Dedicated family man, other contributions recognized

A highlight of my job is the opportunity to recognize special people on special occasions.

One such event occurred when I recently presented a resolution in honor of Mr. Bob Healy’s 85th birthday. Many of you might know Bob, who is originally from Poplar Bluff. He served his country in the Korean War, and is a dedicated family man who proudly raised four children with his wife of 64 years, Betty. One of the most remarkable things about Bob is his dedicated service as a minister and servant of God who always did what God asked of him, even when it included personal sacrifices. Happy Birthday Bob, and wishing you many more to come.

Billington

I joined Republicans from across the state in the annual “Lincoln Day” celebration. In addition to receiving an important legislative update from our two outstanding U.S. Senators, we heard from Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president. Previously, she was the first female to successfully manage a presidential campaign. I was honored to personally meet this talented member of the president’s team. I expect her accomplishments, already significant, will continue to mount as she continues her dedicated service to our country.

This week I was honored to visit with the Missouri Supreme Court. Though my colleagues and I sometimes disagree with the judges for their decisions, we respect their commitment to following the law regardless of their personal opinions. They are an indispensable branch of our government.

Congressman Jason Smith again hosted the state legislators in his district for dinner. I appreciate his willingness to take time to brief us about what is going on at the federal level and explain how it affects the issues we deal with in the legislature.

As many of you know, our community sits near the New Madrid seismic zone. Even though it has been decades since a major quake, the region holds the distinction of experiencing some of the most powerful earthquakes in American history. Thankfully, our civil defense officials are working hard to prepare for the eventuality of another disastrous temblor. I saw first-hand the extensive preparedness work when I attended the 2020 Earthquake Summit in Poplar Bluff. The event included presentations from officials at the local, state, and federal government levels. The consensus is that the question is not “if” a major earthquake will strike, but “when.” You can help educate yourself and your loved ones by visiting https://sema.dps.mo.gov/earthquake_preparedness/.

The House took action this week to reinstitute a voter ID requirement that was approved by Missourians in 2016. Lawmakers gave first-round approval to a bill that would bring clarity to the requirements that were gutted by the Missouri Supreme Court.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr announced the creation of the Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention. The committee will host a public forum for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) to share their response to the coronavirus.  

Several bills were sent to the senate this week. HB 1418 includes anyone employed by the Department of Corrections and jailers in the list of persons whose home address and vehicle information is to be kept confidential by the Department of Revenue under state law. HB 1868 requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Career and Technical Advisory Council, to develop a statewide plan establishing the minimum requirements for a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Certificate. HB 1873 creates the offense of vehicle hijacking, which is committed when an individual knowingly uses or threatens the use of physical force upon another individual to seize or attempt to seize possession or control of a vehicle.

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Contact Rep. Billington at hardy.billington@house.mo.gov or by calling 573-751-4039.