Sen. Denny Hoskins Announces Several Proposals for 2018 Legislative Session

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri state Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, plans to introduce several legislative proposals for the upcoming legislative session on Dec. 1, the first day lawmakers are allowed to file bills and proposals for the 2018 legislative session. The Missouri General Assembly is scheduled to convene Jan. 3.

The Business Premises Safety Act would protect businesses from lawsuits stemming from third-party criminal activity that occurs on their property. Existing law is too harsh on Missouri businesses, mandating they must bear responsibility for preventing crimes that are often unpredictable. As a result, businesses avoid high-crime areas, which only hurts those who live in these neighborhoods. The act aims to clarify the state’s common law, which has been muddied in this area from confusing rulings by Missouri appellate courts.

“It’s unfair to punish businesses for the acts of others they cannot reasonably prevent,” said Sen. Hoskins. “This bill will protect Missouri business owners from frivolous lawsuits. The burden of violent crime should be on criminals, not law-abiding business owners.”

The second bill concerns child support and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps. Too much child support goes unpaid every year. This bill would step up enforcement, withholding SNAP benefits for those parents who don’t pay their legally obligated child support payments. The bill is modeled after similar laws already on the books in other states.

“Child support cooperation is too important to let slide,” said Sen. Hoskins. “This bill would help ensure the safety and care our children deserve.”

The third bill seeks a complete repeal of the state’s prevailing wage. Under current law, Missouri mandates minimum wage rates for all public works construction projects — things such as roads, bridges and government buildings — often in excess of the state and federal minimum wage rates. Different rates are set depending on the county and type of project.

This legislation aims to make government construction more cost-effective, thereby saving taxpayer money, while also making it easier for municipal governments to get more bang for their buck on local infrastructure projects. If a rural community with less revenue than an urban center is forced to pay an exorbitant price on, for example, construction of a new school building, they’ll often be unable to afford it. The prevailing wage law hurts many Missouri communities.

In the spring, the Missouri House passed a bill to repeal the prevailing wage, but the legislation never came to a vote in the Missouri Senate. This proposal seeks to finalize what so many Missourians already know is good for the Show-Me State.

“It’s time to reform how we go about public works construction in the state of Missouri,” said Sen. Hoskins. “A clean repeal of the prevailing wage will allow government to run more efficiently, saving Missouri taxpayers’ hard-earned money. There’s simply no need to have both a state minimum wage and a prevailing wage.”

For information about Sen. Hoskins, please visit his official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/mem21.