, you have some who want to drive 15 mile (per hour) under it. And you get a lot of backup, people get impatient, so on and so forth,” Libla says.

The state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) included the Highway 50 project from California to Sedalia in the August 2014 ballot measure known as Amendment 7, which was defeated at the polls. At that time, MoDOT estimated it would cost $122 million to four-lane that stretch.

MoDOT also notes that the central district planning partners have identified the next segment of Highway 50 as an unfunded priority. The segment, which is from California to Tipton, would cost about $44 million.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, which was recorded at the State Fair in Sedalia on August 15, 2019:

Bellefontaine Neighbors “hammered” by seven inches of rain; Missouri heat advisory remains (AUDIO)

August 12, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis says parts of north St. Louis County received more than six inches of rain and flooding early Monday morning. NWS hydrologist Mark Fuchs tells Missourinet far north county was “hammered” by rain.

“Folks in north County had upwards of over seven inches of rain, measured, in automated rain gauges up around Bellefontaine Neighbors and Glasgow Village,” Fuchs says.

The NWS issued numerous flash flood warnings across the St. Louis metropolitan area this morning.

“Just an incredible amount of water and quite a bit of flash flooding across north county,” says Fuchs.

Meantime, virtually all of Missouri remains under a heat advisory until 9 p.m. Monday. The heat index in Columbia and Jefferson City makes it feel like 107 degrees, and the heat index in southeast Missouri’s Poplar Bluff is about 110.

Fuchs tells Missourinet the heat has created a dangerous situation in which heat-related illnesses are possible.

“We’re looking at heat indices in parts of west-central Missouri, heat indices might exceed 110 degrees. And the same is true down in southeast Missouri,” Fuchs says.

You’re being urged to drink plenty of water and to avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with NWS hydrologist Mark Fuchs, which was recorded on August 12, 2019:

Missouri congressman to present medals to late veteran’s family on Fourth of July (AUDIO)

July 4, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The family of a deceased southern Missouri veteran will be presented with his military service medals during a Fourth of July event in Salem.

Missouri Congressman Jason Smith visits the non-profit Parkland Hope Center in Park Hills in February 2019 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Smith’s office)

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, will be presenting the medals to Deck Hall’s family members. Smith says the family contacted his office, seeking assistance.

“Well it’s a great honor whenever we are able to track down the medals and awards for our veterans who never received them or they may have lost them,” Smith says.

Congressman Smith tells Missourinet the late Deck Hall earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge.

Tonight’s presentation will take place at the Dent County Courthouse, just before the Fourth of July fireworks display.

The Salem event is one of several celebrations Congressman Smith will be attending today across his sprawling district, which contains 30 counties in southeast and south-central Missouri.

One of the most popular Fourth of July celebrations in southeast Missouri takes place in the small town of Oran, which is south of Cape Girardeau.

Today’s 108th Oran picnic includes music and fireworks. Congressman Smith will be attending the event, meeting with constituents about various issues. He says he frequently receives questions from constituents about Social Security issues and veterans benefits.

“You know southeast Missouri is all about God, country and family, and the Oran picnic is a prime example,” says Smith.

The event includes a buffet-style dinner at the Guardian Angel Knights of Columbus Hall. Fr. Randy, the church pastor, tells Missourinet they expect to feed about 1,000 people at today’s dinner, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Congressman Smith agrees with the late Congressman Bill Emerson: the Oran Fourth of July picnic has the best fried chicken anywhere in the world. He says the event is fun for all ages.

“This is the 108th annual Oran picnic. You can find horseshoe tournaments, cornhole, music, fireworks, wagon rides,” Smith says.

The dinner also includes roast beef and numerous desserts.

Congressman Smith will also travel to Poplar Bluff today and to the small town of Ellington, which is in Reynolds County. Smith will recognize the Ellington Whippet baseball team for that school’s first state championship in any sport.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, which was recorded on July 2, 2019: