BILLS MAY SEEM STRANGE, BUT ARE SERIOUS

Of the hundreds of bills filed in the Missouri General Assembly each year, many stand out not because they will impact drastically on citizens but because -- at least at first glance -- they seem a bit odd.

To the sponsors of such legislation, however, though their bills may seem somewhat strange they have strong reasons for proposing them.

One such item is Senate Bill 642, which would make jumping from public bridges a crime. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Larry Rohrbach, R-California, said the bill isn't what people might think. It's "not an anti-suicide law."

Rohrbach drafted the bill because of a law enforcement officer's concerned about people -- particularly kids -- jumping from bridges that cross rivers or lakes. Though such activity is intended to be fun, Rohrbach said it can also be extremely dangerous as submerged objects might not be detected until too late.

"It may seem silly, but the problem the bill seeks to address can be deadly serious," Rohrbach said. "Young people who jump from bridges for fun can be seriously injured or killed and we now have no law that police can use to stop this practice."

Rohrbach said officers he talked with from the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Missouri Water Patrol agreed the issue is one of concern. He said the water patrol also reported numerous close calls between jumpers and boaters.

"All sheriff's deputies and the water patrol can ask is for them not to do it again," Rohrbach said of current law.

The bill has been placed on the Senate's consent calendar and Rohrbach anticipates swift passage.

Another proposed measure to address a perceived gap in the law would make failure to return rented videotapes a crime.

Senate Bill 599 sponsor Sen. Bill McKenna, D-Barnhart, patterned the bill after similar laws recently adopted in New York and North Carolina.

"It seems like a little thing, but if you happen to be a person who owns a (video) store it's your livelihood," McKenna said. "It's the same as writing a bum check and we have laws against writing bum checks."

Failure to return videos would become a misdemeanor under the bill. In addition to fines paid to the court, those convicted under the law would have to pay $50 or three times the cost of an unreturned video -- whichever is greater -- to the store where it was rented.

However, those who are habitually tardy returning movies need not worry -- as long as they eventually return them. The bill would require stores have to send delinquent renters a notice giving them 30 days to return late videos before facing criminal action.

While McKenna believes chances for passage are strong, Sen. John T. Russell, R-Lebanon, isn't as confident concerning one of his own bills.

For the third straight year, Russell is offering legislation to forbid the promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle in public schools. However, Russell thinks the issue is too hot to touch for most legislators and doesn't expect it will get very far.

"As a practical matter, I don't think my colleagues want to vote on it," Russell said.

Although opponents of the measure invariably label it as such, Russell said gay-bashing is not his intent. Instead, he simply thinks instruction concerning homosexual lifestyles has no place in the curriculum.

Russell said he is disturbed by some literature concerning the issue, including the nationally controversial "Heather Has Two Mommies." Although such materials are supposedly geared for children as young as 7, he does not think it is at all age appropriate.

"I don't think it does anything except to condition young kids that this is the right thing to do," Russell said.

Violation of the measure -- known as S.B. 600 -- would be an infraction, punishable only by a modest fine.