New Missouri laws will take effect Monday

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- From traffic laws to tax credits, about 130 new state laws take effect Monday.

Chief among those that will affect the everyday life of many Missouri families is a new requirement that children ride in a booster seat until they're as old as 8.

Children can switch to seat belts before then, if they reach 80 pounds or 4-feet-9 inches tall. Under previous law, booster seats were required for children up to 4 years of age.

Safety advocates say seat belts aren't designed to fit safely around small children. The Missouri Department of Transportation said using booster seats lowers children's risk of injury in crashes by 59 percent compared to just seat belts.

"Just a few more years in a booster seat can help prevent serious injury and may even save your child's life," said Leanna Depue, highway safety director for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

But critics say it's government intrusion on personal freedom, and say the law would be tough to meet for parents shuttling friends' children around to soccer practice or dance recitals.

Teenage drivers also face changes. A new law prohibits those with an "intermediate" license -- for drivers 16 to 18 years old -- from having more than one other person younger than 19 in the car for the first six months of the license, and no more than three after that, except close relatives.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said drivers younger than 21 made up nearly 30 percent of all Missouri traffic crashes and 21 percent of all fatal state crashes last year.

"We continue to lose far too many young people needlessly on our highways due to speed, driver inattention and impaired driving," Patrol Superintendent Col. Roger Stottlemyre said in a statement.

Also, coming in January, is a requirement that those preparing to get a driver's license with a learner's permit complete 40, rather than 20, hours of behind-the-wheel practice, including at least 10 at night.

Tougher penalties

New laws effective Monday also toughen penalties for injuring or killing workers in construction zones -- a timely change after two highway workers were killed in the St. Louis area this month.

Since 2000, 214 MODOT employees have been injured and seven have been killed in work zones, the department said. Between 2000 and 2004, 104 motorists were killed and 5,327 injured in Missouri work zones.

The bill creates the crime of "endangerment of a highway worker," with criteria such as going more than 15 mph over the speed limit in a work zone with a worker present or intentionally striking construction barrels.

Violations in which no one was hurt could result in a fine of up to $1,000 and four points against a license. If a highway worker is hurt or killed, offenders could receive a fine of up to $10,000 and 12 points -- enough to have their licenses revoked for a year.

The bill also increases the penalty for motorists who don't move over when approaching an emergency vehicle. Also, drivers who don't properly yield and are involved in fatal accidents face a $1,000 fine and could have their licenses suspended for six months.

Also taking effect Monday is a law allowing tax credits for donations to centers that help pregnant women without providing abortions. The bill authorizes a tax credit worth half the value of donations between $100 and $50,000. The credits would be capped at $2 million per year.

New restrictions on the use of eminent domain also kick in. The legislature and Gov. Matt Blunt pushed to change the law in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer that allowed governments to take private property and give it to another private interest to increase tax revenues.

The new state law bars the taking of private property "solely" to increase taxes or create jobs. In addition, property owners whose land, homes or small businesses are condemned under the new standards would get a boost in their compensation.

The measure also bars blighting of farmland, a trigger for taking property through eminent domain. But lawmakers did not change the definition of blight, even though some say its original intent has been stretched to the point of abuse.

Boaters also will pay more to enjoy their hobby under a new law that increases boat registration fees and directs the money to the Missouri State Water Patrol.

About 315,000 boats are registered in Missouri, excluding solely paddle-powered vessels. Owners have paid a fee ranging from $10 to $40 every three years.

Under the law taking effect Monday fees rise to $25 for boats shorter than 16 feet, and up to $150 for those more than 40 feet long.