Rep. Bryan Spencer, District 63, prepared for the start of Missouri’s 2017 legislative session by filing a series of modified 2016 bills and cosponsoring bills from two freshman representatives.Highlighting Spencer’s filings are provisions focusing on Missouri education. Two bills, HB 139 and HB 141, would expand a school district’s ability to opt out of certain requirements if the governor withholds school funding. Another would expand the state’s virtual education program.The “Missouri Course Access Program” established by HB 138 would allow students in kindergarten through 12th grade to enroll in up to two virtual courses paid for by their school district. The courses would need to be approved by a school counselor.“If there is a class available in brick and mortar, the student would take the brick-and-mortar class,” Spencer said. The online offerings are for otherwise unavailable courses and would be facilitated in school, Spencer added.He said the virtual classes would be a way for districts to offer a wider variety of courses without having to shoulder the entire cost of the programs.Another of Spencer’s bills, HB 140 aka the Student Accountability Act, would create a special diploma notation for high school students who score above the national or state average on comprehensive assessments, such as the ACT.All four of the bills are similar to bills filed in 2016.Co-sponsored billsSpencer also has signed on as co-sponsor of bills from freshmen Reps. Nick Schroer, District 107, and Phil Christofanelli, District 105.Schroer’s House Bill 96 would make “gun-free” businesses liable for the safety and defense of customers. Essentially, a business that prohibits firearms could be sued by any licensed gun owner who is attacked while inside.Spencer said this is a matter of constitutional rights. “Does your First Amendment right end when you go into a restaurant? The answer is no,” Spencer said. “Your Second Amendment right should not end just because you go in there.”Spencer said the additional liability would only apply to businesses that post signs prohibiting guns. He said private property rights would still allow a business to ask gun carriers to leave without any penalty.Christofanelli’s House Bill 27 would allow established political parties to hold closed primary elections. In a closed primary, only registered members of a party are allowed to participate in selecting that party’s electoral candidates.Spencer said the goal of the closed primaries is to prevent Republicans and Democrats from sabotaging each other’s elections. Independent voters already have to declare a party when they vote in a primary. Spencer said the only difference is voters would be registered when they declare and would have to provide advance notice if they want to change parties for the next election.Other billsSpencer is sponsoring three other bills filed before the beginning of the 2017 legislative session on Jan. 4.According to the bills’ summaries: HB 136 prohibits private land-use agreements from precluding amateur service communications. HB 137 specifies that abandoned property reports requiring a law enforcement signature must be signed by a highway patrol officer. HB 275 prohibits automated traffic enforcement systems.Rep. Bryan Spencer