(The Lion) — On pornography, abortion and illegal immigration, Missouri lawmakers are fighting for conservative values.
A measure that aims to prevent children from accessing pornography by requiring age verification on adult websites has bipartisan support in the state Legislature.
Rep. Connie Steinmetz, D-Hazelwood, an elementary school teacher for almost 40 years, supports House Bill 236.
“My district did have firewalls, but these kids are really smart, and they know how to get around it. It interrupted my ability to teach because I was constantly kicking them off of porn sites, and we’re talking about third, fourth, and fifth graders,” Steinmetz told Missourinet.
Rep. Jeff Myers, R-Warrenton, also backs the bill.
Myers said the pornography available nowadays is far more pernicious than the pornography of old.
“This isn’t your grandfather’s pornography or a dirty magazine,” Myers said. “The stuff that’s out there at the … the fingertips of our children should have a barrier to get into.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby, filed a proposal, Senate Bill 681, to allow Missouri taxpayers to receive a 100% tax credit for any donations made to a pregnancy resource center (PRC), up from 70%. Missouri’s marginal tax rates range from 2% to 4.8%.
Her bill would also set the maximum credit for an individual at $50,000 annually and remove the statewide cap on the program, currently set at $3.5 million.
Alissa Gross, CEO of Resource Health Services, which runs four PRCs in the Kansas City area, says the measure would help these centers reach even more women.
“Our ability to impact more men and women for life, as well as build healthy families has been substantial,” she told ProPublica.
Additionally, Sen. David Gregory, R-Chesterfield, filed a unique proposal to crack down on illegal immigration.
Senate Bill 72 would make it a felony for illegal aliens to enter and stay in Missouri, banning them from voting, getting a driver’s license, receiving public benefits or becoming legal residents.
It also creates a public reporting system with a $1,000 reward for tips leading to arrests and creates a state-certified bounty hunter program to find and detain illegal aliens.
Critics, such as Sen. Barbara Washington, D-Kansas City, worry the measure would encourage racial profiling.
However, Gregory said it’s a much-needed change.
“SB 72 makes it a felony to be here illegally and the bill will finally allow Missouri law enforcement to find and arrest illegal immigrants,” he told NBC Montana. “We need all hands on deck to ensure we catch illegal immigrants before they commit violent crimes.”
