Stars & Stripes bill passes, Cape County finally included

After a couple of false starts due to an oversight involving Cape Girardeau County, state House Bill 130 passed 157-0 on Wednesday, March 22, in Jefferson City.

Among the lawmakers voting unanimously on the legislation to designate 26 Southeast Missouri counties as Stars and Stripes Historic Region was freshman GOP Rep. John Voss of Cape Girardeau's District 147.

"I'm happy to see Cape Girardeau and our region recognized for our steadfast support of veterans and the Stars and Stripes," said Voss. who took office Jan. 4.

HB 130, an otherwise non-controversial measure, was originally introduced in 2022 by Jefferson City Republican Rep. Dave Griffith.

Griffith left Cape Girardeau County out of the measure, and he told the Southeast Missourian at the time he would "fix" the bill. Reintroduced in January, Cape County was again left out of Griffith's legislation.

The third-term lawmaker was contrite when the Southeast Missourian asked for comment after the most recent exclusion.

"That was an omission that needs to be corrected, and we will [fix] that in committee," wrote Griffith in an email to the Southeast Missourian on Jan. 23.

Language in Griffith's final version of the bill designated 26 counties for recognition: Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Jefferson, Franklin, Crawford, Dent, Shannon, Oregon, Ste. Genevieve, Washington, St. Francois, Madison, Iron, Perry, Wayne, Reynolds, Bollinger, Scott, Mississippi, Stoddard, Ripley, Butler, Carter, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Dunklin.

Assuming passage in the state Senate, Missouri Department of Transportation officials previously said it "may place suitable markings and informational signage in the designated areas."

The language of the bill requires all costs associated with the bill to be paid via private donations.

Stars & Stripes Museum and Library, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is in Bloomfield, Missouri.

According to www.nssml.org, the mission of the museum and library "is the documentation, preservation, and communication of the iconic story of the Stars and Stripes newspaper and the commitment and service of the Stars and Stripers, our servicemen and women and everyday citizens through exhibits, educational outreach and special programs to further our freedoms and values."