130 laws signed by Governor Nixon - including two important ones affecting Missouri transportation

The Call Newspapers recently summarized 130 bills signed by Governor Nixon this year.  These are the bills passed by the Missouri General Assembly in the 2011 legislative sessions.  July 14th was the last day for the governor to sign bills passed during this spring's legislative session.

The Call specifically calls out two bills the governor signed--bills that your support of MoBikeFed helped put on the governor's desk:

• State Designations

Also signed July 5, Senate Bill 180 designates certain state recognized days, weeks and months. Sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee's Summit, the measure designates the month of October as "Walk and Bike to School Month," the first Wednesday of October as "Walk and Bike to School Day," the month of May as "Missouri Bicycle Month," the third Friday in May as "Bike to Work Day," and the week of "Bike to Work Day" as "Bike to Work Week." . . . 


• Transportation and Infrastructure

Senate Bill 173, sponsored by Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, was signed into law on July 7. His legislation requires the Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise to focus on developing long-term strategies and plans relating to creating a modern infrastructure and transportation system in the state.

The Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise was created in 2010 to examine issues that will impact the future of the state of Missouri and its citizens. The committee was also charged with developing long-term strategies and plans to increase the economic prosperity and opportunities for Missourians by improving the health status of the state's citizens, preparing graduates for global competition, developing three-, five-, and 10-year plans for the General Assembly to meet these long-term strategies, and implementing a budget forecasting the next 10 years in order to plan for the long-term financial soundness of the state, among other duties.

Senate Bill 173 also addresses the Missouri State Transit Assistance Program, highway and sewer design-build contracts, excavation notification centers, highway naming provisions and Missouri Transportation Development Districts.

Read more about the bills passed and vetoed there year on the Call web site.

Remember that besides SB 180, providing for bicycle and pedestrian designations, and the SB 173, providing for long-term planning for Missouri's transportation needs and the Missouri  State Transit Assistance Program, these bills and resolutions of importance were passed during the 2011 session:

  • The Missouri Complete Streets Resolution - this resolution expresses the General Assembly's support for Complete Streets.  As a concurrent resolution of the General Assembly, HCR 23 does not require the governor's signature.  The officers of the General Assembly have already sent copies of the resolution to MoDOT, planning agencies, municipalities, and the U.S Department of Transportation, as required in the resolution.
  • Missouri automobile license plate in support of bicycling - the plate required approval by by the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight, which was received on April 26th, 2011.  The governor's signature is not required.

Another bill of interest, requiring motorists to pass bicyclists at a safe distance but in no case less than three feet, failed in a vote of the House Transportation Committee early in the session. A similar bill passed and was signed into law in Kansas.

Altogether, three important items initiated and strongly supported by the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation and its members passed this year. Your support of MoBikeFed is making a real, positive difference with Missouri elected officials!

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