Mel Kallal
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
The May 16 News Tribune coverage of the Missouri Legislature reveals many positives (Grades A & B) and some negatives (Grade: Incomplete).
Each senator and representative campaigned and won their position with promises to "do the right thing" for Missouri. Let's take a look.
Even St. Louis County has a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). As reported by Kaiser Health News in 2019 (!), "Missouri will retain its lonely title as the only state without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program."
Governor Parson should put the cap on his pen until our Legislature stops listening to alarmists, passes a proper bill and joins the other 49 states.
The Legislature nearly unanimously gave away state property (land) for an unproven Missouri River port. (To be fair, properly managed as a business, the port could be a big success, save wear and tear on our roads and contribute to Cole County property taxes.)
Our Legislature decided the State of Missouri was awash in money, so again, failed to establish a "Wayfair" tax which would have brought in an estimated $80 million.
A positive: Mail-in ballots were authorized under limited conditions due to the coronavirus. The use of mail-in ballots in elections may streamline election procedures, reduce the need for voting machines and benefit the U.S. Postal Service, a long established and trusted agency. (As has been the case for decades, the Postal Service was recently rated by consumers to be the most respected government agency.)
Finally, two items reflect our legislators trust in the future of the human race. First, as noted in the NT photo, most legislators think a mask is not a beneficial protection. Second, legislators know that the head of a motorcycle operator, 26 years or older, does not require protection in the event of an accident.