JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) This year’s legislative session brought a major focus on public safety, as state leaders pushed a series of new laws aimed at protecting Missourians. In April, Governor Mike Kehoe signed two bills targeting child safety, along with legislation de signed to strengthen law enforcement and public safety efforts. One of those measures, House Bill 2273, was sponsored in part by Rep. Ed Lewis, who told ABC 17 earlier this year he expected the bill would make it across the finish line this session. The bill is part of a broader push at the state capitol to strengthen criminal justice policies. Under the new law, penalties for sex offenses involving minors are increased. Under previous law, prosecutors did not have a clear path to charge certain grooming behaviors on their own. Now, grooming a minor is classified as a Class C felony. If the offense involves sexual activity, a sexual performance, or a commercial sex act, the charge is upgraded to a Class B felony. Those convicted would be required to serve at least five years before becoming eligible for probation, parole, or any conditional release. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said he helped draft portions of the language included in HB 2273. "The way the enticement language has been strengthened to include other types of grooming behavior and to enhance penalties when that, grooming or enticement, leads to sexual contact with a child. That's going to be a huge help for us," Thompson said. Beyond those measures, lawmakers also approved significant changes to penalties for some of the state’s most serious sex crimes. Alongside HB 2273, Governor Mike Kehoe also signed Senate Bill 888. This bill increases penalties for several serious sexual offenses and tightens rules on parole eligibility. According to SB 888, rape in the first degree, the law raises the punishment to 10 to 30 years in prison, and in some cases allows life without the possibility of parole, instead of giving judges more flexible sentencing options. It also removes some previous early-release provisions, meaning people convicted of certain crimes against young children would no longer be eligible for parole after serving a set number of years under older rules. For statutory rape in the first degree, the minimum sentence is increased from five years to 10 years, and higher penalties are also raised for more severe cases. For sodomy in the first degree involving children under 12, the law keeps life imprisonment but removes language that allowed for parole eligibility after a set number of years, making sentencing stricter overall. The law expands information sharing between law enforcement and prosecutors to help better track criminal cases and juvenile history. “We took steps to stop the revolving door of violent offenders, strengthening sentence transparency and ensuring our criminal justice system has the tools needed to keep dangerous individuals off our community streets,” Governor Mike Kehoe said. Senator Tony Luetkemeyer said the changes address concerns about offenders serving only a small portion of their sentences. “Too often, serious offenders are released after serving only a small portion of their prison sentence, creating uncertainty for both victims and their families,” Luetkemeyer said. New parole eligibility standards: Class A felonies: 70% of sentence served Class B felonies: 50% Class C, D, and E felonies: vary based on offense type and prior history Dangerous felonies: 85% of sentence served before parole eligibility "This will improve transparency in sentencing by making sure that victims and families have a much more clear understanding of how long an offender is actually going to remain incarcerated." Luetkemeyer said. Thompson said the previous law left room for confusion unless the crime was classified as an 85% offense. He said that, in many cases, no one in the courtroom knew exactly how long an offender would actually remain in prison. Thompson said the new law will provide greater clarity for victims and their families. "It helps us give victims a lot more peace of mind," Thompson said. "Now, being able to go to a victim and say look 'the defendant is going to plead guilty to X amount of years. That means he will serve Y amount of time before he would even become eligible for parole." Thompson noted the new laws will not take effect until Aug. 28 unless otherwise specified. Some provisions included in SB 888 are not scheduled to go into effect until 2028.The governor also highlighted more than $14 million in public safety funding to support drone countermeasures and security preparations ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Missouri. He said the funding will help ensure the state is ready for a safe and successful tournament in Kansas City. The post Public safety takes center stage in new Missouri laws appeared first on ABC17NEWS. ...read more read less