KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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After months of my reporting on drivers zooming through stopped school buses in Platte County, a proposed bill in Missouri aims to increase fines for those who ignore stop arms.
House Bill 2742 is currently waiting to be voted out of the Transportation and Public Safety Committee in the Senate. The legislation would bring higher stop-arm fines throughout the state.
Missouri State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer is supporting the bill as it makes its way through the Senate, citing accountability and prevention.
"When Mike talked to me about this piece of legislation, I was really excited to work with him to try to get it across the finish line here in the Senate," Luetkemeyer said.
The bill would make stop-arm fines higher in Missouri, from the current $130.50.
"When someone decides to ignore the stop signs that are coming out on the side of a school bus, they're putting in jeopardy the lives of students that are getting on or off of the bus. And as somebody who's a who's a new parent, I can't imagine anything more tragic than a kid being, you know, hit coming to and from school," Luetkemeyer said.
Sen. Leutkmeyer said the timing of the bill couldn't have come at the right time.
"Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragedy and sometimes media coverage about those tragedies to to bring these issues to light," Luetkemeyer said.
Deanna Munoz, a mother and newly elected school board member for the Park Hill School District, said she has personally witnessed drivers ignoring school bus stop arms.
"I think that we need stronger enforcement when it comes to people and not, you know, watching the signs. Because I have seen personally, where people just go straight through it and speedy and it's unsafe," Munoz said.
She said in her new role she hopes to continue pushing for student safety.
"I'm still learning politics, but I will say as a mom and as someone newly appointed we need to make sure that bill gets passed," Munoz said.
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