Last week we worked on perfecting legislation in the Missouri Senate. Once bills have passed out of committees, they may be debated on the Senate floor. After bills reach this stage and are perfected, no further amendments or substitutions are allowed. Perfected bills have to be approved by a final roll call vote before they are “third read and passed” by the Senate and sent to the House for consideration.

Two of the bills the Senate perfected were Senate Bill 25, which exempts the recipients of broadband internet grants from taxation, and Senate Bill 3, which establishes the Regulatory Sandbox Act and will create two new offices within the Department of Economic Development to promote business growth, the Office of Entrepreneurship and the Regulatory Relief Office.

The combined Senate Bills 4, 42 and 89, which include my legislation to establish a Parents Bill of Rights, ban the teaching of critical race theory and set up an online platform for parents to track what their children are learning, was on the calendar for perfection but was laid over after a lengthy discussion. While the debate ensued, I explained my reasoning behind filing Senate Bill 42 and how parents in my community have lost trust in their child’s school district and feel powerless when it comes to controlling what is taught in public schools. I plan to bring this legislation back up for debate and passage in the coming weeks.

The Senate finalized its first measure on Feb. 2 when it passed Senate Bill 51. This proposal authorizes advanced-level physical therapists to evaluate and treat a patient without a physician referral or prescription. I enjoy putting my stamp of approval on legislation that cuts down on red tape and regulatory overreach, and I think this bill will be extremely beneficial to our rural community.

On Jan. 31, I presented another piece of my priority legislation to members of the Senate Emerging Issues Committee. The Saving Women’s Sport Act outlined in Senate Bill 87 would require all sports programs for children in grades K-12 to designate each competition exclusively for males, females or open to all genders. As the father of two girls who are active in youth sports, I want to ensure they, and all other girls in Missouri, can compete on a fair playing field.