State Rep. Jeff Porter has filed his first three bills in the Missouri Legislature, including proposals for an emergency bridge repair fund and regulations for what can be labeled “Missouri bourbon.”Porter represents State District 42, which includes the Warrenton and Marthasville areas and all of Montgomery County. He was elected to the Legislature in 2018.Porter’s emergency bridge repair bill, House Bill 1097, is similar to efforts by predecessor Bart Korman to create a dedicated budget for fixing bridges in critical disrepair. HB 1097 would establish an “Emergency Bridge Repair and Replacement Fund,” which could only be used to fix or replace dilapidated state highway bridges.Porter said no money would be immediately transferred to the fund, but it will be available for future budgeting. He compared it to opening an account at a bank.“We’re setting the account number up, so to speak,” he said.If the bill is passed and the emergency bridge fund set up, Porter explained that money put into the fund would be protected for the sole purpose of making emergency repairs.Another proposal by Porter would create an official definition for “Missouri bourbon” and “Missouri bourbon whiskey.” For a beverage to qualify for that label, Porter’s House Bill 1127 would require all ingredients and manufacturing to come from Missouri.Specifically, corn for the bourbon would have to be grown and mashed in state, and the process of distilling, aging and bottling the product would all have to take place in Missouri.Porter said distillers in District 42 and elsewhere have expressed interest in making “Missouri Bourbon Whiskey” into its own brand of product. The label would promote products made in state and support Missouri agriculture.“Bourbon is made mostly from corn. It’s the product of the grain that we produce in our state,” Porter explained.Porter’s third bill, HB 1066, would create a new requirement for all home inspectors to be licensed by the state. Currently, no license is required, Porter said.He commented that the bill is meant to protect consumers by guaranteeing they get a qualified professional when they pay hundreds of dollars for a home inspection. HB 1066 establishes training requirements for all new inspectors.The licensing requirement would only apply to general home inspectors, exempting various specialist contractors. Local code enforcement officers would also be exempt from licensing.Porter filed the three bills at the end of February. He said his first few months in office have been busy with meeting constituents and establishing himself in office.All three bills have been read twice on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives. The next step is for the bills to be referred to legislative committees for consideration and public hearings.With many other legislation being considered, Porter said the bills might not make it to passage, but he is determined to push for them.Joining other proposalsPorter has added his name as a co-sponsor on a half-dozen bills filed by other members of the House. Those include new restrictions on abortion, a tax deduction for teachers and changes to concealed carry of firearms.These are the bills Rep. Porter is co-sponsoring:• HB 126 — Prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat or brain function is detected, and also contains multiple backup prohibitions in case part of the law is struck down in court. More than 20 other representatives co-sponsored this bill, which supporters say contains some of the strongest restrictions on abortion in the nation.HB 126 also states it is Missouri’s intention to prohibit all nonemergency abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its Roe v. Wade decision. The bill was passed by the House and sent to the Missouri Senate Feb. 27.• HB 207 — Allows Missouri residents to have medical alert notations placed on their driver licenses to make emergency responders aware that they have an emergency medical condition.• HB 258 — Modifies the list of locations where concealed carrying of firearms is restricted. Porter said the bill would provide more local control for private property owners such as churches to choose whether they want to allow firearms.HB 258 also prohibits state and local government offices and public colleges from enforcing concealed carry restrictions that are more restrictive than state law.• HB 299 — Creates a state income tax deduction for unreimbursed teacher expenses up to $500, including for class supplies and professional development training.• HB 878 — Specifies that when two local governments or other publicly elected bodies are part of a potential merger, only the voters who reside within may vote on the question of whether to merge or consolidate.• HB 1019 — Changes the law limiting tuition at public colleges by adding various fees to what is considered tuition, and expanding protections to students enrolled in fewer than 15 credit hours of classes.

State Rep. Jeff Porter signs his first bills filed as a House representative at the Missouri Capitol. Porter was elected in 2018 to represent District 42, which includes Warrenton, Marthasville and all of Montgomery County. 

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