COVID-19 was a major topic of discussion this week at our State Capitol, so please heed the advice of experts to prevent the onset and spread of this virus. I remain optimistic in Missouri’s leaders and their ability to handle this issue with due diligence. The best place to find the latest information on the virus is the Centers for Disease Control.
The Department of Defense has also shared this list of population specific resources.
- What You Should Know (here)
- Travel Information (here)
- Preventing COVID-10 Spread in Communities (here)
- Higher Risk & Special Populations (here)
- Health Care Professionals (here)
- Resources for Health Care Facilities (here)
- Resources for Health Departments (here)
- Laboratories (here)
- Communication Resources (here)
I also remain thankful to be my community’s voice in the Missouri General Assembly and am thrilled to report that Missouri may be well on its way to implementing a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program! On Thursday, March 12, the Missouri Senate passed its version of House Bill 1693. Although similar initiatives have stalled in the Senate in years past, HB 1693 is one step closer to becoming a reality. I believe this tool will benefit physicians, their patients and Missouri’s overall health.
On Wednesday, I presented my Senate Bill 666 to the Health and Pensions Committee in an effort to solidify current practices into statute. Some people with behavioral health conditions rely heavily on medications to treat their diseases, so in my opinion, this bill will add some extra protections for this vulnerable population and help prevent potentially dangerous psychotic episodes.
Wednesday I had the pleasure of meeting my hometown’s “Main Street” in the Capitol for Leadership Joplin Day. Their mission, “harnessing individuals’ strengths to create community leaders,” is definitely put into action in Joplin and the surrounding areas, and I appreciate their ongoing efforts to improve economic development.
Several groups were in Jefferson City this week for various causes. Carrie Cline, the Newton County Library’s director, and Chris Yaudus, treasurer of the library board and vice president of the Southwest Missouri Conservative Network, attended the Library Advocacy Day on March 10, and I was honored to introduce them to my colleagues on the Senate Floor.
It was also great to see Jen Baldwin, from Jasper R-5, and Amy Hertzberg, from Nevada Middle School. Librarians play a very important role in education, so I enjoyed learning about their legislative priorities and local challenges.
The Capitol’s halls were filled for the annual Silver Haired Legislature Day on March 10. The event allows Area Agencies on Aging to advocate for senior issues. Unfortunately, my schedule didn’t allow for photos with all of the representatives from our community, but I was able to take a few.
The Disability Rights Legislative Day was also this week, and their theme for this year’s rally was “We belong.” I had a nice visit with Vietnam veteran, James Murray, who was here representing the Missouri Council of the Blind.
The Missouri Foundation for Health (MFFH) Education Day was held on March 11, and several members from southwest Missouri visited my office from various agencies. Lisa Nelson is the grant program supervisor at Freeman Health Systems, Alyssa Curran works for MFFH, Teddy Steen serves as the executive director for Ascent Recovery Residence and Callie Lankford is the case management supervisor for Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri.
