The legislative process has often been compared to a race.

Senators expediently vie for support for their proposals at each turn as they attempt to transform bills into laws before the finish line of adjournment. My Senate Bill 168 cleared another hurdle earlier this month when I presented it to the Emerging Issues Committee on April 4.

My proposal states that no public body, political subdivision, public school district, state department or agency or public official shall require a person to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. It goes a couple of steps further and prohibits using a person’s vaccination status as a condition for receiving public services, while protecting employees from being penalized for not vaccinating.

For any private company with a mandate, SB 169 permits an employee to opt out for medical or religious purposes. I firmly believe Missouri can balance preserving public health while protecting civil liberties, without mandating COVID-19 vaccinations. It should be up to the individual to weigh the risks and benefits of these treatments and decide what is best for them.

On April 5, I sponsored Dr. Margaret Bultas during her confirmation hearing for a gubernatorial appointment to the Missouri State Board of Nursing. An associate professor at St. Louis University’s nursing school, Dr. Bultas also serves as a substitute nurse for the Rockwood School District. I congratulate her work and feel confident she will do well in creating an atmosphere of safe and effective nursing care in the interest of public health.

Missouri Purple Star Designation

Congratulations to the entire St. Clair R-XIII district for being named a 2023 Missouri Purple Star School District. To correspond with April being recognized as “Month of the Military Child,” the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has named St. Clair and six others 2023 Missouri Purple Star School Districts.

The Purple Star designation signifies the school district supports service members and their families within our community. In addition to this esteemed recognition, four of the district’s schools earned the Purple Star School distinction: St. Clair High School, St. Clair Junior High School, St. Clair Elementary School and Edgar Murray Elementary School.

I’m extremely proud of our community for its unyielding support for our military families.

It is an honor serving those who call the 26th Senatorial District home. If you need assistance with navigating state government or the legislative process, please reach out by calling 573-751-3678 or emailing Ben.Brown@senate.mo.gov.